Social scientists credit Oscar Lewis (1914-1970), an American anthropologist, with introducing the concept of a culture of poverty. He first suggested it in 1959, in his book, Five Families: Mexican Case Studies in the Culture of Poverty. The concept refers to the ideas and behavior developed by poor people in some capitalist societies as they
Growing economic inequality in the United States has profound implications for understanding crime, criminal justice processing, and trends in mass incarceration. Although contemporary crime rates are at levels observed during the 1960s, punishment—through the use of incarceration— remains at historic highs. As the richest nation in the world, the United States incarcerates more people than
In 1971, lawyers Morris Dees and Joe Levin created the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as a civil rights law firm. SPLC’s first president was Julian Bond, who is well known for his civil rights work. Bond currently serves on the board of directors. Today, this nonprofit organization is known across the world for its
Poverty is a global problem. Using the U.S. dollar as a hallmark for living standards, approximately 2.8 billion people live on less than 2 dollars a day, and almost 1.2 billion live on less than 1 dollar a day. Given the differing living standards across nations, a dollar has different weight depending on context. But
This article explores the complex relationship between poverty and health from a health psychology perspective. The introduction elucidates the definition of poverty and establishes the context within health psychology, emphasizing the paramount importance of investigating the multifaceted impact of socioeconomic status on both physical and mental well-being. The ensuing sections delve into the physiological consequences