Perspectives on Poverty From Pearson

The Functionalist Perspective The Stratification System Stratification exists because it makes some useful contribution to the ongoing maintenance of society. Davis and Moore argue All societies must ensure that people will fill essential positions and perform important tasks. Some positions are more important or more difficult than others. The stratification system serves to motivate people to occupy and work hard at all of these essential positions.

The Functionalist Perspective The Economy Normal and sometimes desirable changes in the economy affect the level of poverty, such as inflation and technological innovation. These kinds of changes are necessary for a healthy economy but their cumulative impact is to increase rates of unemployment and poverty, which is called structural unemployment.

The Functionalist Perspective Gans (1994) suggests that there are benefits to society from poverty ensuring that society’s “dirty work” will be done subsidizing many of the activities of the affluent creating jobs for people who serve the poor creating a market for inferior goods using the poor as symbols of the “underdog”

The Conflict Perspective Marx viewed society as involving constant struggle between social classes over scarce resources. The affluent are merely using the resources available to protect their own position. Once people become successful they tend to pass on their success to their children and this makes it more difficult for people on the bottom to move up.

The Interactionist Perspective and Cultural Analysis The cultural analysis of poverty focuses on the psychological orientations that may emerge among groups of people who live under conditions of poverty. Some people who live in poverty develop a cultural orientation that helps them adapt to their life circumstances in a way that enables them to feel good. Criticisms of this perspective include “blaming the victim” and its limited applicability.