1. Poverty in America

2. Power in school
How would you explain the power dimension at your school?
Which groups seem to have the most power?
Do any student groups have power?
Do you have power?

3. The following was written in the 1870s by a newspaper reporter.
“It is as though an immense wedge were being forced, not underneath society, but through society. Those who are above the point of separation are elevated, but those who are below are crushed down. This association of poverty with progress is the great problem of our time.”
Do you think this is still true today? If so, to what extent?
How is society the same now? How is it different?

4. Review What is social stratification?
ranking of people or groups according to their unequal access to scare resources: income, wealth, power, and prestige.
What is wealth vs income?
Wealth- what you own Income- money earned in a set amount of time
What is power?
The ability to control the behavior of others, even against their will
What is prestige?
Recognition, respect, and admiration tied to your social position

5. Social Classes in America
Upper Class
Upper Middle Class
Middle Class
Working Class
Working Poor
Underclass
Quick Write
Which class do you believe you belong to? Why? Do you have friends or family outside of your social class? Why do you believe that they are in a different class?

6. Social Classes Upper Class- 1% of population, $2 million
Upper Middle Class- 14% of population, $120,000
Middle Class- 30% of population, $55,000, over ½ of America thinks they’re here
Working Class- 30% of population, $35,000
Working Poor- 13% of population, $22,000
Underclass- 12% of population, $12,000
HW assignment: Make a survey. Only 2 questions. Which social class do you believe you belong to? Why?
Try to ask 5-10 people by next class and we’ll pool our data together then.

7. Absolute vs Relative Poverty
Absolute Poverty- the absence of enough money to secure life’s necessities (food, shelter, medication, clothing, etc.)
This is truly poverty.
Relative poverty- poverty based on the disparity between those at the bottom of a society and the rest of the society (This is more like being poor)
So basically, it describes poverty as not having access to what society thinks citizens should have (quality housing, certain household goods, going on vacation)
Relative poverty can change over time.

8. How is poverty measured in the US?
The US government measures poverty by setting an annual income level.
Those under the income level are considered poor.
Poverty is widespread throughout the US.
In the US, the poverty rate is roughly 13%. That’s roughly 42 million people.
This has been an issue for the past 50 years both politically and socially and yet we still have this problem.
Persons in Household
Poverty Guideline 1
$12,140 2
$16,460 3
$20,780 4
$25,100 5
$29,420

9. Identifying the Poor
Minorities, people living In female headed households, kids under 18, the elderly, and those with disabilities make up the most disadvantaged groups in the US.
The poverty rates for Whites is 8.6% of their population
For African Americans it is 24.7% of their population
For Hispanics it is 22% of their population
For Asians it is 9.8% of their population
African Americans and Hispanics together account for about ¼ of the population
Yet they make up nearly half of the poor population in the US

10. How is Gender related to poverty?
Another large segment of the poor population is made up of female headed households.
The reason for this is, most single parents are women.
Of course, for each person/child in a household, the income for that household must rise in order to meet the needs of the family.
So not only would the mother be considered under the poverty line, but her children as well if she does not meet the threshold.
Starting in the 1960s, women and children have made up a large percentage of the poor.
Feminization of Poverty- a trend in the US where women and kids make up an increasing % of the poor

11. How is age and Disabilities related to poverty?
Nearly 10% of Americans aged 65+ live in poverty.
This is why people are working later in to their lives and not retiring.
Another large segment of the poor is people who have disabilities.
This group is 3X more likely to live in poverty than people who are able bodied.

12. Responses to the Problem of Poverty
Starting in the mid 1960s, LBJ began his War on Poverty.
The philosophy was to help the poor people help themselves.
LBJ’s predecessor JFK believed that if the chains of poverty were to be broken, it had to be through self improvement, not temporary relief.
Most of the first poverty budget was allotted for work experience programs (work and job training designed for welfare recipients and unemployed dads)
While hopes were high, not all of the programs were successful and have even come under fire.

13. Welfare Reform
The main source of welfare assistance is a program known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
While people have been quick to point out that the # of people on welfare has decreased by ½, that doesn’t mean everything is so great.
This was accomplished by new restrictions placed on benefits.
Most people who got off of welfare could only find low wage jobs.
In the early 2000s, an economic downturn caused many of these jobs to disappear
Many of these people who lost their job continue to live either in poverty or right above it.
Critics say that the emphasis is placed more on reducing spending on welfare rather than on reducing poverty.

14. Questions
What is the difference between absolute and relative measures of poverty?
Which of the following is NOT one of the major categories of poor people in the US?
Kids under 18 B. able bodied men who refuse to work C. elderly people D. People with disabilities E. single female heads of households
3. How did the economic downturn of the early 2000s affect the jobs typically filled by former welfare recipients?
4. Describe the feminization of poverty. How does this trend affect the motivation to have children?

15. A noted sociologist, Herbert Gans, has written about the functions of poverty.
He states that poverty actually serves many useful purposes in society.
For example, the poor have occupations that no one would do if they had the choice.
List 3 ways in which poverty might benefit society.
List 3 struggles that poverty causes.