Chapter 21: Creating Change. Chapter 2: Most Americans Will Experience Poverty -- Chapter 3: The Poor Tend to Live Outside of Impoverished Inner City -- Chapter 4: Poverty Spells Are Short but Frequent -- Chapter 5: Whites Comprise the Largest Racial Group Experiencing Poverty -- Section II: Why Is There Poverty? -- Chapter 6: Hard Work is Not Sufficient -- Chapter 7: Raising Education and Skill Levels Will Not Solve Poverty Alone -- Chapter 8: Decision Making is Constrained for Those With Fewer Resources -- Chapter 9: Poverty is Preventable -- Section III: What Is the Cost of Poverty? -- Chapter 10: America's Poor Are Worse Off than Elsewhere -- Chapter 11: The Economic Cost of Poverty Is Enormous -- Chapter 12: The Moral Ground to View Poverty Is Injustice -- Section IV: Does Welfare Work? -- Chapter 13: The U.S. Welfare State is Minimal -- Chapter 14: Welfare Fraud is Scarce -- Chapter 15: Government Programs Can Reduce Poverty -- Section V: How Extensive Is Inequality? -- Chapter 16: The U.S. is No Longer a Land of Upward Mobility and Opportunity -- Chapter 17: The Playing Field is Uneven -- Chapter 18: Inequality Matters -- Section VI: Pulling It Together -- Chapter 19: Why Do the Myths Persist? -- Chapter 20: Reshaping Social Policy -- Chapter 21: Creating Change.
Summary:
To our knowledge, Poorly Understood is the first book to systematically address and confront many of the most widespread myths pertaining to poverty. Throughout each of our careers we have encountered these myths on a routine basis. They can be found virtually everywhere -- from the political rhetoric emanating out of the highest office in the land to the neighborhood gossip down the street. It would seem as if everyone has a heated opinion about the poor, with the heat rising even higher when the topic of welfare is thrown into the mix. Yet as we shall see throughout these chapters, the realities of poverty are much different than the myths. In many ways they are more disturbing. The idealized image of American society is one of abundant opportunities, with hard work being rewarded by economic prosperity. Consequently, those who fail to get ahead have only themselves to blame according to this argument. It is within this context that America thinks of itself as a fair and meritocractic society in which people get what they deserve in life -- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.