Rev: ST 9: Pov & Pol-Econ Welfare

- have little or no property ownership in that they do not generally own their own home & if they do, it is a small home, & generally their car is not worth much

- have little or no authority on the job

- are unemployed more than other classes

- receive enough money to stay in a home through their job, family, welfare, disability, crime, etc.

IN 2000 ABOUT 15% OF THE POPULATION WAS POOR; ABOUT 57 MM PEOPLE

In the 1990 census, there was an attempt by the Dept. of the Census to count the poor. They did not believe they had an accurate count because it is difficult to track the lower class & the destitute

Estimates show that in 2000 w/ a population of 285 mm, w/ 15 % poor, there are 43 mm people in the lower class & the destitute class but w/ 20 % poor, there are 57 mm poor

People in the lower class have incomes around the poverty live, slightly above or below it

Using a quintile class system, the lower class & Destitute are about 20 % of the population & about 13 % of the population lives below the poverty line, i.e. about 37 mm of 285 mm in 2000

About 7 % of the lower class lives above the poverty line

Because of the churning of social mobility, the lower class generally straddles the poverty line, w/ some below it & some above it

The destitute live completely, & far below the poverty line

Many people who fall below the poverty line are not homeless, but every day is a struggle to maintain a home, stay out of poverty, and to be able to continue to work

EMPLOYMENT, WAGE LEVELS, MARITAL STATUS, HEALTH, HEALTHCARE, & LIFE'S TRAVELS IMPACT THE LC'S LIFE CHANCES

Link

There are FIVE factors that impact the ability of people in the lower class just to make it, including
1. employment
2. wage levels
3. marital status
4. health & healthcare
5. luck / life's problems

Finding adequate food, shelter clothing, medical care & transportation ranges from difficult to impossible

Link

Many in the lower class do not have a high school education although their children have a better chance of completing high school than they did

Very few of the lower class go to college

Nationally, about 80 % of all students graduate from high school

Nationally, about 80 % of high school grads go to college, but only a small % of the lower class attends college, thus 64 % of all students go to college

Nationally, about 60 % of college students graduate, thus about 39 % of all students graduate from college

The majority of the lower class rent their home, live in the central city, rural areas, & small towns rather than suburbs

Divorce & separation rates are high in the lower class

There is a high number of single parent families in the lower class

Divorce & single parenthood are often pathways to poverty in the lower class

CRIME EXPLOITS THE LC, & SOME TURN TO CRIME, ESP 'VICTIMLESS' CRIME TO MAKE A LIVING

Some of the very poor turn to crime just to survive

In 1980, the rate of incarceration in the US was 139 per 100 k

In 1994, the rate of incarceration in the US was 373 per 100 k

In 1994, the US had over 1.2 mm people in prison, another 3.6 mm on probation & 4.2 mm unemployed

Thus in 1994 the US had more people in prison than China, more than any nation except Russia

The US rate of incarceration is 5 times the rate of England; 14 times rate of Japan

Prisoners often consider prison to be a preferable life to homelessness

The near poor are those who are above the poverty line but who cannot get through a financial crisis such as a major auto problem, a medical problem, the injury of themselves or a loved one, etc

THE DESTITUTE DIFFER FROM OTHERS IN THE LC IN THAT THEY HAVE NO HOME & THEY HAVE NO FORMAL JOB

The visible poor are comprised of that stereotyped image of the poor based on TV images & those we see on the street

The destitute class are chronically poor & unemployed

The destitute class is also called the underclass or the homeless

The children of the destitute rarely know anyone who has a steady job, a decent ed or any opportunity

The destitute's lack of a work ethic, i.e. a culture of work, socializes the children to be the next generation of the poor & near poor

The destitute class or underclass is comprised of those who are detached from the formal labor force & live in social conditions that perpetuate this condition

According to the 1990 Census, there were over 1 mm homeless people, even though we were in the middle of an economic boom

In 1993:
- 15 % of Am people live in poverty: 40 mm people
- 30 % of these live below half the poverty line
- 48 % of female headed homes live in poverty
- 22 % of children, i.e. 12 mm children & 8 mm adults are malnourished or up to 20 mm total

See Also: Poverty

MOST POOR PEOPLE HAVE A JOB, MANY HAVE MORE THAN ONE JOB BUT BECAUSE OF LOW WAGES & NO BENEFITS, THEY CANNOT GET AHEAD

Link

Figure on the Labor Force Status of Poor People, 15 yrs. & over in 1989

An analysis of the Labor Force Status of Poor People, 15 yrs. & over in 1989 shows that
- about half the poor people did not work in 1989, while half did work
- early two thirds were ill, disabled, retired or attending school
- about one fifth were keeping house & half of these were in female headed homes
- about 5 % were looking for work

Most of the poor are working or looking for work

Most poor people live in male headed homes

Blacks, children and female headed families are over represented among the poor, however in absolute numbers, white males make up the largest group of the poor

Today, children are the fastest growing segment of the poor

Most of the poor do not live in the inner city

Top

Table of Nine Classes in the Modern Industrialized Nations ( Primarily the US )

Upper Class
( Old Money )

Families high in property ownership
w/ high authority flowing from said ownership
EG: the old established families:
Rockefellers, Du Ponts, Mellons, Fords, Carnegie

Corporate Class
( New Money)

Families w/ high authority & power in
       major corporations
       in government
    usually w/o extensive ownership in these corporations
Examples: corp. presidents, vice presidents, & top board members
Most analysts agree that the UC is shrinking while the Corp Class is growing

Upper Middle Class

Families w/ relatively little property
      but high to middle positions
      in occupation (non manual labor)
      and authority
Examples: lesser corporate managers, doctors, lawyers....

Middle Class

Families w/ relatively little property
      but middle positions
      in occupation (non manual labor)
      and authority
Examples: lesser corporate managers, doctors, lawyers
                 & major office workers, clerks, salespeople

Lower Middle Class

Families w/ relatively little property
      but middle to low positions in
      occupation (non manual labor)
      and authority
Examples: office workers, clerks, salespeople

Skilled Working Class

Families w/ little or no property
      Middle to low positions in a skilled occupation
      Manual labor
      Little or no authority
Examples:
      Plumber (blue collar)

Unskilled Working Class

Families w/ little or no property
      Middle to low positions in an unskilled occupation
      Manual labor
      Little or no authority
Examples: Fast food wkr (white collar)
      Construction Laborer (blue collar)

Lower Class

Families w/ no property & no authority
Often unemployed
Receive enough $$ to stay in a home ( family, welfare, social sec, disability, crime..)

Destitute

Families w/ no property & no authority
Often unemployed
Do not receive enough $$ to stay in a home & so are homeless

Top

Table on the Convergence of Occupation, Bureaucratic & Property Divisions of 5 Class Categories

Kerbo 0305

blank

Positions in Three Main Types of Institutional Structures

Class Categories

Occupation Pay / Status

Bureaucratic Authority

Property Ownership

1. Upper Class

High

Owner

2. Corporate Class

High

Non owner

3. Middle Class

High to Mid Level

Mid Level

Non owner

4. Working Class

Mid Level to Low

Low

Non owner

5. Lower Class

Low

Non owner

Top

Figure on the Labor Force Status of Poor People, 15 yrs. & over in 1989

Farley 0209

In the Labor Force,
Part of the Year
44 % of Total

The Labor Force is defined as everyone who works part or full time or who is looking for working. All others are out of the Labor Force: students, prisoners, mental patients, etc.

blank

Work part of the year
& out of labor force part of the year

13 %

blank

Unemployed less than half of year

blank

Worked all year full time

blank

Unemployed all year

blank

Work all year part time

blank

Unemployed more than half of year, but not all year

Out of the Labor Force,
All Year
55 % of Total

blank

Keeping house: half are female homes w/ children
Most of rest are non employed wives w/ children

19 %

blank

Ill or disabled

blank

Retired

blank

Attending School or College

blank

Armed Forces

blank

All other

An analysis of the Labor Force Status of Poor People, 15 yrs. & over in 1989 shows that
- about half the poor people did not work in 1989, while half did work
- nearly two thirds were ill, disabled, retired or attending school, which are legitimate excuses
- about one fifth were keeping house & half of these were in female headed homes
- about 5 % were looking for work

Farley 0209

Internal
Links

Top

Outline on Poverty

External
Links

- Supplement: US Census Info on Poverty

Link

- Project: Video: CNN Report on Poverty w/ Bill Clinton

Link

- Video: CNN Report on Poverty w/ Bill Clinton

Link

Poverty is the condition of having an extremely low income & standard of living, either in comparison w/ other members of society (relative poverty), or in terms of the ability to acquire basic necessities (absolute poverty)

Poverty is the condition of being poor w/ respect to money, goods, or means of subsistence or a deficiency in money, property, etc.

There are TWO basic ways to measure poverty & thus there are several definitions of poverty

1. The measure of absolute poverty examines poverty based on absolute number or monetary level

The measure of absolute poverty is the method used by the US govt

Counting the poor is very difficult to do

Many social critics consider the Census a failure because it fails to count many of the poor

In the US, the poverty line is $14,763 for family of 4 in the late 1990's
Median (middle) income is $39,000 in the late 1990's

In the US, the poverty line is $19,800 for family of 4 in 2004
Median income is $51,000 in 2003

The US Poverty Line is based on research which demonstrated that the Poor spent 1/3 of their income on food

2. The measure of relative poverty examines poverty in relationship to the socio-economic context of a particular society

Durkheim & Merton believe that it is not poverty per se that creates stigma & crime, but poverty in the midst of wealth

The income gap is the amount of difference in income between two or more groups

The income gap is also known as the socio-economic gap

The income gap between the upper class, middle class & the lower class is a more accurate predictor of crime & violence than is absolute income levels

Research shows that overall America values do not support assistance for the poor

Internal
Links

Top

Outline on the Poverty Line

External
Links

The concept of the poverty line was developed in 1965 by Mollie Orshansky, who was a bureaucrat for the Dept. of Agriculture

The poverty line is an absolute measure of poverty

Orshansky based her formulation of the poverty line on two studies from the 1950's which demonstrated that, first, the poor spent 1/3 of their income on food & second, the amount of money spent on an that "economy food plan" which since 1974 has been called the thrifty food plan

Since 1969 the USDA has adjusted the poverty line for inflation in a process is called indexing

The official poverty measure establishes the set of dollar amounts, called thresholds, which vary by family size, which indicate the poverty line for 1 person, a family of 2 adults, a family of 2 adults & 1 child, a family of 1 adult & 1 child, etc.

Yet, the poverty line is still considered fairly subjective or inaccurate

There are SEVEN criticisms of the poverty line as implemented by the USDA in the US

1. The thrifty food plan is inadequate in the long run in that adults cannot maintain their health

2. The thrifty food plan is inadequate for children in both the short run as well as the long run

3. The thrifty food plan has the poverty line based on pretax income, but the % rate of taxes have gone up

4. The indexing of the poverty line is flawed because the index is based on the general costs of living, but food inflation is higher than general inflation

5. The poverty line inaccurately estimates the ratio of food to non-food expenses as 1 to 3, when it should be 1 to 5

6. Official measures of poverty using the standard poverty line tend to underestimate the number of poor

7. The absolute measure of poverty misses qualitative differences: the poor in the US are living in the midst of wealth

Table 3.7 A Comparison of the Official Poverty Line w/ the Median Income demonstrates that the poverty line is was reduced in the 1970s to about 1/3 of median income

Link

Internal
Links

Top

Outline on the Consequences of Poverty - Intro

External
Links

JOB LOSS, LOWER INCOME, HIGHER PRICES, ETC. ALL IMPACT THE POOR MORE THAN ANY OTHER CLASS

Life is more difficult for poor people in that they are ill more often, receive poorer & more limited medical care, live shorter lives, more mental illness, more likely to be a victim of crime, more likely to die in infancy, & are less happy

The children of the poor have a greater risk of dying in infancy, a greater risk of getting in trouble w/ the law, a greater risk of teenage pregnancy, a lower quality education, less likely to complete high school

The poor spend more of their income on food & housing than the non poor & yet they are inadequately fed & housed, more likely to live in overcrowded housing

Because the poor cannot afford adequate housing, they often live in crime prone areas & are thus more likely to become the victims of crime

Because the poor are often afraid to venture out, & cannot afford adequate heating or air conditioning, they are more likely to die in fires from substandard heating, from the cold, & from heat stroke

Because the poor cannot afford adequate housing, they often live in environmentally degraded areas & are thus more likely to become the sick from pollution

CHURNING IN THE CLASS SYSTEM MEANS THAT MANY PEOPLE FALL INTO POVERTY, & THEN WORK THEIR WAY OUT, ONLY TO FALL BACK AGAIN

Estimates of the homeless in the US vary widely, & were an issue of contention in the 1990 & the 2000 census

In 1990, the Census counted 230,000 homeless

The Census found that in the 1990s over 1 mm were homeless at some time even though we were in the middle of an economic boom

In 1989, the Urban Institute estimated there were 600,000 homeless

Up to 7% of the population experience homelessness some time in their lives

In 2002, nearly one quarter of those w/ household income under $25,000 have no health insurance

In 2002, the uninsured rate for children of all classes was 11.6%, indicating that far less than that % have no insurance in the middle & upper classes while far more than that % have no insurance in the lower class

DESPITE BEING ONE OF THE RICHEST NATIONS, THE US HAS CHRONIC POVERTY LEVELS IN THE TEENS % OR HIGHER

Figure on the Percent of Population Living in Poverty: 1959 - 2005

Link

An analysis of the Figure on the Percentage of Population Living in Poverty from 1959 - 2002 shows that there are TWO recent political factors that have affected the poor
1. The Poverty rate fell in the 60s & 70s due to steady expansion of LBJ's War on Poverty
2. Poverty rates steadily increased in 1980's due to conservative shift of Reaganomics

13.1 % of the population lives at or below the poverty line in 2003, resulting in over 38 mm people living in poverty

In 2005, 37.0 million people were in poverty, not statistically different from 2004

Poverty rates remained statistically unchanged for
Blacks (24.9 percent) &
Hispanics (21.8 percent) btwn 2004 & 2005

In 2005, the poverty rate decreased for non Hispanic Whites (8.3 percent in 2005, down from 8.7 percent in 2004)

In 2005 after 4 years of consecutive increases, the poverty rate stabilized at 12.6 percent in 2005; higher than the most recent low of 11.3 percent in 2000 & lower than the rate in 1959 (22.4 percent), the first year for which poverty estimates are available

The poverty rate in 2005 for children under 18 (17.6 percent) remained higher than that of adults (18 to 64 year olds) (11.1 percent) & that of seniors (people 65 & older) (10.1 percent; all were not statistically different from 2004

In 2005, the number in poverty remained statistically unchanged from 2004 for children (under 18) and adults (18 to 64 years old) (12.9 million & 20.5 million, respectively)

In 2005, the number of seniors (65 and older) in poverty increased; 3.6 million in 2005, up from 3.5 million in 2004

The overall US poverty rate is over twice ( 2.2 ) that of other industrialized nations

Internal
Links

Top

Outline on the Consequences of Poverty - Advanced

External
Links

Table: A Comparison of the Official Poverty Line w/ the Median Income

Link

Table 3.7 A Comparison of the Official Poverty Line w/ the Median Income demonstrates that the poverty line is was reduced in the 1970s to about 1/3 of median income

An analysis of the Official Poverty Line & Median Income shows the positive effects of the "War on Poverty," first launched in the 1960s

President Johnson ( LBJ ) developed a comprehensive welfare program w/ childcare, job training, education, internships, parenting skills, etc.

President Nixon "reformed" welfare in the 1970's eliminating many features, leaving a system that provided subsistence living only

A breakdown of the 1993 poverty rate demonstrates the number of children & elderly affected

In 1993:
- the Poverty Line was set at $ 14,763
- 15.1 % of population lived below the poverty line
- 39.3 million people lived below the poverty line
- 15.7 million of those are children
- 4 million of those are elderly
- 30 % of those living below the poverty line are living at a level of less than half the poverty live
- 48 % of female headed homes live in poverty
- 22 % of children, i.e. 12 mm children & 8 mm adults are malnourished or up to 20 mm total

The situation of the poor steadily worsened w/ America's conservative shift in the 1980's

Under Reagan, the welfare roles were reduced by 400 K & another 300 K had their benefits reduced

Table 9 - 1.3 Poverty Rates in Industrial Nations 1984 - 1987

Link

An analysis of the Poverty Rates in Industrial Nations shows that the overall US poverty rate is over twice ( 2.2 ) that of other industrialized nations & the child poverty rate is 2 1/2 times that of other industrialized nations

An analysis of Table 9 - 1.3 Poverty Rates in Industrial Nations, shows that the overall US poverty rate is higher than any industrialized country & the child poverty rate is much higher than any other industrialized country

See also: Cross National Comparisons of Poverty

The income gap, aka the socio economic gap, is the amount of difference in income btwn two or more groups

The income gap between the UC, MC & the LC is a more accurate predictor of crime & violence than is absolute income levels

The income gap is a type of relative poverty measurement

Table 9 - 2 Trends in the Rate of Poverty with three Definitions of Poverty: 1965 - 1997

Link

An analysis of the Trends in the Rate of Poverty with three Definitions of Poverty: 1965 - 1997 shows that the Poverty Rate remains high even when we take into account all money & benefits going to the poor

Table 9 - 2: Trends in the Rate of Poverty with three Definitions of Poverty demonstrates that poverty rates are lower when one accounts for govt transfer pmts, i.e. Medicare, food stamps, etc.

There are FIVE reasons that it is inaccurate to gauge assistance to the poor simply based on the $$ spent by the govt
1. Govt cash & benefits spent on the poor is not equal to what they actually receive less
2. Many of the poor receive little or nothing
3. Much of the money is spent on administration of welfare & benefits
4. Much of the money goes to the Middle Class & the Upper Class ( e.g. Social Security )
5. Much of the money goes to the aged who do have a high rate of poverty, but all of the aged receive Social Security & Medicare

Table on Proportion of People by Race Below Poverty Level in the US

Link

The Table on Proportion of People by Race Below Poverty Level demonstrates that in general, poverty rates are declining for all races, and that poverty rates for whites are half that of other races

Table 9 - 3 Extent of Poverty for Select Categories of the Population in 1992 & 1997

Link

Table 9 - 3 Extent of Poverty for Select Categories of the Population demonstrates that poverty rates for non whites, female headed homes, central cities, & the South are significantly higher than that of the general population

An analysis of the Poverty for Select Categories of the Population in 1992 & 1997 shows:
- The Poor improved their position in the 1990's
- Whites have the lowest rates of poverty
- Female headed households have high rates of poverty
- Central cities have high rates of poverty
- The South has the highest rate of poverty of any region in the US

Table 9 - 4 The Comparative Impact of Welfare Benefits & Tax Policies on Reducing Poverty

Link

An analysis of the Comparative Impact of Welfare Benefits & Tax Policies on Reducing Poverty shows that the US has only a slightly higher "raw poverty rate" than the other industrialized nations, but the US does less to support the poor than other industrialized nations & therefore the US has the highest poverty rate

Table 9 - 4: The Comparative Impact of Welfare Benefits & Tax Policies on Reducing Poverty demonstrates that compared to other industrialized countries, the US has the highest poverty rate & the least amount of welfare support

Table 9 - 5 Comparative Attitudes Toward Inequality & Govt Involvement in the Economy to Reduce Inequality

Link

An analysis of the Comparative Attitudes Toward Inequality & Govt Involvement in the Economy to Reduce Inequality shows that America values do not support assistance for the poor as much as do other industrialized nations' values

Table 9 - 5: Comparative Attitudes Toward Inequality & Govt Involvement in the Economy to Reduce Inequality demonstrates that the US has the most unfavorable attitudes toward inequality, tending to blame the poor, & for govt involvement in reducing inequality

Table 9 - 6 General Subject & Funding of Poverty Research in Major Sociology Journals 1965 to 1975 and 1984 to 1994

Link

An analysis of General Subject & Funding of Poverty Research in Major Sociology Journals from 1965 to 1975 and 1984 to 1994 shows that just as the Conservative shift of the 1980's inherent in the Reagan Revolution negatively impacted the poor, this also cut funds to study the poor & the causes of poverty

Table 9 - 6: General Subject & Funding of Poverty Research in Major Sociology Journals demonstrates that the social sciences focus on poverty is high regardless of low govt funding for those studies

Internal
Links

Top

Outline on a Cross National Comparisons of Poverty

External
Links

- Project: Video: Famine Foretold

Link

- Video: Famine Foretold 5:16

Link

COMPARED TO OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS, THE US HAS THE HIGHEST POV RATE, & THE HIGHEST CHILD POV RATE

Cross national comparisons of poverty put the problem of poverty in a global perspective & allow one to see how various societies succeed & fail at alleviating & eliminating poverty

Link

Table: Poverty Rates in Industrial Nations 1984 - 1987

Link

An analysis of Table on Poverty Rates in Industrial Nations, shows that the overall US poverty rate is higher than any industrialized country & the child poverty rate is much higher than any other industrialized country

Specifically, Table on Poverty Rates in Industrial Nations, shows that the overall US poverty rate is over twice (2.2 times) that of other industrialized nations & the child poverty rate is 2 1/2 times that of other industrialized nations

Comparing the US & a 3rd world country, the US poverty line equals an average income in the 3rd world

- Low income economies:	below	$ 500 per yr
- Lower middle income:		500 to 2,400 per yr
- Upper middle:		2,400 to 5,500 per yr
- High:	above	5,500 per yr

WELFARE IS HIGHER IN EURO BECAUSE: OF THEIR HIST OF CLASS CONFLICT, 'CLASS POLITICS,' HIGHER VOTING RATES, INSTITUTIONALIZED SOC SERVICES, GREATER DEMOCRACY, A SOCIALIST IDEOLOGY

Link

Welfare benefits are greater in Europe than the US for SIX reasons, including that:

1. they have a longer history of more intense class conflict

2. the lower class in over there has more political organization

3. the lower class over there is more likely to participate in elections because their multiparty, parliamentary system give more power to weaker groups

4. social services over there are institutionalized & therefore easier to defend than customs

5. the greater the democracy, the greater the welfare

6. socialist, capitalist, authoritarian political econ systems show structured differences in welfare benefits: nations have varying mandates to redistribute wealth

WELFARE IS HIGHER IN THE US THAN THE 3rd WORLD BECAUSE: THE US LC HAS POL ORG, HIGHER VOTING RATES, INSTITUTIONALIZED SOC SERVICES, MORE WEALTH AVAILABLE, & AN IDELOLOGY OF THE ELIMINATION OF POV

Link

Welfare benefits are greater in US than in the 3rd World for FIVE reasons, including that:

a. the lower class over here has more political organization

b. the lower class over here is more likely to participate in elections because the US is more democratic than over there

c. social services over there are not institutionalized & are based on tradition & customs

d. there is less money for welfare over there

e. in general the culture of non-western nations supports the ideology that there is & should be poor people

Top

TablePoverty Rates in Industrial Nations 1984 - 1987

Kerbo 0309

Total Adults & Children

Children

13 %

20 %

Canada

Australia

Netherlands

GDR

Sweden

Average

5.9

7.9

An analysis of the Table on Poverty Rates in Industrial Nations, shows that the overall US poverty rate is higher than any industrialized country & the child poverty rate is much higher than any other industrialized country

An analysis of the Table on Poverty Rates in Industrial Nations, shows that the overall US poverty rate is over twice (2.2 times) that of other industrialized nations & the child poverty rate is 2 1/2 times that of other industrialized nations

Internal
Links

Top

Outline on Global Poverty

External
Links

- Supplement: Beyond a Wall of Secrecy, Devastation. The Washington Post

Link

- Supplement: Mine Labor in Congo Dims Luster in Diamonds. The New York Times

Link

INTRO: THE GLOBE IS STRATIFIED AMONG CORE / RICH, SEMI PERIPHERAL / DEVELOPING, & PERIPHERAL / UNDEVELOPED / POOR NATIONS

Low income, peripheral, nations are home to some rich & many poor

Most people live w/ incomes of a few hundred dollars a yr

The burden of poverty in low income countries is greater than for the poor of the US & other core nations

THE SEVERITY OF POVERTY CAN BE JUDGED ON A RELATIVE OR ABSOLUTE SCALE

A key reason that quality of life differs so much around the world is that economic productivity is lowest in precisely those regions where population growth is highest

The distinction btwn absolute & relative poverty is the distinction btwn a simple numerical scale & a comparison

The measure of absolute poverty examines poverty based on absolute number or monetary level

The measure of relative poverty examines poverty in relationship to the socio economic context of a particular society

Absolute poverty is a particularly serious problem in the poorest nations in that many simply do not have enough to live on

Absolute poverty is more important in the global perspective

Some people lack resources that are taken for granted by others

Lack of resources that is life threatening

Lack the nutrition necessary for health & long term survival

While absolute poverty is more common in peripheral nations, it exists in every society; rich & poor

Relative poverty is more salient in the more developed countries

People in rich nations focus on relative poverty

CORE NATIONS ARE HIGH INCOME / DEVELOPED NATIONS

Reason quality of life differs so much around the world

Economic productivity is lowest in regions where population growth is the highest

High income countries have the advantage

SEMI PERIPHERAL NATIONS ARE MIDDLE INCOME, DEVELOPING NATIONS

79% of global income supporting just 18% of humanity

20% of global income support 70% of humanity

PERIPHERAL NATIONS ARE LOW INCOME, UNDEVELOPED NATIONS

Poverty in poor countries is more extensive than it is in rich nations such as the US

12% of planet's population survives w/ 1 % of global income

Low econ development & low income contributes to serious problems of hunger & starvation in these societies

Poverty in poor countries is more severe than it is in the rich countries

Link

The Map of the Median Age at Death demonstrates that while life span in the core nations is the highest, it is dramatically lower in peripheral nations, demonstrating that general econ develop directly impacts not only life chances but life span

In rich countries, most people die after 75

In poor countries half of all deaths occur among children under age 10

CHILD POVERTY IS RAMPANT IN ALL NATIONS

The extent & severity of child poverty is greatest in the low income countries

At least 100 million children in poor countries provide income for their families

The prevalence of absolute poverty means that children often beg, steal, sell sex, or work for drug gangs

To survive, children often must drop out of school, which has the effect of maintaining the cycle of poverty

Children are at high risk of disease & violence

Another 100 million children leave families to live on the streets each yr

Half of all street children found in Mexico City or Rio de Janeiro

BECAUSE OF THE INTERSECTION OF PATRIARCHY & THE CLASS SYSTEM, WOMEN EXPERIENCE MUCH HIGHER RATES OF POVERTY THAN MEN

Feminists have labeled the trend of single parent, female headed families having a high risk of poverty "the feminization of poverty"

Women in peripheral nations are at a high risk of experiencing single parenthood & poverty, resulting in a high level of the feminization of poverty

In the mid 2000s, 70 % of world's 1 billion people living in absolute poverty are women

When people are under the ultimate stress of starvation, families are likely to break down, w/ men leaving, women raising only the youngest of children, & the rest of the children fending for themselves by living in the street

Women in the poorer nations experience particularly severe poverty

In reich societies, women work is undervalued, underpaid, or overlooked

Women in peripheral nations commonly find work in sweatshops which make products for the core nations

Tradition keeps women out of many jobs

Traditional norms give women the responsibility for child rearing & household maintenance

Traditional norms give men control over 90 % of the land

Link

The Bar Chart on the Use of Contraception by Married Women of Childbearing Age demonstrates that contraception is not uniformly available across the globe

Women in poor countries receive little or no reproductive health care & limited access to birth control

ECONOMIC & SEXUAL SLAVERY STILL EXISTS TODAY, & IS GROWING W/IN THE GLOBAL ECON

Anti Slavery International distinguishes four types of slavery:

a. In chattel slavery, one person owns another

b. Child slavery includes abandoned children or those living on the street

c. Debt bondage occurs where people are paid less than they are charged for food

d. Servile forms of marriage are also considered slavery

ON A GLOBAL SCALE, THE RICH ARE GETTING RICHER, & THE POOR ARE GETTING POORER

While the rich, core nations have competed w/ each other in the last 200 yrs, the gap btwn the rich & poor has become immense

The World Bank notes that:

"As late as 1820, per capita incomes were quite similar around the world, & very low, ranging from around $500 in China & So Asia to $1,000 to 1,500 in the richest countries of Europe"

(World Bank, 2000: Chapter 3, p. 45).

At the beginning of this millennium, per capital income in many core nations was $30,500 compared to $500 in many peripheral nations such as Sierra Leon, Tanzania, & Ethiopia

20 % of the world's population, i.e. over 1 bb people, live on less than $ 1 / day

Almost half of the world's population, i.e. 2.8 bb live on less than $ 2 / day

Despite high levels of extreme world poverty, many Americans cannot understand the hatred fuming toward the US

The UN est that the number of people existing on less than $ 1 / day has increased directly w/ globalization during the 1990s (UN: A Better World for All, 2000)

The first ever est of global wealth inequality indicates that the top 2 % of people in the world own over half of all the wealth, while the bottom 50 % own less than 1 %

In relation to global income, the top 20 % of people receive 150 times the income of the bottom 20 %

30 yrs ago, the top 20 % of people receive just 60 times the income of the bottom 20 %

There are 800 mm chronically undernourished people in the world, w/ another 2 bb experiencing crucial deficiencies in nutrients

UNICEF reports that malnutrition is a factor in about 55 % of the 12 mm preventable deaths among children under 5 each yr

It has not been since the Mid Ages & the bubonic plague, i.e. the Black Death, that any single cause has killed children at the rate that simple poverty & malnutrition are killing children today

ON A GLOBAL SCALE, THE RICH ARE GETTING RICHER, BUT THE POOR CAN GET NO POORER

Top

Map of the Median Age at Death

Source: World Bank (1993), w/ updates by Macionis

Top

Bar Chart on the Use of Contraception by Married Women of Childbearing Age

Source: UN Development Program (2005

The Bar Chart on the Use of Contraception by Married Women of Childbearing Age demonstrates that contraception is not uniformly available across the globe

Internal
Links

Top

Outline on Social Mobility

External
Links

- Project: Your Experience of Social Mobility

Link

Social mobility is the frequency w/ which people move up or down in a society's economic hierarchy

Social Mobility is also known as socioeconomic mobility or simply mobility

Socioeconomic mobility refers to mobility in all of the dimensions of stratification: economic, prestige, & power

Social scientists frequently refer to upward social mobility or downward social mobility

Kerbo demonstrates that the US class structure is very stable; i.e., there is not great mobility

Percent of Income Earned by Lowest & Highest Quintile
	1947	1970	1992
Lowest Fifth	5 %	5 %	4 %
Highest Fifth	43 %	41 %	45 %

NOTE: The 70s were the best years for the lower class & the worst for the upper class /corporate class

The top & the bottom of the stratification system have the lowest levels of social mobility in the US

An example of the low level of social mobility in the US is that one out of 10 sons of manual laborers will attain professional employment, while seven out of 10 sons of professional workers will

In the US, the middle of the stratification system has the highest level of social mobility ( i.e. low occupational inheritance w/ higher intergenerational mobility )

There is a strong relationship between stratification and socioeconomic mobility in that there is more mobility in societies that have more equality

There are six fundamental types of stratification systems, each of which dominated a particular historical period, each of which fosters a particular level of social mobility
a. Primitive communal system ( aka hunter gatherer society or tribal society )
b. Slavery system (two types: conquest & racist)
c. Caste system
d. Feudal system ( aka estate system )
e. Class system ( aka capitalist or state capitalist system )
f. Post-industrial system ( aka global system )

Each type of economic system fosters a particular level of social mobility

Furthermore, particular economic systems have subtypes as is seen w/ pure capitalism, state capitalism, industrial capitalism, a service economy, etc.

There are EIGHT characteristics of strat systems in that they may be open, closed, vertical, horizontal, exchange, intergenerational, intragenerational, & structural

Open stratification systems have a high level of social mobility

In an open stratification system, a person's position in society is attained as a result of what the person has done

Achieved status has substantial influence in an open stratification system

Ascribed status has little influence in an open stratification system

An open stratification system is the type of system where achieved statuses have substantial influence over the social status a person attains in adulthood

Closed stratification systems have a low level of social mobility

In a closed stratification system, a person's position in society is attained by birth-right, e.g., race, sex, family, etc.

Achieved status has little influence in a closed stratification system

Ascribed status has substantial influence in a closed stratification system

A closed stratification system is the type of system where ascribed statuses largely determine a person's life chances

Vertical social mobility is movement up or down the stratification system, i.e. to a better or worse position; i.e. from working class to middle class from corporate class to upper middle class

Vertical mobility is the movement form one occupational position to another of higher or lower rank

Vertical mobility describes upward or downward movement in the standard of living as measured by income, prestige, autonomy, etc.

Conditions affecting vertical mobility include disability, formal demotion, lay-off, bumping, downsizing, closing, etc.

The greater the degree of vertical mobility, the more open the class system, the greater the vertical mobility, the closer the society is to the value of equal opportunity

An example of upward vertical example is movement from police officer to public school teacher

Horizontal social mobility is movement across positions of roughly equal rank

Horizontal social mobility is the mobility that most people experience
It is primarily from one type of job to another while a person's income, status, power, influence stay relatively the same
Of course people hope to do better on all dimensions as they advance their career, but few achieve enough to change class

Horizontal mobility is the movement from one position to another of equal rank in the occupational structure

Examples of horizontal mobility include
- moving from supervisor to manager or gaining seniority & status on the job
- the Electrician who leaves job w/ GM for job w/ Boeing even though it may include a sizable raise who is thus still a member of the middle class

Exchange mobility, aka churning, denotes a type of social mobility where there is little societal social mobility, but high levels of individual social mobility

Exchange mobility, aka churning occurs when someone's absolute position changes in relation to others

Exchange mobility, aka churning, denotes relatively equal amounts of upward & downward social mobility, which often gives the illusion of upward class mobility

The concept of exchange mobility, aka churning, denotes that

- there are many people moving up the socio-economic scale as there are moving down the socio-economic ladder

- while it appears as if many people are moving up the socio-economic ladder, in reality those moving up are replacing those moving down

- people fall in and out of each class ( churning ) because of continuing economic competition

- once a person is poor, the chances are good that they will get out of poverty, but not very far

The concept of churning describes the fact that while a particular number of people may experience upward vertical mobility in a given year, usually nearly an equal number of people experience downward vertical social mobility

The media & our ideology reflects upward class mobility ( things are improving ) therefore we are more likely to see the upward mobility & ignore the downward mobility

Churning is also created by simultaneous status churning & by horizontal mobility

While the US has a poverty rate of 15 %, in a ten year period, 25 % will be in poverty at least once

43 % to 60 % of the poor do not move out of poverty for any length of time & thus, 67 % to 40 % do get out for at least a while

Thus, at least 17 mm adults & children are chronically poor & 33 mm fall in & out of poverty or rise into the Working Class or higher

It is the group of poor who rise into the working class who could significantly benefit by structural changes

Intergenerational mobility is the attainment by people of a socio-economic status that is higher or lower than their parents

W/ Intergenerational mobility, there is a changing proportion of higher & lower class families

When sociologists compare a person's status with that of his or her parents, they are looking at intergenerational mobility

Upward intergenerational occupational mobility occurs when a person's occupation/class as compared to parents, is higher

Intragenerational mobility compares the occupational position of a person over an extended period of time

Intragenerational mobility compares a persons 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. jobs

Upward intragenerational occupational mobility occurs when a person's occupation/class as compared to contemporaries, is higher

Table 11-2.1 Outflow Mobility: An analysis of Outflow Mobility shows that
- occupational inheritance was quite similar in 1962 & 1973
- nonmanual occupation have the highest degree of occupational inheritance
- farm workers have the lowest rate of occupational inheritance

Link

Table 11-2.2 Inflow Mobility: An analysis of Inflow Mobility shows that
- occupational recruitment was very similar in 1962 & 1973
- farm work has the highest rate of self recruitment
- there is a higher rate of upward than downward mobility

Link

Mobility in the US is slightly above average for industrialized country, but it is less than most people assume

There is a direct relationship btwn stratification and mobility as seen in the fact that only one out of 10 sons of manual laborers will attain professional employment, while seven out of 10 sons of professional workers will attain professional employment

The top & the bottom of the stratification system have the lowest levels of social mobility in the US

From the view point of inflow & outflow mobility, low social mobility is created by high occupational inheritance & low intergenerational mobility

Thus, the top & bottom of the stratification system have high occupational inheritance & low intergenerational mobility

In the US, the middle of the stratification system has the highest level of social mobility

In the US, the middle of the stratification system has low occupational inheritance & high intergenerational mobility

Structural mobility is a type of mobility where classes of people improve their socio-economic position

Structural mobility occurs when there has been a growth in the economy of better paying, more pleasant, higher status, white collar jobs, and a decline in the number of blue collar jobs

Structural mobility describes ability to move to different occupation; such as from industry to service, & results from large scale changes in the economy

The occupational opportunity structure is dependent on structural mobility, the health of economy, immigration, etc.

In the industrialized modern nations, structural mobility occurs because of an increased proportion of jobs in the higher status, white collar categories

Growth in the economy of better paying, more pleasant, higher status, white collar jobs, & a decline in the number of blue collar jobs increases structural mobility

Structural mobility is the opposite of exchange mobility

The US has a strong value that there is a high level of social mobility, but in reality there is a high level of exchange mobility & little structural mobility

Although the US has little more mobility than most other industrialized societies, Americans believe & feel that there is a lot of mobility & that America is the land of opportunity where everyone who works hard can get ahead

Historically, the US experienced positive structural mobility, but there have also been periods of negative structural mobility

The historic eras which marked changes in structural mobility include:
- "the land grab" in the mid 1800s
- after the Industrial Revolution & the legalization of unions
- in the 1930's, the Great Depression
- after WW2
- after the Vietnam War
- the Reagan Era 1980s & early 1990s
- from the early 1990s to 2001
- today?

The US experienced positive structural mobility until "the land grab" was completed in the mid 1800s & then there was a long period of exchange mobility

After the Industrial Revolution & the legalization of unions, the working class gained & experienced positive structural mobility

In the 1930s, the US experienced negative structural mobility as a result of the Great Depression

After WW2, the US experienced positive structural mobility as a continuing result of industrialization, the Labor Movement & Pax American

After the Vietnam War, from the mid 1970s until the early 1990's the US experienced negative structural mobility

From the early 1990s to 2001, the US experienced slight positive structural mobility but mostly exchange mobility

70 % of Americans agree that "America is the land of opportunity where everyone who works hard can get ahead"

80 % agree that "people who grew up in rich families have an average or better than average chance of getting ahead"

50 % believe that blacks, women, & working class families have an "average or better than average chance of getting ahead"

But the groups of blacks, women & working class families have a poorer than average chance of getting ahead

The Horatio Alger Myth is the belief that anyone, no matter how poor, can succeed on a grand scale

Top

Internal
Links

Outline on the Causes of Poverty

External
Links

- Project: Poverty: Theory & Experience

Link

- Project: Video: The New Poor

Link

- Video: The New Poor 2:30

Link

There are FOUR economic conditions that affect the poor
a. falling real wages
b. higher accepted unemployment
c. deindustrialization
d. expansion of service economy

Today, there are SEVEN broad theories that explain poverty
1. The functionalist explanation of poverty holds that poverty motivates people to take the more difficult jobs
2. The conflict theory explanation of poverty is that inequality & poverty exist because the wealthy & the powerful benefit from it & have enough power to make the social system work to protect their interests
3. The common view holds that the poor are lazy, promiscuous & would rather "go on the dole"
4. The dominant or popular view holds that individual characteristics create poverty
5. The culture of poverty view holds that poverty directly influences individual characteristics through the process of socialization, and also that political economic forces indirectly influence poverty
6. The situational view holds that the poor exhibit a practical reaction to their situation
7. The structural view holds that political economic forces directly influence poverty

In the recent past, Social Darwinism held that the poor were not as evolutionarily developed as successful people

1. The functionalist explanation of poverty holds that poverty motivates people to take the more difficult jobs

The functionalist view of poverty was best developed by Kingsley Davis & Wilbert Moore in 1945 in an article entitled "Some Principles of Stratification"

Davis & Moore's argument, in brief , is that

a. the most critical jobs require more difficult training, & are more difficult in general

b. In order to get people to take the difficult jobs, like being a doctor, we need to pay more for that job, & less for the easy jobs, such as street sweeping

2. The conflict theory explanation of poverty is that inequality & poverty exist because the wealthy & the powerful benefit from it & have enough power to make the social system work to protect their interests

Conflict theorists hold that it is in the interest of the wealthy to keep things as they are; i.e. preserve the status quo

Conflict theorists hold that it is in the interest of the poor to pursue social change

Conflict theorist note that the poor have not pursued social change, & the system has not changed because

a. capitalism has raised the standard of living for those in the industrialized world

b. the democratic reforms of the "trust-busters," the New Deal, et al, have curtailed the excesses of capitalism

c. democratic reforms have added rights & power to those at the bottom of the system in the form of civil rights, the Labor Movement, etc.

3. The common explanation of poverty holds that the poor are lazy, promiscuous & would rather "go on the dole"

The common view today generally encompasses THREE factors

a. Poor people are simply lazy

b. Poor people have loose morals causing too many children & out of wedlock pregnancy, both of which cause poverty

Poor people do begin sexual activity earlier, but overall they are no more promiscuous

Poor women have a small pool of "marriageable men," thus poor women have more sex & babies out of wedlock, but at the same overall level

c. The welfare dependency view of poverty is that poor people would rather "go on the dole" than work

An Analysis of the Pie Chart on the Work Status of Poor People in 2000 demonstrates that over 50%, a majority, of poor people worked or attended school for all or part of the year

The concept of exchange mobility explains how new people keep falling into poverty

The western value of individualism holds each person is responsible for their own lot in life & thus western culture generally supports the belief that the rich are rich because they work hard, are skilled, etc., while poor are poor because they are lazy, unskilled, etc.

Individualism also holds that the individual is more important that the group & therefore the govt should not infringe upon the rights of individuals to pay taxes to pay welfare for a group of poor people

The US has the strongest value of individualism, compared to any other nation, which comes from
- our frontier ideology
- our perception & reality of the US as a land of opportunity
- the belief that anyone can get ahead in the US

In general, in the US, people do blame the poor for being poor & for many other social problems

About half of the U.S. population believes that the poor lack thrift, do not give enough effort, have loose morals, or are drunks

Table 9 - 5: Comparative Attitudes Toward Inequality & Govt Involvement in the Economy to Reduce Inequality demonstrates that the US has the most unfavorable attitudes toward inequality, tending to blame the poor, & for govt involvment in reducing inequality

Table 9 - 6: General Subject & Funding of Poverty Research in Major Sociology Journals: 1965 to 1975 and 1984 to 1994 demonstrates that the social sciences focus on poverty is high regardless of low govt funding for those studies

And the poor themselves often hold demeaning beliefs about other poor people

The negative view of the public toward the poor is reflected in our acceptance of higher inequality as seen in little consistent support for govt action to reduce unemployment and income inequality

4. The dominant or popular view holds that individual characteristics create poverty & the strongest argument in the dominant view is that the poor are biologically or genetically inferior

5. The culture of poverty view holds that poverty directly influences individual characteristics through the process of socialization, and also that political economic forces indirectly influence poverty

6. The situational view holds that the poor exhibit a practical reaction to their situation

7. The structural view holds that political economic forces directly influence poverty

Top

Internal
Links

Outline on the Dominant or Popular Views of the Cause of Poverty

External
Links

4. The Dominant or Popular View holds that individual characteristics create poverty & the strongest argument in the dominant view is that the poor are biologically or genetically inferior

In the early 1900's, social scientists developed the school of thought that came to be called Social Darwinism

In the social sciences, Social Darwinism was advanced by

- the American sociologist William Graham Sumner ( d. 1910 )

- the British sociologist Herbert Spencer ( d. 1903 )

Social Darwinism held that:
- the poor were not as evolutionarily developed as successful people
- the poor are unfit to survive the competition
- the rich are the fittest

We should have no govt programs to assist the poor because they will degrade the gene poor by breeding like insects

The rich admired this point of view of Sumner, Spencer & other social Darwinists & Andrew Carnegie supported Sumner's work

Simmel ( 1908 ) & Gans ( 1972 ) point out that social Darwinism & similar ideologies provide the nonpoor w/ a justification for poverty & a group of people they can look down on

Contemporary writers such as George Gilder & Charles Murray wrote that the poor had a number of genetic inferiorities

The "Murray Thesis" in Losing Ground, (1984) was that people stay on welfare to avoid work

In his book, The Bell Curve, Hernstein wrote that the poor have low average IQs

Hernstein's thesis of low IQs for the poor has been shown to be false in many studies that have been conducted since the advent of the IQ test

Hernstein is correct in thaat the poor are more susceptible to env factors such as poor childhood nutrition, exposure to lead, poor or nonexistant health care, significant lack of socialization/stimulation, etc. all of which can lower IQ, than are the other classes

This school of thought that sought to demonstrate the inferiority of the poor supported Reaganomics, trickle down economics, as the only way to assist the poor because they need the rich to direct them

Glider, Murray, Reagan, et al believed that assistance to poor is unfair to the rich, & a waste of time

Wealth and Poverty ( 1981) Gilder
The Bell Curve (1994) Richard Hernstein

A Harvard panel determined that the work of Gilder, Murray, et al was shoddy & even deceitful: “They have bamboozled everybody.”

The Harvard panel found that the poor may indeed have a lower IQ, but this is because they are poor, not the other way around

A study which countered the Murray Thesis showed that the number of people on welfare went up while amount of benefits went down as seen in the example that the value of Food stamps fell 22 % from 1972 to 1984

Top

Internal
Links

Outline on the Culture of Poverty

External
Links

5. The Culture of Poverty View holds that poverty directly influences individual characteristics through the process of socialization, and also that political economic forces indirectly influence poverty

Poverty creates FOUR situations which create the culture of poverty
1. Poverty presents unique problems in living
2. Solving or dealing w/ these problems requires "unique" lifestyles
3. Poverty creates social interaction among the Poor & social isolation from other classes, i.e. the unique lifestyle
4. This interaction & isolation of the poor embodies a (sub)culture of poverty; i.e., common values, attitudes & behavior

Oscar Lewis, a social anthropologist, is considered to be the father of the culture of poverty thesis

Oscar Lewis' most famous works include: Five Families (1959), The Children of Sanchez (1961), La Vida (1966)

Lewis has FIVE major points to his culture of poverty theory

a. Because of the conditions of poverty, the poor are presented w/ unique problems in living ( compared to the nonpoor )

b. In order to cope w/ these problems, the poor follow aunique lifestyle

c. Through collective interaction & in relative isolation from the nonpoor this poor lifestyle becomes a common lifestyle which produces common values, attitudes, & behavior

This lifestyle of the poor & set of knowledge, beliefs, values & norms is called the culture of poverty, which, more accurately, is a subculture

d. Once the culture of poverty becomes common, i.e. becomes institutionalized, it becomes independent of the social conditions of poverty that produced it because children & adults are socialized into this subculture of poverty

Thus one can embrace the culture of poverty, the knowledge, beliefs, values & norms of the Poor w/o being poor

e. The culture of poverty becomes so powerful that even if opportunities arise, the poor will not be able to take advantage of them

On an individual level, the culture of poverty explanation holds that people in poverty are affected by NINE factors, including:
1. strong feelings of marginality, of helplessness, of dependence & inferiority
2. a weak ego or lack of self confidence
3. a lack of impulse control
4. a present time orientation
5. little ability to defer gratification
6. little ability to plan for the future
7. a sense of fatalism
8. the value of male superiority ( machismo )
9. a high tolerance for psychological pathologies

On a family level, the culture of poverty can be seen in FIVE factors
a. The absence of a long childhood
b. The early initiation into sex
c. Marital unions such as free unions or consensual marriages
d. A high incidence of the abandonment of wives & children
e. Female headed families

On a community level, the Culture of Poverty can be seen in FOUR factors
a. A lack of participation in the institutions of the wider society
b. Low voting rates
c. Low participation in politics
d. A tendency to be socially conservative

Project: We have avoided the question, does each class have its own subculture? That is do the UC, CC, UMC, MC, LMC, LC, SP all have different cultures? Give examples of similar or different lifestyle, values, attitudes, behaviors, etc.]

Link

Project: what are some COP values, actions that operate on the Group Level & Societal Level:
Group level:
Societal level:

The critique of the culture of poverty view makes SIX points
1. The situational view critique: ( see below )
2. COP assumes an overly uniform view of culture & values:
3. The differences are an effect rather than a cause ( COP says they are interrelated )
4. Some studies contradict the COP view that the poor won't work
5. Only 1% of people stay below poverty line for nine years in a row, but only 3 in 10 children raised in poverty set up poor households
6. Those long term welfare recipients are more accurately described as their own class: underclass, hard core poor, truly disadvantaged

Top

Project on the Group & Societal Levels of the COP
Group level: gang behavior, expectations of peer groups, Societal level: counterculture, expectations of teachers, etc., social services expectations

Top

Internal
Links

Outline on the Situational View of the Cause of Poverty

External
Links

6. The Situational View holds that
- the poor exhibit a practical reaction to their circumstances
- the poor do not possess a culture of poverty; they possess mainstream American values
- political economic forces directly influence poverty; i.e. they create the situation
- the poor have a "COP" because they are reacting realistically to their situation: ( COP critique # 1. )

Lewis' theory of the culture of poverty is similar to Merton's theory on anomie in that the COP is created by society instilling middle class values, but providing no means to achieve them

The Table on Merton's Analysis of Anomie shows that to avoid anomie, socially sanctioned goals must match socially institutionalized means