Challenging the conventional understanding of American poverty

Rates of poverty in the United States are among the highest in the industrialized world. It is argued that a fundamental reason for this has been the traditional way we have conceptualized the issue of poverty—as largely the fault and responsibility of the individual, which in turn, has led to a lack of social and political will to address the problem. This chapter argues that in order to effectively address the issue of poverty, a fundamental change must occur in terms of how poverty is understood. Three key changes are discussed as part of such a shift. First, there is a need to recognize that poverty affects us all, rather than seeing it as germane to someone else. Second, poverty is largely the result of failings at the economic and political levels, rather than at the individual level. And third, the moral ground on which poverty should be understood is one of injustice and the need for social change, rather than that of individual blame. It is argued that these represent important building blocks on which to challenge and confront the paradox of poverty amidst plenty.