Poverty Analysis Essay

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The Uses of Poverty Analysis Gans (1971) stated in modern society there are few events that can be considered functional or dysfunctional for society, and that most events result in benefits to some groups, while they present a cost to other groups. Poverty provides a great example of the negative impact on one group of society while providing benefits to another group in society. “All human endeavors have benefits and costs, material and nonmaterial, and that most such endeavors produce benefits for some people and groups and reparations for others. Even some of the most costly social evils benefit someone” (Gans, 2012). Poverty provides numerous benefits for the wealthy. However, the poor can also benefit from the wealthy. The first …show more content…

Examples include, produce that would be thrown away, and vehicles nearly worn out. In addition, the poor provide incomes for unexperienced or sufficiently trained attorneys. Next, the fifth function of poverty allows for the poor to be accused and punished as law breakers. The poor and under paid are more likely than the middle class members of society to be caught and punished when they break the law. Even though many uphold the law as much as any other member of society or social class. This is stereotyping the poor by doubting that they have equal morals and values as those of the wealthy, which further demonstrates Gans’s dislike for labels and how it produces obstacles for the …show more content…

With that being said, the wealthy also provide benefits to the poor. First, Gans (2012) stated that the wealthy contribute to antipoverty and unemployment programs. Not to mention, food stamps, and Medicaid. The wealthy also assist in funding clinics, shelters and other assisted facilities. In addition, the members of society said to be well off financially contribute to programs designed to help people get out of poverty and the social situations that accompany poverty. Gans (1971) explains that the "terms and labels" used to depict the poor as second class citizens may be contributing to their inability break away from poverty. He also provides an understanding of the perseverance of poverty in American. Without the poor underpaid members of society, there are many types of enterprises that would cease to successfully operate because they currently rely on the under paid workers for their profits and continued

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