One Nation, Underprivileged: Why American Poverty Affects Us All

369 Pages·2004·0.79 MB·English

by  Mark Robert Rank

One Nation,
Underprivileged:
Why American Poverty
Affects Us All
Mark Robert Rank
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
One Nation, Underprivileged
This page intentionally left blank
ONE NATION,
UNDERPRIVILEGED
Why American Poverty
Affects Us All
Mark Robert Rank
1
2004
3
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Copyright © 2004 by Oxford University Press, Inc.
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
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without the prior permission of Oxford University Press.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rank, Mark R.
One nation, underprivileged : why American poverty affects us all /
Mark Robert Rank.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-19-510168-5
1. Poverty—United States. 2. Poor—United States.
3. Poor—Government policy—United States. I. Title.
HV91 .R363 2004
339.4'6—dc21 2003011312
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
Preface for quite some time I have felt the
need for a book that would address
American poverty in a very different
fashion from the way it has typically been
approached. Although there have been
countless books and articles written on the
subject, something fundamental seemed to
be missing from many of them. Much of
this work simply reinforced the view that
poverty could be understood through the
inadequacies of the poor. Whether these
shortcomings were a lack of motivation, low
levels of education, insufficient skills, or
single parenthood, they all pointed their
fingers at the poor themselves. Yet this
struck me as deeply amiss, for it seemed to
capture only a small slice of the scope and
meaning of poverty in this country. As a
result, the arguments laid out in these pages
are an attempt to introduce a new way of
thinking about American poverty.
In the process, I have come to fully appreci-
ate an old saying—“The more you know, the
less you know.” As I researched and wrote this
book, the meaning of this expression has
become both painfully and delightfully appar-
ent. The pain has resulted from realizing that
the topics I have written about in One Nation, Underprivileged require con-
siderably more depth in order for us to fully appreciate their meaning and
nuance. The delight has arisen from being able to explore and develop ma-
terial typically not found in the standard treatments of poverty.
One example will suffice. In the chapter entitled “True to Values,” I con-
sider how the values of liberty, equality, and justice are undermined by the
presence of poverty. Obviously, one could spend an entire life’s work explor-
ing the meaning behind any one of these concepts (and, indeed, many have).
Yet in spite of such warnings, I devote only a handful of pages in order to
make sense of these concepts. It is clear that much more needs to be writ-
ten about the relationship of these concepts to poverty.
However, to ignore these issues on the grounds of not being able to
explore all of their nuances strikes me as equally inadequate. The delight
has thus come from being able to think and write about some extremely
interesting, innovative, and pertinent areas that are generally not brought
together in standard academic treatises on poverty. I have felt a bit like the
kid in the proverbial candy store. With a multitude of unexplored angles and
approaches, the choosing has been exciting and challenging.
As a result, I have gained a greater appreciation of the array of research
and disciplines that touch upon the condition of poverty. Areas such as so-
ciology, economics, politics, history, health, philosophy, social work, anthro-
pology, theology, law, psychology, and others are essential if we are to grasp
the fuller meaning of impoverishment in America.
In experiencing this broadening of my individual perspective, I have also
come to understand the process by which academics narrow their focus and
become more specialized in their fields of research. Given the volumes of
information generated these days surrounding virtually any subject, one’s area
of expertise is often narrowed by necessity. That is, a researcher can claim
precision over any one topic, only when the subject matter has become ex-
tremely restricted. In the process, something important has been lost.
Perhaps the adage about losing sight of the forest as one gazes at the
individual trees is most apt. Those of us in academic disciplines have too
often lost sight of the forest. We can describe in detail various snippets of
the social order, but we experience enormous difficulty in telling others why
such snippets are important and how they might fit into the larger meaning
of things. As one narrows one’s focus, such a renaissance perspective be-
comes increasingly rare. Although we often nod our heads approvingly when
vi preface
the notion of interdisciplinary research is raised, in my opinion, too many
of us have become overly provincial in our outlooks.
And yet, to view the forest without an understanding of the individual
trees is also a danger. Such an approach is marked by abstract reasoning or,
worse, rhetorical claims, without a grounding in reality. Clearly a balance is
in order. In this book I have sought not only to locate a number of the obvi-
ous and less than obvious trees in the forest but also to understand their
position relative to the overall whole.
Perhaps most exciting has been the attempt to develop a new way of
thinking about American poverty. As I argue in the pages ahead, I believe
that the manner in which we have traditionally thought about poverty has
been misguided. This outlook has led to exceptionally high rates of poverty
and our overall acceptance of the status quo. The purpose of this book is to
outline a new and, I hope, more insightful perspective on the issue of pov-
erty than one typically encounters. Developing this perspective has been both
challenging and rewarding. The ultimate test will reside in how it stands up
in the minds of you, the reader. That is the task at hand.
In attempting to accomplish this task, I have been helped by many
along the way. First, the dean of the George Warren Brown School of So-
cial Work at Washington University, Shanti Khinduka, has been exception-
ally supportive of this project. He has provided the moral encouragement
and institutional assistance that have been pivotal to the completion of this
book. Perhaps most important, he has served as an inspiration to continu-
ally challenge oneself and to always reach a bit further.
A number of scholars and friends have provided valuable written in-
sights and suggestions on earlier versions of this manuscript. They include
Matthew Howard, Ed Kain, Tim McBride, Joel Myerson, Ann Nichols-
Casebolt, Alice O’Connor, Karen Seccombe, Margaret Sherraden, David
Stewart, John Robertson, Tom Shapiro, and Nancy Vosler. I am extremely
grateful for their enormous generosity and wisdom. Over the years, I have
also discussed the ideas in this book with a number of colleagues here at
Washington University, including John Bricout, David Cronin, Jack
Knight, Curtis McMillen, Larry May, Robert Pollack, Shirley Porterfield,
Michael Sherraden, James Herbert Williams, and Gautam Yadama. My
thanks to all of them for allowing me to bend their ears.
The life course analysis of poverty and welfare found in chapters 3 and
4 and appendix B is the result of a long collaboration with my very good friend
preface vii
and colleague at Cornell University, Thomas A. Hirschl. Tom and I have
worked over the past several years on a series of articles that examine the
life course risk of economic deprivation in America. The research reported
in this book represents a small piece of that work.
Portions of the life table analyses in chapter 4 have appeared in Social
Work (vol. 44, no. 3, 1999; vol. 47, no. 3, 2002), and parts of appendix B
were published in Journal of Marriage and the Family (vol. 61, no. 4, 1999)
and Journal of Gerontology (vol. 54B, no. 4, 1999). In addition, an earlier
version of chapter 2 appeared in Handbook of Family Diversity, edited by
David H. Demo, Katherine R. Allen, and Mark A. Fine (Oxford University
Press, 2000). Verses of “This Land Is Your Land” found in chapter 1 are
used by permission, words and music by Woody Guthrie, TRO © copy-
right 1956 (renewed, 1958 [renewed], 1970 [renewed]), Ludlow Music, Inc.,
New York, NY.
Several students have lent their valuable assistance to this project. Hong-
Sik Yoon provided computational help in estimating tables 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3,
while Walt Paquin tracked down several research studies and materials. The
students in my classes have been a constant source of enlightenment. In
particular, I have had the pleasure of being able to exchange and bounce
ideas off those enrolled in my course on American poverty and inequality.
Steve Brodbeck, Amanda Moore McBride, Connie Probst, Will Rainford, and
April Shaw, all former students, have continued to remain important sound-
ing boards for the ideas in this book.
The editorial staff at Oxford University Press has been superb. My origi-
nal editor, Gioia Stevens, provided the encouragement and impetus at the
beginnings of this project, while Joan Bossert has lent her invaluable guid-
ance and support during its completion. In addition, Jeri Famighetti, Stacey
Hamilton, Maura Roessner, and Lisa Stallings have all been instrumental
in guiding this book to publication.
My family has provided the emotional foundation and support so im-
portant in life. My daughters, Libby and Katie, and my wife, Anne, have
all given me their encouragement and inspiration during the writing of
this book.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the unsung efforts of those striv-
ing to alleviate the pain and injustice of poverty. I have been very fortunate
to have met some of these individuals during the course of my work. From
the volunteer in a homeless shelter, to the inspirational teacher in a school
viii preface
strapped for resources, to the organizer lobbying for a living wage, there are
literally millions of fair-minded Americans who are working in various ways
to reduce the pain of poverty. If this book can contribute in some small way
to highlighting the importance and urgency of these struggles, my time will
have been well spent.
preface ix