American Social Welfare Policy: The Culture of Poverty (Essay Sample)

The Culture of Poverty
Name of Student
Institution Affiliation
Due Date
The Culture of Poverty
The culture of poverty is a theory that states that poverty traits and poverty are usually intergeneric in an unlimited cycle(Karger, 2013). Culture of poverty theory argues that poverty in every region has the same similarities in interpersonal relations, family structure, patterns of spending, and value systems. Ideally, this theory proposes that cultural norms or values contribute to high poverty levels. According to Lewis, hopelessness, alienation, lack of effective participation, and apathy are critical characteristics of the culture of poverty (Karger, 2013). Essential elements of this theory include feelings of downgrading, helplessness, dependency, and present-time orientation. Therefore, the theory of culture of poverty can generally be seen as a cycle of similar cultural norms performed and believed by a farmer that mainly restricts financial growth (Karger, 2013). However, this theory has a weakness since it only blames beliefs and attitudes of the society for their poverty persistence. Henc