The document discusses the culture of poverty from several perspectives. It examines historical explanations for poverty, such as morally flawed character, and how economic conditions and lack of opportunities can perpetuate poverty. It also discusses Catholic social teaching principles like human dignity, the common good, and participation. Finally, it proposes some solutions like increasing access to jobs and education, and reforming tax policies, as well as noting the importance of redefining wealth and priorities to place people over profits and accumulation.

1. The Culture of Poverty
Joey Farrow and Anderson Tram
~Poverty: the state of having little or no money and few or no
material possessions
Who is poor?
~In Schiller, it’s an underclass that is so poor and socially isolated
it’
that it does not respond to mainstream prosperity, incentives, or
or
values
~the culture of the underclass spawns single-
single-
parent households, discourages labor force
participation, and perpetuates poverty
Culture of Poverty
Historical Explanations
Morally flawed character
Lacking aspirations & motivations
Big Brother
These historical explanations support the “belief in the
universality of economic opportunity” a belief that
“remains embedded in the American consciousness”
(Schiller, p. 141)
1

2. Economic Conditions
What does this graph
suggest?
Why do native blacks
experience the highest
incidence of poverty?
Why a culture of poverty?
Evidence of a socio-economic phenomenon
of ignorance & acceptance
Ignorance of the past
Acceptance of the present
Societies “come to kind of accept that is so the world is, that
it bound to have rich and poor, it bound to have some who
live by the Grace and others who have plenty” (Selvon, p.74)
plenty” Selvon,
- The Lonely Londoners
2

3. Problems to Overcome
In-kind transfers foster dependence
Grass-roots programs/incentives to work.
Grass-
Capitalism requires inequality
Poverty becomes inevitable
People “overwork” to avoid poverty
overwork”
Concentration of Wealth
Plato once said – “inequality undermines the unity of
society.”
society.”
With CEO to worker pay approaching 500 to 1 compared
to 50 to 1 in most other developed countries, capitalism in
America “makes a mockery of democracy!”
democracy!”
Response of Catholic Social Teaching
~Principle of human dignity: requires not only that
people are treated in ways that reflect and respect their
inherent dignity, but also that every policy, every solution
and every priority must be measured and evaluated by
whether it enhances or diminishes human life and dignity.
ex. the dignity of work/ Jesus was a worker
“The economy should work for human beings
and not human beings working for the economy”
economy”
~Principle of the common good: the process of the
reform program should benefit everyone equally, not only
the rich and powerful.
3

4. Catholic Social Teaching - continued
~CST also seeks to ASK questions about what is going on
around us, about why things happen in the first place.
ex. Challenge the socioeconomic mechanism that
marginalizes minorities.
~Principle of participation: CST would argue that all
participation:
persons should be allowed to do productive work, allowed to
make a livable wage that brings value to oneself.
~ Finally, CST would tell us that it is extremely important to
act in ways benefit all persons of all wages so that they grow
into their full potential as human beings.
ex. Support of investment into human capital - education
Solutions
Job availability
Made possible by policy reform that restricts domestic
plant closures. (Controlling the profit motive!)
Increase the vote
Diminished vote reflects the existence of inequalities.
Restoring a sense of unity; demand political accountability.
Education
Incentives for teachers to work in the inner-city schools.
inner-
4

5. Programs like Urban Corps, etc.
Act as support to those who fall through the cracks of
mainstream institutionalized education.
Funding
• Implementing new programs require policy reform
rather than a reliance on increased financial funding.
• Where for instance, reform to tax structures would
make government funding a reasonable resource.
ex. Lower Taxes => Minimize Deductions/Write
Offs/Charity
Future Outlook
It can be said that no dollar amount can end poverty,
perhaps for that moment, but an economy centered around the
Can the problems with poverty be fixed in
“I” will result in the inevitable presence of inequality.
America?
In America, the greatest hope to ending poverty might
be a redefinition of wealth – currently measured bydesire for
Must overcome the “thirst for power and material
accumulation. ”
profit”
profit
The A moveto acknowledge each persons role
need towards the principles of Catholic Social
TeachingExponential functionon the common good, restoring
would place priority of typical American’s appetite
American’
for high living standards
human dignity through the access to livable wages and
combating inequality with to blame, not the producer.
The consumer is policies that restrict socioeconomic
domination; all the while, promoting the importance of family
and commitment to marriage where wealth becomes measured
through immaterial richness.
5