The Culture of Poverty: A Critique.

Abstract

This book, originating as a series of papers given in a critical symposium on the "culture of poverty" concept, comprises chapters written expressly for the book, with a couple of exceptions, and embodying reports on the original research or direct experience of the individual writers. The authors vary in their emphases and interests, but share the concern that a too hastily conceived concept of a "poverty culture" has been widely applied or misused and the professional commitment to making clear the scientific, political, and ethical issues involved. Part I, "Language, life style, and education among the poor," deals with such topics as: cognitive styles and class stereotypes, language and educability, untapped verbal fluency of black school children, the teacher also as a victim, cultural deprivation as an educational ideology, the integrity of the Cherokee student, and the Danish "Friskoler" and community control. Part II, "The Theoretical and methodological problems with the culture of poverty concept," focuses on: the culture of poverty--its scientific significance and its implications for action, and conceptual, logical, and empirical problems--with perspectives from Brazil and Peru, structural parameters of emerging life styles in Venezuela, a functional analysis of six ghetto roles, the stranger mentality and the culture of poverty, poverty and interdependency, and culture of poverty--what does it matter?