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by Sam Li (Author)
Poor people's experiences, like those of Ayesha, Mamba, and Adolfo, force us to look beyond crude ideological distinctions or economic models. We are compelled to accept our erroneous and discipline-restricted explanation for why there are still so many poor individuals in our wealthy society. The underlying presumptions and residues of beliefs about poverty have left significant impressions on policy decisions as we work our way backward to the basic causes. We are left with several inquiries after challenging these presumptions.
Are the environments in which the poor live dysfunctional?, or are the poor themselves dysfunctional? Does poverty originate from a lack of initiative on the part of the poor, or is opportunity a bigger issue?
