Common Stereotypes Of Poverty In The United States

The concept of poverty can be defined in many ways. Poverty can simply be viewed as a state of being remarkably poor. However, poverty is a dynamic concept that consists of economic, social, and political elements. There is no single definite aspect that causes poverty. There are many factors that cause poverty and prevent people from getting out of it. According to recent numbers released by the United States Census Bureau, there are approximately 46.7 million people living in poverty in the United States. That is about 14.8 percent of the country’s total population. Some groups in particular are more likely to be affected by poverty than others. For example, 16.1 percent of women are living in poverty compared to 13.4 percent of men. Children …show more content…
How people commonly talk about poverty and how the media portrays poverty stricken people is an example of how the micro and macro levels are linked. A common stereotype that people believe about poor people is that they are lazy. The reason that they are in poverty is because they do not want to work. However, there is no research to indicate that poor people have weaker work ethics than other socioeconomic groups. When a country’s economy is struggling, people are often fired from their jobs and have a difficult time finding one. This often leads to increased levels of poverty. Another stereotype about poor people is that they are substance abusers. This is not true in many instances. In fact, “low-income people in the U.S. are less likely to use or abuse alcohol than their wealthier counterparts” (Strauss). Wealthier people are more likely to use abuse alcohol because they have more disposable income. Alcohol and substance abuse are serious diseases that affect millions of people, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Believing that addiction is only associated with poor people hinders American’s ability to view alcoholism and poverty as national problems. The media frequently perpetuates these negative stereotypes about people in poverty. Through news programs, poor people are often portrayed as lazy, substance abusers who depend on government handouts. Television shows and movies portray poor people in the same way. Audiences absorb these negative representations of poverty and form their negative opinions about poor people. These negative attitudes about poor people can hinder society’s need to reduce poverty. If society views poor people as dependent and lazy, they will be less likely to help those in poverty. The media additionally downplays the “structural economic concerns” of the poor by making people believe that people are poor due to their own failures, not by