Paper , Order, or Assignment Requirements

Answer the following discussion questions below. Each question is worth 4 points out of a total of 16 possible points. Each answer will be graded on a scale of 0-4 corresponding to a grade of E-A (E=0 points; D=1 point; C=2 points, B=3 points, A=4 points). In general, 3-5 sentences should be sufficient to answer each question. Do use complete sentences in your own words (not just bullet points, etc.), and please do not exceed 1 paragraph for each answer. You should generally avoid using direct quotes from the readings. The responses will be moderated through Turnitin to check for plagiarism; you will be able to view the report of your paper from Turnitin on the due date of the assignment. Resubmissions are not allowed. You must answer the questions on your own in your own words without assistance from others.

1. In “Class in America,” Mantsios challenges the assumption that everyone in the United States has an equal chance to succeed. Discuss one piece of evidence that Mantsios uses to support his position? Which of the four different explanations for poverty are most closely related to Mantsios’ position on the causes of inequality and why?

2. Massey and Denton engage with both a structural explanation of poverty and a cultural explanation. What do they argue is a key structural feature of society responsible for poverty? How does it arise and how does it eventually contribute to a culture of poverty?

3. According to Mark Gould in “Reevaluating the Culture of Poverty,” how is the culture of poverty explanation related to the cultural belief that everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed in the U.S.? If Mantsios (in the other reading) is correct in challenging this idea of equal opportunity, does this undermine or support the idea that poverty is caused by cultural factors? Why?

4. In “Re-evaluating the Culture of Poverty,” Gould discusses how the idea of “oppositional culture” is sometimes used as evidence to support the culture of poverty argument. What does he mean by oppositional culture and why does he not believe the existence of oppositional culture supports cultural explanations of poverty?