Alyssa Bursott
Dr. Stephanie Spars
SOC 150 - Social Problems
March 2, 2016
Poverty in Rural America Poverty is defined as the “standard of living below the minimum needed for the maintenance of adequate diet, health, and shelter (Eitzen 181).” In the United States, 46.2 million citizens are considered poor, with many more falling into near poor or working poor categories. These individuals tend to be concentrated in certain areas of the nation, predominantly in rural locations that have been overlooked and abandoned by powerful metropolitan areas (Eitzen 159). Rural poverty appears unique in many different aspects. Poor individuals in remote settings lack necessities such as stable jobs, a healthy environment, and adequate and affordable healthcare. …show more content…
Farming arises as one of many areas that creates poverty for rural communities. Due to the increased emphasis on capitalism in the United States, large-scale agribusinesses have overpowered small local farms. These corporations have no sympathy for the families that they are impacting; rather, they seek the money to be earned by massive farming operations. Inconsiderate tendencies such as this cause already poor farmers to search for new work. One problem arises from this search: farmers are rarely educated in other career fields. Most private farms survive through staying family owned and operated. Many farming families do not pursue education beyond high school because it is their responsibility to maintain the farm, not to leave it behind. Employers are not always sympathetic of farmers’ lack of education, making it extremely difficult to gain employment. Employment struggles pressure youth from agricultural backgrounds to pursue careers outside of the farming industry, forcing them to leave their farms behind in order to survive (Moore 44). Finally, income between large agricultural corporations and local farmers is extremely stratified, catering to the powerful businesses rather than independent farms that have existed for generations (Eitzen 148). Manufacturing remains as another career that is adding to the issue of poverty in rural America. During the 1980s and 1990s, rural manufacturing companies began to …show more content…
Unstable employment, a polluted environment, and inadequate healthcare create a negative and sometimes inescapable situation for the rural poor. While they may have an advantage over urban poor through fairly affordable housing and the ability to grow and harvest their own food, they are disadvantaged in their low income, high cost for outside goods, limited public transportation, and little to no social services or welfare benefits (Eitzen 146). These restrictions prevent the poor in rural America from escaping the lifestyle that urban modernization has placed upon them. Works
Dr. Stephanie Spars
SOC 150 - Social Problems
March 2, 2016
Poverty in Rural America Poverty is defined as the “standard of living below the minimum needed for the maintenance of adequate diet, health, and shelter (Eitzen 181).” In the United States, 46.2 million citizens are considered poor, with many more falling into near poor or working poor categories. These individuals tend to be concentrated in certain areas of the nation, predominantly in rural locations that have been overlooked and abandoned by powerful metropolitan areas (Eitzen 159). Rural poverty appears unique in many different aspects. Poor individuals in remote settings lack necessities such as stable jobs, a healthy environment, and adequate and affordable healthcare. …show more content…
Farming arises as one of many areas that creates poverty for rural communities. Due to the increased emphasis on capitalism in the United States, large-scale agribusinesses have overpowered small local farms. These corporations have no sympathy for the families that they are impacting; rather, they seek the money to be earned by massive farming operations. Inconsiderate tendencies such as this cause already poor farmers to search for new work. One problem arises from this search: farmers are rarely educated in other career fields. Most private farms survive through staying family owned and operated. Many farming families do not pursue education beyond high school because it is their responsibility to maintain the farm, not to leave it behind. Employers are not always sympathetic of farmers’ lack of education, making it extremely difficult to gain employment. Employment struggles pressure youth from agricultural backgrounds to pursue careers outside of the farming industry, forcing them to leave their farms behind in order to survive (Moore 44). Finally, income between large agricultural corporations and local farmers is extremely stratified, catering to the powerful businesses rather than independent farms that have existed for generations (Eitzen 148). Manufacturing remains as another career that is adding to the issue of poverty in rural America. During the 1980s and 1990s, rural manufacturing companies began to …show more content…
Unstable employment, a polluted environment, and inadequate healthcare create a negative and sometimes inescapable situation for the rural poor. While they may have an advantage over urban poor through fairly affordable housing and the ability to grow and harvest their own food, they are disadvantaged in their low income, high cost for outside goods, limited public transportation, and little to no social services or welfare benefits (Eitzen 146). These restrictions prevent the poor in rural America from escaping the lifestyle that urban modernization has placed upon them. Works