Poverty is a Culture?

     Salutations fellow people of the planet Earth. This week I am going to discuss the culture of poverty. Many of you are probably wondering "what, poverty is a type of culture?". Well yes in a sense those who are in poverty all share similar characteristics. These similar characteristics, over time, have developed into what some consider a culture.
    This statement was first coined in 1961 by Oscar Lewis. In his studies of small Mexican communities he discovered that these poor communities all share similar characteristics. The characteristics they shared included: neglect of planning for the future, frequent violence, and a lack of a sense of history. All of Lewis's studies created the paradigm that people in poverty share a consistent and observable "culture". Much of what Lewis discovered about the culture of poverty remains the same today.
    Today those individuals who are in poverty usually pass the unfortunate state onto future generations. It is possible but very hard for poverty stricken people to move up in class. There are many rags to riches stories in the united states but very few are seen in other countries. If you are born poor in a poor and developing country, your chances are very slim at rising to the top. America is one of the few countries that makes social mobility possible. That is why so many people migrate to the United States. These people come to escape the culture of poverty that has taken over their lives'.