Poorly understood : what America gets wrong about poverty
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

To our knowledge, Poorly Understood is the first book to systematically address and confront many of the most widespread myths pertaining to poverty. Throughout each of our careers we have encountered these myths on a routine basis. They can be found virtually everywhere -- from the political rhetoric emanating out of the highest office in the land to the neighborhood gossip down the street. It would seem as if everyone has a heated opinion about the poor, with the heat rising even higher when the topic of welfare is thrown into the mix. Yet as we shall see throughout these chapters, the realities of poverty are much different than the myths. In many ways they are more disturbing. The idealized image of American society is one of abundant opportunities, with hard work being rewarded by economic prosperity. Consequently, those who fail to get ahead have only themselves to blame according to this argument. It is within this context that America thinks of itself as a fair and meritocractic society in which people get what they deserve in life --,Provided by publisher.