Do the poor only have themselves to blame for their poverty?

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Do the poor only have themselves to blame for their poverty?

                

One of the most popular explanations in the 19th century for poverty was that the poor

only have themselves to blame. It was believed if people got themselves into poverty it

was their responsibility to get themselves out of it? “However, few would go as far as the

19th century sociologist Herbert Spencer and argue that any attempt by the state to

 alleviate poverty would lead to laziness and moral decline.” Taylor, P. Richardson, J.

Yeo, A. Marsh, I. Trobe, K. Pilkington, A. (1995: 182)   In this essay I will be discussing

the sociological explanations for the causes of poverty. There are two different types of

explanations for the causes of poverty. Firstly dependency-based explanations, the

argument the poor are in some way the cause of their own poverty. Secondly exclusion-

based explanations, “the poor are poor because they are prevented from achieving a

reasonable standard of living by the actions of the more powerful in society.” Moore, S.

Chapman, S. Aiken, D. (2001: 141)

        

As mentioned earlier dependency-based explanations stress that those in poverty are there

because they failed themselves or the particular social group they belonged to. Stephen

Moore (1996) it is argued that people who are poor are in that state because of some

personal or cultural deficiency. Essentially saying it is their own fault if they are poor.

        

One of the approaches within the dependency-based explanations is the individual. This

approach quite simply says “poverty is a result of the individual to achieve success

through his or her own efforts. People who are poor are lazy or incompetent, and should

try harder.” Moore, S. (1996: 293). One of the arguments developed by David Marsland

was that “individuals will to work was undermined by the excessively generous state

welfare benefits.” Marsland, D. (1996 cited in Moore, S. Chapman, S. Aiken, D. (2001:

140) this results in high levels of dependency on the state. Marsland also believed that the

state welfare provision should be kept to a minimum and given to on a selective basis as a

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final resort. Marsland, D. (1989 cited in Taylor, P. Richardson, J. Yeo, A. Marsh, I.

Trobe, K. Pilkington, A.1995) Market liberal theorists also state this and it is argued that

“as long as the state continues to maintain the poor they have no incentive for helping

themselves.” Taylor, P. Richardson, J. Yeo, A. Marsh, I. Trobe, K. Pilkington, A. (1995:

182) this shows the poor need to take responsibility for their situation and not rely on the

welfare state as their dependency. “Market liberal theorists also argue that recipients of ...

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