Causes of poverty

Question 1

Cultural: Culture of poverty

Answer 1

People are poor because they adopt a lifestyle with different norms and values to the rest of society, poverty is a lifestyle choice
Oscar Lewis: found the lifestyle of the poor is different from other members in society , this develops into a subculture with its own norms and values
Shared in socialisation and passed on creates vicious cycle
Subculture seen on 3 different levels
Individual, family and community

Question 2

Culture of poverty A03

Answer 2

Supported by Harrington by age of 7 children has absorbed basics values and attitudes of their subculture

Ryan: cultural explanations are an ideological smokescreen to hide injustices faced by the poor

Question 3

Structural: Government makes no attempt to abolish poverty

Answer 3

Kincaid: governments main concern is to make capitalist economy more efficient and this means they will never take steps to abolish poverty
Don’t take steps to reduce wealth of ruling class eg no wealth tax introduced but benefits have been cut
Marxists say welfare state exists more to contain w/c and prevent them from revolution
Even through tax of w/c that the welfare state is financed

Question 4

Government makes no attempt A03

Answer 4

Marxists ignore groups vulnerable to poverty

Tend to only focus on social class

Question 5

Cultural: Cycle of deprivation

Answer 5

Culture of poverty leads to a cycle of deprivation as poverty is continually passed on
Rutter and Madge: variety of factors may create cycles of disadvantage
1. Children who are victims lack cultural capital disadvantaged in education
2. Physical environment, lack of study space available in overcrowded home
3. Poor children more likely to suffer from poor diets and ill health, can be expensive to be poor

Question 6

Cycle of deprivation A03:

Answer 6

Many individuals break out of the cycle and many can become disadvantaged without having disadvantaged parents

Question 7

Structural: Austerity has increased poverty

Answer 7

Conservative policies has increased poverty
Benefits cap, benefit reductions, tougher sanctions for those on JSA has increased material deprivation
Harris: housing benefit reductions has led to people moving out of familiar neighbourhoods, creates social exclusion
Cuts to in work benefits and wages, freeze in pay of public sector workers
Forced people to use food banks

Question 8

Austerity A03:

Answer 8

Government can work against Capitalist interests
Wrong for Marxist to say that they just support Capitalism
Eg minimum wage trade unions

Question 9

Cultural: Dependency culture

Answer 9

Welfare benefits make poverty worse and they’re too generous
Supported by the New Right who argue poor are too dependent on state
Can lead to poverty trap
Dean says it has 3 key characteristics
1. People will only work if they are given a lot more income than benefits
2. Benefits culture exists in deprived areas people are influenced by others
3. People are encouraged to be lazy as benefits are easy to obtain
Dependency culture damages the country as welfare state divert money away from investment

Question 10

Dependency culture A03:

Answer 10

Idea is a myth
Everybody is dependent in society
Eg businesses depend on customers