Discuss how poverty plays a role in political decision-making. Why are the poor least likely to control opportunities? What are the issues that you feel are most important to the topic? Discuss how you can affect poverty as an individual in our culture.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Varies. Students should point out some of the following: . The poor are the least likely to control opportunities because they are themselves in need of them. Power matters when the group has the ability to control strategic resources and opportunities to attain such resources. Money, land, information, and skills are strategic resources when they are needed by individuals to do what they want to do. In the textbook, distributed power is limited to elite group of individuals whose economic political and social relationships are closely interrelated, according to William Domhoff. Control over four major social networks-economic, political, military, and religious-can be turned into a strong organizational basis for wielding power. So there really is no power for the poor because they don't have control over the social networks. Conflict theorists assert that poverty exists because those in power want to maintain and expand their base of power and interests, with little left to share with others. Welfare bureaucracies-local, state, and national-represent important interest groups that influence the creation of implementation of welfare policies. According to the textbook, Fox, Piven, and Cloward conclude that the principal function of welfare is to allow the capitalist class to maintain control over labor. Welfare policy has been used by the state to stifle protest and to enforce submissive work norms. During periods of economic crisis, the state expands welfare rolls to pacify the poor and reduce the likelihood of serious uprising. The most effective manner in which an individual can affect poverty in our culture is by political action groups. These political action groups are needed to put social pressure on issues and promote activism.