Culture Of Poverty Essay

Culture is a set of values and beliefs that influence the effectiveness also strategy formulation. It is a pattern of shared basic assumptions that people learn to produce behavioural norm. Poverty is being unable to provide yourself with comfort and material needs. Culture of poverty shows that those who are poor stay in poverty due to adapting the poverty burden. The world eliminates the culture of poverty through education and get their priorities straight and create micro-culture where the whole world will belong (Bass, 2005) I agree with the position that the poor are largely responsible for their own poverty because when they realize they are poor instead of working hard they start feeling helpless and not belonging and they feel that the society do not serve their needs. They feel they have no power therefore can not try to change their situation for the better and feel they are inferior and think that the rich are superior which make them not put effort to change their situation for the better. The poor also feel that they are unworthy and do not form any racial group and feel that they are unworthy and do not form any racial group and feel that they are discriminated by the members of the society. People who are poor do not know any history o becoming rich and acquiring wealth, they only know heir problems and shortcomings; they recognize only the poor conditions and only their neighborhood which is also living in poverty. Poor people have no knowedge, vision or ideas to compare themselves with other people who are rich for example they do not care whether they are in high class or low class. The poor should be encouraged to work hard and not accept the poverty burden in order to improve their lifestyle. CAUSES OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY RACISM This is the existence of a higher race and a lower race due to the higher race having superiority complex. This is as a result of having supernatural gifts that others do not have or being gifted in hunting and being courageous and being known to excel in war. this is recognized by possession of trophies gained after being a winner. The looser becomes the victim of the conqueror. When an individual experience personal superiority and see others as inferior social inequality will always be experienced (Fanning, 2000) SOCIAL STRATIFICATION This is where women politically and socially feel inferior. Old people are respected only when they are strong. In some tribes people rank high when they are initiated and also when they are granted new names. people are grouped together and accorded status depending on which group they belong either poor or rich. There are caste system where each individual is born in for example in India Brahmin is the caste at the top and untouchables is the bottom caste which is based on good or bad conduct. In Britain land was owned by nobility depending on family tradition, conduct or privileged who were the ruling group. SEXISM This is discriminating one another basing on gender for example women discrimination. These are attitudes or behaviours that make social roles to be stereotyped basing on gender. this also involves abusive behaviour to a person of opposite sex. In work place women are excluded in employment to the benefit of men. Employers fail to recruit women even though they have same or even higher qualifications than men. Women are also denied positions in politics whereby men dominate parliament with women being the minority. Sexism causes social inequality because women feel inferior to men and belief that they are weak and unproductive, they regard themselves with low esteem . they fail to use ideas they have and are not innovative. This makes all the work to be left to men to do and social inequality will always affect the society. EFFECTS OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY It brings about difference in religion where we have Christians, Muslims or Hindus of different religion and beliefs. Social class arises whereby those who belief they belong to same social class work together and leave out those of different social class (Bowen, 1948) Some people think they are inferiors and other superior leading to division and lack of unity. In terms of skin colour, there is radical distinction between black and white people. It can cause mental illness due to lack of improved technology and skills in treating illness. Low income earners lack basic needs due to lack of enough money to finance their basic needs. Unequal distribution of wealth between rich and poor in areas which are more productive than others for example mountain regions are more productive compared to lowland regions. REFERENCES 1. Madden Janice Fanning; Changes in Income inequality within US; W. E Upjohn Institute, 2000 2. Bowen Howard; Toward Social Economy; Rinehart, 1948 3. Bass Stephene; Reducing Poverty and sustaining the Environment; Earthscan,2005