Misconceptions Of Working Poor

The working poor are those who occupy minimum wage or low wage jobs, often lacking prestige and power. This group of people commonly work part-time and are rarely employed at a job for long enough to establish economic security. Since many of these jobs are physically demanding, those in the working class face a greater risk of going to the hospital – a cost that this class generally cannot afford. Furthermore, although the working poor struggle with low wages, many of them fail to qualify for welfare programs, making their economic status especially unstable and causing them to live on the edge (Marger 157). They often live paycheck-to-paycheck and one unpredictable event such getting ill or being fired from a job may cause them to fall into

A common misconception is that it is easy to move somewhere with cheaper housing if the cost of housing in a given city is considered unaffordable. However, many low wage workers have dense, local networks, in which family ties are important to their financial support and stability. Additionally, low wage workers are frequently employed in positions with low job security, and moving to a new location (and a new job) with a high risk of unemployment often discourages workers from moving. Another misconception is that public housing is highly accessible for those living below the poverty line. However, as Group 2 pointed out, in Los Angeles there are just over 6,500 public housing units while over 800,000 individuals are below the poverty line. Additionally, there are long wait lists and strict requirements for those who want to apply for public housing, leading many individuals to be automatically

These are people who are unemployed, have little occupational skills or education, and depend on public assistance (Marger 160). In contrast with the working poor, those who are homeless exhibit chronic poverty, in addition to social and economic isolation. As Group 5 mentioned in their presentation, the homeless are often seen through the lens of the culture of poverty and therefore are homeless because of their personal norms and values. These include having a present orientation, instant gratification, lack of value for education and family, substance abuse, and frequently resorting to violence. Additionally, the homeless experience significant negative-image framing, as the homeless are often depicted as lazy and deviant, and welfare is shown to create dependency and undermine families. (Kendall 100). However, Group 5 stated that homelessness (and poverty in general) is caused and perpetuated by external structural factors such as mass incarceration, segregation, and the cycle of