structural explanations

Question 1

What are structural and material explanations of poverty?

Answer 1

They seek to explain how the structure of society and material deprivation impacts poverty.

Question 2

State the two main explanations within structural and material explanations.

Answer 2

1. The Poverty Trap - Social Democratic Approach
2. Cycle of Deprivation - Coates and Silburn, 1970.

Question 3

Whose political ideologies does the ‘poverty trap’ reflect?

Answer 3

The New Labour Party.

Question 4

What does the New Labour Party/Social Democrats believe in regards to the welfare state?

Answer 4

The welfare state can be used as a safety net as those in poverty become trapped.

Question 5

Who came up with the ‘inadequacy of the welfare state’?

Answer 5

• Field (1989)
• Townsend

Question 6

What do Social Democrats believe in regards to there being an underclass?

Answer 6

While Social Democrats agree with the New Right suggesting there is a underclass, Social Democrats believe this is due to the welfare state failing to do their job.

Question 7

What type of groups is the underclass made up of?

Answer 7

Vulnerable groups who become stuck in low paid jobs or on benefits as they are unable to better their circumstances.

Question 8

Do Social Democrats believe that the underclass possess a culture of poverty?

Answer 8

No - they become trapped.

Question 9

Who came up with the ‘cycle of deprivation’?

Answer 9

Coates and Silburn (1970).

Question 10

What does the cycle of deprivation emphasise?

Answer 10

The way in which the poor are trapped in poverty and how these circumstances are all connected to make a vicious cycle.

Question 11

List 3 Marxists evaluation perspectives of structural explanations.

Answer 11

1. Poverty is inevitable in a capitalist society.
2. The poor remain poor because they are exploited by the rich.
3. The rich pay the poor low wages to maximise their profit.

Question 12

List one Feminist evaluation perspective of structural explanations.

Answer 12

• Women are more likely to be in poverty due to the patriarchal society.

Question 13

List 3 Functionalist evaluation perspectives of structural explanations.

Answer 13

1. It creates jobs.
2. It creates a workforce to do jobs in society that no one else wants to do.
3. Poverty helps the economy - out of date food, old cars, old clothes.

Question 14

List 2 Interactionist evaluation perspectives of structural explanations.

Answer 14

• The poor remain poor as they lack necessary skills/power to succeed.
• There is a high demand for low paid jobs, and low demand for high paid jobs.

Question 15

Give 3 pros of structural explanations.

Answer 15

1. Macro approach - How does the system create poverty?
2. It links other forms of inequality to how it causes poverty.
3. It points out structural changes e.g the decline of manufacturing jobs = high unemployment and poverty.

Question 16

Give 2 cons of structural explanations.

Answer 16

• It doesn’t include other individual circumstances/factors/protected characteristics e.g income, family size, background.
• It doesn’t include inequality and social change - policies often take years to be created and therefore fall behind with social change.