Extended Definition and Analysis of Insular Poverty in the United States

 

( Page 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 )

Other essays and articles in the Main Archives related to this topic include : Race, Class, and Structural Inequality in Post-Katrina New Orleans •  Problems and Weaknesses in the American Educational System •   Compare / Contrast On Rural Versus Urban Living   • Analysis and Summary of "The Classic Slum" by Robert Roberts  •  Eminent Domain: Institutionalized Robbery

 

Academic economist Kenneth Galbraith coined the term “insular poverty” in1969 as a means of distinguishing poverty of groups from individual poverty, which he termed case poverty (97; 325-327). According to Galbraith, case poverty refers to individuals who are poor because of “some quality peculiar” to them (97). Insular poverty, on the other hand refers to groups of people who are poor because the circumstances of their lives trap them in “social islands in which nearly everyone [is] poor, usually in a rural or urban environment that ‘perpetuates its handicaps through poor schools, evil neighborhood influences, and bad preparation for life’” (Horowitz 104).

 

The metaphor of the island as representative of the concept of insular poverty is apt and fitting because those suffering from the conditions of insular poverty live in isolation from the rest of society, which enjoys relative affluence by contrast (Lowe & Reid 20). Considering that Galbraith’s conceptualization and definition of insular poverty assumes that these poor are not responsible for their socioeconomic conditions, it is important to understand what the causes of insular poverty are, and what measures can be applied by governmental entities and non-governmental organizations in order to reduce this form of structural poverty. Offering a definition of insular poverty outside of the book written in 1969 when conditions were much different in the United States is rather challenging and involves a careful analysis of the situation.

 

One of the biggest challenges of identifying the causes of insular poverty in a country that is considered so wealthy such as the United States is that there are a number of variables that contribute to the condition of insular poverty, but the causal nature of these variables is complex and confusing (Rural Poverty Research Center 4). The variables are interrelated and it is often difficult to discern to what degree a variable caused poverty or was caused by poverty; often, the case may be both (Rural Poverty Research Center 4). In almost no case is there a single culprit that can be identified as the root cause of individual or communal poverty (Rural Poverty Research Center 4). While the causes of insular poverty are open to debate and are rather numerous, oftentimes such questions are not posed until major national events raise awareness about insular poverty and  structural inequality. Far from being separate issues, it should be understood that structural inequality is the parent of the problem and the poor are, as a group, not generally responsible for their conditions.

 

Insular poverty is considered by sociologists to be one of the consequences of a larger structural phenomenon known as social exclusion (Todman 3). Buchard define social exclusion as existing when a “person is is geographically resident in a society, but (b) for reasons beyond his or her control, he or she cannot participate in the normal activities of citizens in that society, and (c) he or she would like to participate (229). These ideas of insularity and exclusion allude to the fact that there is an agent who has authority and power to create the condition of marginalization among people who are less powerful (Todman 6). As Todman, indicates, the related notions of insular poverty and social exclusion contest the traditional North American discourse about the causes of poverty (6). “In the U.S.,” Todman writes, “agency for disadvantage (and advantage) is typically thought to reside within the individual. Disadvantage is typically thought to be self-induced, resulting from individual-level behaviors, attitudes, values, choices and other personal attributes” (6). The results of a 2001 poll indicated the 48% of U.S. citizens believe that poverty is caused by some deficiency on the part of the impoverished person (Iceland 70).

Continue to Page 2 of 4 of Article ►

 

Here you will find one of the many informative random articles, essays, or rants located here at Article Myriad. Clicking on any of the titles will magically transport you to the land of random articles, essays, and general tidbits--all of which have been painstakingly written and researched by one of us here at Article Myriad. A better system of organization of essays and pieces will eventually develop, we promise, but until that time, just enjoy the hodge-podge effect and let it help you meander rather than barrel through the site as if you have some kind of purpose. Because you don’t have a purpose here, do you? You’re just procrastinating—putting something off, aren’t you? ....  We thought so.

Again, if you you find an article or essay that makes your life better, easier, or just plain happier / enriched, please don’t hesitate to support your friends here with a small donation. It keeps us able to write. Visit our homepage for more on that matter and thanks!