The Poor Pay All Analysis

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The Function of the Poor in American Society
Why does poverty exist? Throughout the long history of our nation, people from politicians to social workers have proposed solutions intended to end poverty in the United States. In his article, “The Uses of Poverty: The Poor Pay All,” Herbert J. Gans uses the functionalist sociological perspective to examine the function of poverty in the United States, arguing that the poor as an entity provide many benefits to society, including carrying out society’s “dirty work.” This, in turn, is the notion that makes poverty so difficult to eradicate.
In his article, Gans identifies and describes thirteen social, political, and economic purposes that poverty serves. One example Gans utilizes is that poverty
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While Gans argues the persistence of poverty is due to the function it serves in American society, Edelman argues that the disproportional amount of people of minority races and gender stuck in low paying jobs contributes to poverty’s longevity. Edelman argues that the solution to poverty is an increase in government funded programs meant to assist those living in poverty, specifically persons of color and single mothers. While both Gans and Edelman identify different cause of poverty and solutions, they both agree that poverty is a significant predicament in American society that needs to be addressed.
As the gap between the poor and the 1% increases at an alarming rate, the issue of poverty in American society is becoming a growing problem that demands to be addressed. In his article, “The Uses of Poverty: The Poor Pay All,” Herbert J. Gans examines poverty in American society through the functionalist sociological perspective, emphasizing that the functions poverty plays in society make the issue all the more difficult to