Poverty and Power: The Problem of Structural Inequality, Second Edition - Hardcover

Edward Royce's Poverty and Power provides a comprehensive look at the reasons why poverty persists in the United States and why it is so often taken for granted by many Americans. Royce's compelling argument identifies the cause of poverty as rooted in inequalities in power and politics and shows the inadequacies of individualistic, cultural, and human capital theories of poverty. -- Ellen Reese, University of California, Riverside This updated edition of Poverty and Power remains the single most comprehensive exploration of structural inequality I have ever read. The book brilliantly excoriates our prevailing belief that poverty and inequality result from individuals' poor decisions or bad personal attributes. In speaking with colleagues, Poverty and Power has become the `go to book' for undergraduate and graduate classes that want to examine the economic, cultural, political, and social layers of systemic inequality. -- Rick Eckstein, Villanova University Poverty and Power, second edition, is a tour de force treatment of competing perspectives on poverty in America and of the compelling case for understanding poverty as a structurally-generated social problem. This lively and current volume is essential reading for students and citizens interested in developing a more complete understanding of discussions and debates on the nature of poverty and on social policies designed to deal with poverty as a social problem. -- Earl Wysong, Indiana University Kokomo Poverty and Power is a well-documented account of the political and economic roots of the exceptionally high rates of poverty in the United States and a systematic critique of explanations that blame the so-called deficiencies of the poor. Its clearly laid out argument and highly readable prose make it an excellent resource for classroom use and for all who are interested in understanding why economic hardship is so widespread in a country of such celebrated wealth. -- Alice O'Connor, University of California Santa Barbara In the area of economic inequality, there is no book I would adopt before Poverty and Power. Royce analyzes and synthesizes an astonishing amount of material. I challenge anyone to find a scholar more steeped in the literature on poverty than this author. Poverty and Power will broaden and deepen the knowledge base of any professor (let alone student) but without excessive disciplinary jargon. The result of Royce's painstakingly thorough research and elegant writing is a highly informative yet engaging and readable text. The first edition proved a hit with students in my senior seminar; we eagerly await this second edition! -- Lisa M. Tillmann, Rollins College Poverty and Power persuasively demonstrates the force of social structures in generating and perpetuating poverty. Challenging conventional arguments about the poor being poor as a result of their own choices, Royce clearly details how the exercise of power by actors in structurally advantaged positions-such as corporate lobbyists, employers, and the media-necessitates the existence of poverty. This important work should be required reading for students, scholars, and policy makers. -- Monica McDermott, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Poverty and Power asserts that American poverty is a structural problem resulting from failings in our social system rather than individual failings of the poor. Contrary to the popular belief that poverty results from individual deficiencies-that poor people lack intelligence, determination, or skills-author Edward Royce introduces students to the very real structural issues that stack the balance of power in the United States. The book introduces four systems that contribute to inequality in the U.S.-economic, political, cultural, and structural-then discusses ten institutional problems that make life difficult for the poor and contribute to the persistence of poverty. Throughout the book, the author compares individualistic and structural approaches to poverty to assess strengths and limitations of each view. The second edition of this provocative book has been revised throughout with new statistical information, as well as analysis of the recent recession, the Obama presidency, increasing political polarization, the rise of the Tea Party and appearance of the Occupy Movement, new anti-poverty movements, and more.