Culture Of Poverty Theory Essay

The culture of poverty theory argues that "poor people share deviant cultural characteristics. The poor have lifestyles that differ from the rest of society and that these characteristics perpetuate their life of poverty. Therefore it can be said that poverty, according to this theory, is a trait which is perpetuated generation after generation. Moreover, the issue of the culture of poverty theory argues that there are certain characteristics related to the way in which people targeted by this theory tend to behave. It is still debated among scholars, and government policy makers as to whether poverty comes from economic, social, and political conditions or whether it comes from behavior of poor people themselves. This social theory is the one which expounds upon the cycle of …show more content…
This legislation was introduced as part of welfare reform in the year 2005. This program and others rely upon the assumption that dysfunctional behavior is what generates poverty. Modern social programs focus on the need to end the individual dependency on government benefits and instead promote marriage and productive occupation as a social norm. School dropout rate, drug abuse, crime, and unemployment are the results of the behavior which is preferred by the individuals who live inside of impoverished conditions. An alternative concept to the theory of the culture of poverty is that individuals will behave in whatever way is least legal, such as participating in underground black market economies or gain not because they truly desire to or because they are following a cultural norm, but rather because they are forced to do so without any other options given the lack of job opportunities or education available in the neighborhoods in which they