Anthropology, psychology, history, sociology, education, political Research Paper

Anthropology, psychology, history, sociology, education, political science, gender studies, economics, legal studies - Research Paper Example The word slum connotes an area where no ethnic community dominates. Poverty levels are high in slums, barrios and ghettos. It should be noted that not all African- American and Hispanic neighborhoods are poor. Discussions of underclass associate the residents of those inner cities with certain types of behaviors and attitudes. Excessive focus on poorest inner cities can redirect attention from the broader structural aspect of poverty. As a result they may fail to see the important contributions to reducing poverty that straightforward measures like Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) can achieve. Painting a picture of obstinate poverty in inner cities can cause hopelessness among policy makers Most alarming social evils in the society, ranging from use and sale of illegal drug to violence, take place in the inner cities of America. Even though today poverty in the inner cities of America is still a major concern, most Americans do not talk about it. However, when asked about poverty directly, many people will admit that poverty, especially in inner cities of America, is still a major concern. Poverty is a complex phenomenon which is hard to define. It is also difficult to differentiate forms, causes and consequences of poverty. Further, many people do not agree why poverty is a problem in America. Neither do they agree on the causes or consequences. It is therefore difficult to agree on a solution. There are those people who believe the poor are responsible for their condition. Mostly, people who feel the poor are responsible for their circumstances are the middle and upper income earners. They believe the poor can change their circumstances by working hard. This class of Americans feel poor people should not receive welfare benefits from the government. The middle and upper class Americans are careful to avoid working, living or even driving through the inner cities. Inner cities