Abstract

Who's To Blame?

Approximately 36 million Americans suffer from poverty on a daily basis. The number of people who experience poverty in the United States is rapidly growing. This paper will explore some of the possibilities for this dramatic increase in poverty. Many people have opposing viewpoints for who is to blame for this social problem. The different perspectives is to either blame the victim or blame society. Oscar Lewis is an advocate of the blame the victim approach in which he focuses more on the culture of poverty and how they are responsible for their own shortcomings. On the opposing side, William Julius Wilson supports the notion of blaming society for poverty for which he coined the term structure of poverty meaning there is little opportunity present for the poor to better themselves. Included in this paper will be statistics on poverty in America, the differences between the two types of poverty, characteristics of the people most at risk, and some possible solutions to resolving poverty in America. With the facts presented one can form an opinion of who is primarily responsible for the escalating poverty. And to see potential actions that can be taken to help with this major social issue that faces the United States.