What Are the Explanations for Poverty?

Which explanation sees poverty as a subculture whose norms and values differ from the mainstream?

• Marxist theory

• Culture of poverty

• Cycle of deprivation

• Underclass thesis

In the culture-of-poverty account, the outlook that “nothing will ever change so there’s no point trying” is called:

• Meritocracy

• Individualism

• Fatalism

• Social exclusion

The idea that poverty is passed from parents to children and then to grandchildren is known as the:

• Cycle of deprivation

• Culture of poverty

• Underclass

• Relative deprivation trap

Supporters of the cycle-of-deprivation view say the best solution is to:

• Cut welfare benefits

• Abolish capitalism

• Increase policing in poor areas

• Ensure every child leaves school with useful qualifications

New-Right writer Charles Murray’s underclass consists mainly of people who:

• Work long hours but earn little

• Choose not to work and rely on welfare benefits

• Are trapped by low educational attainment

• Suffer ill-health from poor diet

Murray argues the way to reduce poverty is to:

• Cut benefits so people are forced to find jobs

• Expand university places

• Raise the minimum wage sharply

• Build more council housing

Marxists blame poverty primarily on a society where:

• Individuals make poor lifestyle choices

• Welfare payments encourage dependency

• The rich exploit the poor

• The poor lack motivation

From the Marxist standpoint, the ultimate solution to poverty is to:

• Introduce stricter benefit sanctions

• Provide early-years literacy classes

• Raise childcare subsidies

• Replace capitalism with a more equal system

Critics of Murray point out that his argument is undermined by the fact that:

• Most people living in poverty actually have paid jobs

• Crime rates keep falling

• Benefit levels rose in real terms

• Child poverty exists in every social class

Advocates of the culture-of-poverty view say poverty can be broken if schools:

• Give cash rewards for attendance

• Teach the value of education from a very early age

• Replace exams with coursework

• Introduce uniforms for all pupils