poverty
Dr. Cappiello
English 2
October 10, 2013
Scott Thomas
Poverty
Poverty in America today, is an unrecognized social dilemma that exists everywhere from the nation's largest cities to the rural back country. As Galbraith noted, "People are poverty-stricken when their income, even if adequate for survival, falls radically behind that of the community.” By this definition, a substantial number of people in America live outside categories regarded as acceptable by the community. Although it remains largely unnoticed, some attention is being paid to this problem, and some solutions are being offered. What will you do? John Kenneth Galbraith was a long-time Harvard faculty member. As a professor of economics Galbraith stayed with Harvard University for half a century. He was a prolific author and wrote four dozen books, including several novels, and published over a thousand articles and essays on various subjects. Among his most famous works was a popular trilogy on economics, The Position of Poverty. Galbraith divided poverty into two basic categories. Case poverty is related to an individual and his inability to master his environment. Galbraith described case poverty as "the poor farm family with the junk-filled yard and the dirty children playing in the bare dirt. In order for this to be true case poverty, this farmer's yard would have to be in sharp contrast to
the well-groomed, cared-for yards of his community. On the contrary, insular poverty is caused, not by the individual, but an external force affecting all who live in that community. Galbraith asserts that "most modern poverty is insular in character.” Critics say that the current generation of young people may be the first in American history that cannot expect a better standard of living than their parents' generation. What will you do? Our generation will have many more opportunities than our parents' generation had. There are so
English 2
October 10, 2013
Scott Thomas
Poverty
Poverty in America today, is an unrecognized social dilemma that exists everywhere from the nation's largest cities to the rural back country. As Galbraith noted, "People are poverty-stricken when their income, even if adequate for survival, falls radically behind that of the community.” By this definition, a substantial number of people in America live outside categories regarded as acceptable by the community. Although it remains largely unnoticed, some attention is being paid to this problem, and some solutions are being offered. What will you do? John Kenneth Galbraith was a long-time Harvard faculty member. As a professor of economics Galbraith stayed with Harvard University for half a century. He was a prolific author and wrote four dozen books, including several novels, and published over a thousand articles and essays on various subjects. Among his most famous works was a popular trilogy on economics, The Position of Poverty. Galbraith divided poverty into two basic categories. Case poverty is related to an individual and his inability to master his environment. Galbraith described case poverty as "the poor farm family with the junk-filled yard and the dirty children playing in the bare dirt. In order for this to be true case poverty, this farmer's yard would have to be in sharp contrast to
the well-groomed, cared-for yards of his community. On the contrary, insular poverty is caused, not by the individual, but an external force affecting all who live in that community. Galbraith asserts that "most modern poverty is insular in character.” Critics say that the current generation of young people may be the first in American history that cannot expect a better standard of living than their parents' generation. What will you do? Our generation will have many more opportunities than our parents' generation had. There are so