Worlds Apart: Why Poverty Persists in Rural America (Coursework Sample)

Critical Reflection on Poverty in America
Name
University Details
Date of Submission
Critical Reflection on Poverty in America
Worlds Apart: Why Poverty Persists in Rural America
I found the text to be one of the most important and informative books that portray the current events taking place in rural areas of America. The author who is a former administrator of the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development in Berea explains critical factors that influence poverty in rural area of America. After reading the text, I was able to establish the extent and the persistence of poverty in the rural areas America. Notably, the book portrays research details from censers reports and critical reviews from the community members of all classes and ethnicities.
Blackwell is one of the poor communities examined by the author regardless of its coal mining activities. According to Duncan (2014), the most significant sociology factor in Blackwell community is the division between the middle-class workers and the unemployed dwellers. Remarkably, the community holds exploitative policies of employment that have created a permanent class of poverty. Moreover, the author also describes how corrupt and political systems influence poverty within the region. For instance, most of the coal companies within the region reward the loyal employees and punishes individuals who try to challenge those in power. Today, most of the poor residents may have good intentions of upgrading their economic levels but practically have no opportunities to fulfill their desires. This way, Duncan presents powerful insights related to the cause of poverty among the rural areas in America.
Dahlia is another American rural community that experiences extreme poverty conditions. As Duncan points out, the primary factor in the area is racial discrimination as most of the population in the region is African-American. Noteworthy, education opportunities among the black Americans are quite limited in the poor public schools whereas white children attend well-managed schools. Additionally, black-white interaction is also rare preventing t...