Theories of Poverty and Anti-Poverty Programs in Community Development Ted K. Bradshaw Human and Community Development Department University of California,

Theories of Poverty andTheories of Poverty andAnti-Poverty Programs Anti-Poverty Programs

in Community in Community DevelopmentDevelopment

Ted K. BradshawTed K. BradshawHuman and Community Development Human and Community Development

DepartmentDepartmentUniversity of California, Davis, CA 95616University of California, Davis, CA 95616

[email protected]@ucdavis.eduApril 2004April 2004

Issue: how do you help Issue: how do you help people get out of people get out of poverty?poverty? Many different approachesMany different approaches

1.1. Enforce attendance in schoolEnforce attendance in school

2.2. Get people out of poverty prone culturesGet people out of poverty prone cultures

3.3. Change the economic and political Change the economic and political system to eliminate discrimination system to eliminate discrimination

4.4. EZs help poverty prone geographic areasEZs help poverty prone geographic areas

5.5. CDCs take a comprehensive and CDCs take a comprehensive and cumulative approach that integrates cumulative approach that integrates community and individual improvementcommunity and individual improvement

Why do we need a Why do we need a better theory of better theory of poverty?poverty? Premise: If we understood what causes Premise: If we understood what causes

poverty we could better focus poverty we could better focus antipoverty effortsantipoverty efforts

However, there are many competing However, there are many competing theories of poverty theories of poverty

Much of what we do that is successful is Much of what we do that is successful is not well represented by the theoretical not well represented by the theoretical discussionsdiscussions

Recent theoretical debate has narrowed Recent theoretical debate has narrowed to the conservative individualists vs the to the conservative individualists vs the progressives who want to change progressives who want to change structurestructure

Theory and Practice: How Theory and Practice: How community development community development addresses Povertyaddresses Poverty Five theoretical perspectives Five theoretical perspectives

contrastedcontrasted Model of analysis: Model of analysis:

– What causes poverty?What causes poverty?– How does the theory explain How does the theory explain

poverty?poverty?– Potential community development Potential community development

responsesresponses– ExamplesExamples

1. Individual theories 1. Individual theories of poverty of poverty Individuals are to blame for their Individuals are to blame for their

povertypoverty– Historically powerful modelHistorically powerful model– Social Darwinism, Bell CurveSocial Darwinism, Bell Curve– Pervasive within conservative Pervasive within conservative

thinkingthinking– Rooted in neo-classical economicsRooted in neo-classical economics– Laziness, incompetence, bad choiceLaziness, incompetence, bad choice– Self help strategies-American dreamSelf help strategies-American dream

Individual theoriesIndividual theories

Theory assumes that competition Theory assumes that competition rewards winners with affluence and rewards winners with affluence and general stability; losers are poorgeneral stability; losers are poor

Also assumes that individuals can Also assumes that individuals can change their behavior by making change their behavior by making better choicesbetter choices

We do not do any favors for the We do not do any favors for the poor by relieving them of the need poor by relieving them of the need to take responsibility for their to take responsibility for their actions actions

ResponsesResponses

Most responses are punitiveMost responses are punitive Welfare reform Welfare reform Policing the poorPolicing the poor Term limits on benefitsTerm limits on benefits Public humiliation Public humiliation Sterilization Sterilization

Community Community development development responses responses Countering the dominant policy Countering the dominant policy

responseresponse– Shift from blaming the victimShift from blaming the victim– Individualized programsIndividualized programs– Supportive Self help Supportive Self help

Individual examples Individual examples (for community (for community developers)developers) Drug rehabilitationDrug rehabilitation Second chance programsSecond chance programs Safety netSafety net TrainingTraining CounselingCounseling Help for disabledHelp for disabled

2. Cultural Theories of 2. Cultural Theories of PovertyPoverty Assume that behaviors are Assume that behaviors are

learned and rooted in social learned and rooted in social environmentsenvironments

Subcultural values dominate—Subcultural values dominate—example of ghetto housing example of ghetto housing projects projects

Sympathetic view: Individuals are Sympathetic view: Individuals are social beings and are not blamedsocial beings and are not blamed

How do cultural How do cultural theories work?theories work? Peer influencesPeer influences Learning based on what is Learning based on what is

successfulsuccessful Behaviors and values may be in Behaviors and values may be in

opposition to dominant groupsopposition to dominant groups Options are limited because lack Options are limited because lack

of information getting to peopleof information getting to people

Potential responsesPotential responses

Use social groups and peers in a Use social groups and peers in a positive waypositive way

Expand education and Expand education and information programsinformation programs

Community building Community building Socialization efforts Socialization efforts Leadership development Leadership development

Examples of Cultural Examples of Cultural ResponsesResponses Head start and after school Head start and after school

programsprograms Entrepreneurial and business Entrepreneurial and business

trainingtraining Asset based community Asset based community

development programsdevelopment programs Cultural appreciation Cultural appreciation

3. Structural theories 3. Structural theories of poverty of poverty This theory assumes that individuals This theory assumes that individuals

have strong motivation to succeedhave strong motivation to succeed However, the poor are However, the poor are

overwhelmingly prevented from overwhelmingly prevented from success by structural barriers that success by structural barriers that need to be removedneed to be removed

Progressive thought seeks reform of Progressive thought seeks reform of the system rather than punishing the system rather than punishing individuals individuals

Structural Structural

Barriers that lead to poverty are found Barriers that lead to poverty are found in many sectors of the societyin many sectors of the society– EconomyEconomy– EducationEducation– HealthHealth– HousingHousing– PoliticsPolitics– Safety and environmental justiceSafety and environmental justice– Transportation Transportation

Structural barriers Structural barriers cause poverty in many cause poverty in many waysways People are prevented from People are prevented from

achieving their potential by achieving their potential by irrelevant criteria such as race, irrelevant criteria such as race, gender, age…gender, age…

People with advantage People with advantage perpetuate and extend their perpetuate and extend their opportunities because they can opportunities because they can

Political structures do not value Political structures do not value the poorthe poor

Structural changes in Structural changes in community community developmentdevelopment Community organizing Community organizing

– Advocacy can stimulate changeAdvocacy can stimulate change– Political organizing can increase Political organizing can increase

representation for the poorrepresentation for the poor– As poor groups get more information As poor groups get more information

they can negotiate better they can negotiate better opportunitiesopportunities

Structural changes in Structural changes in community community developmentdevelopment Organizational development and Organizational development and

service provisionservice provision– Alternative routes to success through Alternative routes to success through

new businesses, training, and housingnew businesses, training, and housing– Support structures for struggling Support structures for struggling

efforts that benefit the poorefforts that benefit the poor– Force main stream institutions to be Force main stream institutions to be

more responsive to the poormore responsive to the poor

Examples of structural Examples of structural changechange Cooperatives or nonprofit businesses for poorCooperatives or nonprofit businesses for poor Workforce development programs linked to real Workforce development programs linked to real

jobs negotiated because of community actionsjobs negotiated because of community actions End of redlining and other discriminatory End of redlining and other discriminatory

housing practiceshousing practices Voter registration and mobilizationVoter registration and mobilization Ethnic markets that meet needs of minority Ethnic markets that meet needs of minority

communities. communities. Health clinics and effective worker safety Health clinics and effective worker safety

programsprograms Rural economic development Rural economic development

4. Geographic 4. Geographic theories of poverty theories of poverty Why are some regions poor while Why are some regions poor while

others are rich? others are rich? Poverty is concentrated in Poverty is concentrated in

neighborhoods, states, regions, and neighborhoods, states, regions, and nationsnations

Often the places with the greatest Often the places with the greatest natural resources are also the poorestnatural resources are also the poorest—especially in rural communities —especially in rural communities

Why is poverty Why is poverty concentrated in certain concentrated in certain areas?areas? Agglomeration of problems in Agglomeration of problems in

some areas and economic growth some areas and economic growth in othersin others

People move to more affluent People move to more affluent areas if they are able to do soareas if they are able to do so

Advantaged and urban areas have Advantaged and urban areas have greater economies of scale in greater economies of scale in supporting beneficial growthsupporting beneficial growth

Rural areas suffer from isolationRural areas suffer from isolation

Responses to Responses to geographical geographical concentration of povertyconcentration of poverty Redistribution policies by state Redistribution policies by state

and federal government—and federal government—spending, office location, and spending, office location, and purchasingpurchasing

Targeted development policiesTargeted development policies Investment in infrastructure and Investment in infrastructure and

other public goodsother public goods Focused community organizingFocused community organizing

Examples of meeting Examples of meeting needs of underdeveloped needs of underdeveloped regionsregions Investments in the Southern USInvestments in the Southern US Neighborhood revitalization Neighborhood revitalization Rural development efforts from TVA to Rural development efforts from TVA to

local tourism developmentlocal tourism development Regional community networkingRegional community networking Rural-plex programs based on creating Rural-plex programs based on creating

rural clustersrural clusters Redevelopment, enterprise zones, Redevelopment, enterprise zones,

marketing programs, trade areas, etcmarketing programs, trade areas, etc

5. Cumulative theories 5. Cumulative theories of poverty of poverty Two key ideasTwo key ideas

– Poverty conditions and causes are linked in Poverty conditions and causes are linked in interdependent spirals of decline, and these interdependent spirals of decline, and these spirals are very hard to reversespirals are very hard to reverse

– Individuals and their communities are Individuals and their communities are intertwined such that factory closings lead to intertwined such that factory closings lead to unemployed individuals who have personal unemployed individuals who have personal problems but who also contribute less to the problems but who also contribute less to the community, causing community declinecommunity, causing community decline

Do poor communities make poor people, Do poor communities make poor people, or do poor people make poor or do poor people make poor communities?communities?

Cumulative causes of Cumulative causes of poverty poverty This approach acknowledges the This approach acknowledges the

complexity of poverty at every complexity of poverty at every level in contrast to those who level in contrast to those who seek single factor solutions seek single factor solutions

This approach also does not This approach also does not distinguish between individual distinguish between individual and community because they are and community because they are intertwinedintertwined

Successful responses to Successful responses to cumulative poverty cumulative poverty conditionsconditions Community responses + individual Community responses + individual

helphelp– Break spiral of poverty through intensive Break spiral of poverty through intensive

and strategic planningand strategic planning– Whole community participation and Whole community participation and

visioningvisioning– Asset mapping and community Asset mapping and community

revitalizationrevitalization– Linking economic development with equity Linking economic development with equity

and justiceand justice

Successful responses to Successful responses to cumulative poverty cumulative poverty conditions (cont)conditions (cont) Individual responses + community actionIndividual responses + community action

– Comprehensive development efforts for Comprehensive development efforts for individuals, based on strategic efforts toward individuals, based on strategic efforts toward self sufficiencyself sufficiency

– Long term follow-up with individuals to see Long term follow-up with individuals to see that they get skills and opportunities to use that they get skills and opportunities to use themthem

– Integrate individuals into groups in their Integrate individuals into groups in their community and help create a climate of civic community and help create a climate of civic responsibilityresponsibility

– Build self confidence and a realistic planBuild self confidence and a realistic plan

ExamplesExamples

Asian Neighborhood Design Asian Neighborhood Design strategy for self sufficiencystrategy for self sufficiency

Duncan’s supportive communitiesDuncan’s supportive communities Delancy StreetDelancy Street Collaborative programs such as Collaborative programs such as

RCACRCAC

Implications Implications

There is overwhelming and There is overwhelming and growing evidence that growing evidence that cumulative, cyclical, and complex cumulative, cyclical, and complex approaches to poverty are approaches to poverty are essentialessential

ConclusionConclusion

CD poverty programs would benefit from CD poverty programs would benefit from an evaluation of their theory about the an evaluation of their theory about the cause or cure for povertycause or cure for poverty– Thus far, there are too many competing Thus far, there are too many competing

theoretical perspectives that succeed only in theoretical perspectives that succeed only in reinforcing preexisting political perspectives reinforcing preexisting political perspectives

– There is a great need for more There is a great need for more comprehensive evaluations of successful comprehensive evaluations of successful anti-poverty programs anti-poverty programs

– These evaluations must be linked to theories These evaluations must be linked to theories about the cause of povertyabout the cause of poverty