Lecture Five

Poverty and Inequality in the US

Power Elite

Those who occupy positions of power in leading institutions and have the power to make decisions that affect our daily lives

Three Spheres of Influence: Upper Class Corporations Policy Institutions

Polarization of Income and Wealth in 2002 Income: economic gain from wages (or rent)

Top 20% = 50% of total income Bottom 20% = 4% of total income

Wealth: value of all economic assets – property, income, income generating property 0.5% own 35% of nations wealth 90% at bottom own 28% of national wealth

Share of the Income 2006

We are all richer…

Stratification

Social Stratification: hierarchical classification of society’s members based on: Resources Power Authority Prestige

Important to understand stratification because: Determines access to resources and rewards in society Life experiences and opportunities

US: Mixed-class System

Even though we believe that we are pure class system, we are a mixed class system both ascribed and achieved characteristics

determine class position

Ascribed: race, gender, immigrant status, geography, sexual orientation

Achieved: education, initiative, determination, intelligence

Opportunity Structure

WealthHigh Income

Good Neighborhood Good Schools

Good JobsAccess to Health Care

↑

↓

→ → → →

→ → → →

What does social mobility look like? http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/natio

nal/20050515_CLASS_GRAPHIC/index_01.html

Barriers to Mobility?

Social Exclusion: cut off from mechanisms that allow social mobility in a society Neighborhood/Residential Education Occupation Culture

Poverty: Official definition of poverty was developed in 1964 and is based on food consumption Absolute – physical deprivation Relative – deficiency relative to the population as a whole

Who is most likely to be in Poverty? Feminization of Poverty: women are

disproportionately represented among the poor 45% of families headed by Latina women in poverty (2004) Latina women earn $0.54 for every white man’s $1

Working Poor: work fulltime in jobs that are less secure, low-paying, and deskilled Over 5% of the population Non-white and immigrant

Higher rates of poverty among non-whites When wealth and income are the same, all racial/ethnic

groups have similar educational achievements

Poverty: How do we explain it? “As a culture, The United States is not quite sure

about the causes of poverty, and therefore is uncertain about the solutions”

“Culture of Poverty” Individuals are responsible for their own culture and

socializing their children into poverty

“American Anti-Myth” (macro-structural) Poverty is produced by the unequal structures in society Inequalities in opportunity

Group Activity:

Pick one of the myths presented on pages 16-17 that you have heard regarding the poor in the US. Where have you heard this myth? Who/what does it most often refer to? Do you believe it is a myth or a reality?

Next look at the list of “What Can We Do” on page 18. Pick at least 4 things on the list that you think we should

change in the educational system (or here at Gavilan).