How do the 70 characteristics in Oscar Lewis' theory on the culture of poverty in La Vida predict the nature of the urban poor church?

1. Urban Poor Spirituality: The Urban
Poor Church & the Culture of Poverty
Reflections by Viv Grigg on Oscar Lewis’ Culture of Poverty
and the Slum Church
Applications of a theory published in Scientific American, Oct
1966 based on his book “La Vida”
Viv Grigg, 2004 Cry of the Urban Poor, chaps 15,16,
Authentic

2. Place in Anthropological
Genre
Developed in opposition to Redfield’s “folk” – urban continuum
 A focus on cultures in the city rather than culture of the city
 Culture is: Learned from birth, transmitted generationally, an
orientation towards life, is collectively shared by a group.
 Critique:
 Culture of Poverty is not really a culture as not “transferred
over generations”, rather it is an in-between temporary
phase (though many slums are 3-6 generations old…).
 Not all characteristics have been verified

3. The ‘Culture of Poverty” versus Being
Poor
 And, it is very controversial because. . .
1. It sounds very deterministic, like people
are preconditioned to live like this.
2. It discouraged government and social
programs from expecting significant
change.
3. It feeds stereotypes---”You can remove
people out of the slums, but you can’t remove
the slums out of the people.
4. It suggests that “mainstream middle class
culture” is the model by which the “culture
of poverty” is deemed deficient.

4. The ‘Culture of Poverty” versus Being
Poor
 Controversy, continued . . .
5. It is easily identified with racial
categorizations, i.e. “all blacks are that
way.”
6. It becomes an excuse for blaming
strategies and inaction

5. Urban Consciousness & Slum
Church Culture

6. Urban Consciousness & Slum
Church Culture

7. Urban Consciousness & Slum
Church Culture

8. Church Leadership Styles in Context
 Peasant Societies – Church as village
 Feudal Lord - Pastor
 Peasants – Congregation
 Group (Consensus) Decision Making
 Cities – Church as corporation
 CEO – Pastor
 Individual Decision Making
“Slum dwellers are peasants of the city.”

9. What Do Poor People’s Churches
Look Like? (Economic)
 Produce little wealth
 Unemployment,
underemployment
 Low wages
 Lack of property
 Lack of savings
 Absence of food
reserves
 Chronic shortage of
cash
 Frequent
purchases of food
at high prices
 Pawning of
personal goods
 Borrowing at
usurious rates
 Informal credit
arrangements
 Use of
secondhand
furniture
 The Nature of the
Urban Poor
Church
 Breaking Debt
Barriers
 No More than 6th
Grade education
 Middleman
 The Nature of the
Urban Poor
Church
 Breaking Debt
Barriers
 No More than 6th
Grade education
 Middleman

10. Characteristics of the Culture of
Poverty (Psychological)
Psychological Characteristic Expected Church Culture
Live in the present
Pervading sense of hopelessness (?)
(subsequent studies disprove this theory
for migrant communities, but reinforce it
for longterm slum communities
To show their honor before God
Fatalism, helplessness, dependence,
inferiority
To break their inferiority complex
Break the fatalism.
To provide the opportunity to be
somebody, the roles
High incidence of weak ego structure (?) Counselling through their emotional
scars
Confusion of sexual identification Accountability and good discipling
relationships are the key.

11. Characteristics of the Culture of
Poverty (Psychological)
Psychological Characteristic Expected Church Culture
Present time orientation
Little disposition to defer gratification
or plan for the future
High tolerance for psychological
pathology (deviant)
Pre-occupation with “machismo”

12. Characteristics of the Culture of Poverty
(Relationship of Subculture
to Major Institutions)
Culture of Poverty Expected Church Culture
Non-integration ??
Disengagement from marriage ??
Hostility to basic institutions
Hatred of police
Mistrust of Government
Cynicism towards established
church
Potential for political unrest
Alternative institutions and
procedures

13. Characteristics of the Culture of Poverty
(Relationship of Subculture to Major Institutions)

14. Characteristics of the Culture of Poverty
(Family & Community)
 Few legally married
(value marriage as
morally good, but limits
options)
 Minimal Organization
beyond extended family
 Gregariousness in
community
 Low level of
organization (less than
peasant village, less
than middle class)

15. Characteristics of the Culture of Poverty
(Family & Community cont.)

16. Responses to the Culture of
Poverty
Formal attitudes towards those in the
culture of poverty
The “Liberals” say that the COP is a self-
perpetuating sub-society, that it is
disorganized, pathological and that it
must be eliminated and assimilated into
the Middle Class through social work,
psychiatry and societal transformation

17. Marxist Response to Culture
of Poverty
The Marxists believe that the COP is an
oppressed, sub-society, exploited by the
higher class, and that the pathologies have
their source in the entire system which is
pathological. It is in the interest of the power
people to maintain the advantage over the
COP. The entire structure of society must be
radically changed, and only by revolution.
Marx: society-economics-ideas
Weber: ideas-societies-economics

18. Anthropologists Respond to
Culture of Poverty theory
 The “Functionalists” say that the COP is a part of a
heterogeneous society and that it is an adaptive
sub-culture. As such it has not only pathological
features but also healthy aspects.
 It expresses itself in different forms from ethnic
group to ethnic group depending on its history.
 We need to increase resources available to the
poor, and alter the total social structure. Often the
COP influences new social movement or is a
barometer of such.

19. Leadership Development Among
the Poor
 The pioneer as equipper
 The key leader may be spiritually, in
character, in terms of recognition by the
group, the leader but have to deal with
deep debt.
 Leadership groups make decisions in
different style to Western thinking –
consensus vs top down, holistic vs
linear task oriented.

20. References
 Berger, P. L., B. Berger, et al. (1973). The Homeless Mind:
Modernization and Consciousness. New York, Random House.
 Grigg, V. (2004). Cry of the Urban Poor. London, Authentic Press,
ch 15,16.
 ----. (1992). Church of the Poor. Discipling the City: A
Comprehensive Approach to Urban Mission. R. Greenway. Grand
Rapids, Michigan, Baker: 159-170.
 Lewis, O. (1965). La Vida: A Puerto Rican Family in the Culture of
Poverty. San Juan and New York:, Vintage Books.
 --- (1966). ""The Culture of Poverty."." Scientific American 215(4):
3-9.
 Redfield, R. and M. Singer (1947/1969b). The Folk Society. Classic
Essays on the Culture of Cities. NY, Meredith.
 --- (1954/1969a). The Cultural Role of Cities. Classic Essays on the
Culture of Cities. R. Sennett. NY, Meredith.

21. Spirituality in the Culture of
Poverty? Where is God in the
midst of the poverty?
“Every meeting is a divine encounter.”
St. Augustine
“Every meeting is an exchange of gifts.”
St. Augustine