Description
Book SynopsisSince the end of World War II, poverty in the United States has been a persistent focus of social anxiety, public debate and federal policy. This book argues that poverty will not be reduced or eliminated until the political factors that contribute to its continuation are taken into account.
Trade Review"This collection of 17 essays examines poverty and its causes from a variety of angles. The common thread is a concern for the structural causes of poverty; the book therefore offers a welcome alternative to the dominant ideological views that portray poverty as a result of individuals' decisions, attributes and/or moral failings...The authors show the connections between capitalism, slavery and the development of state policies and ideologies that maintained the oppressed and exploited status of African Americans after the Civil War and constituted the basis for the emergence of white identity and privilege to the detriment of working class identities based on a recognition of the common plight of workers, regardless of skin color...this is an outstanding collection, useful for courses in social stratification, the sociology of work, and race and ethnic relations." * Science and Society *
