Poverty and Culture

Abstract

Oscar Lewis's theory of the “culture of poverty” was investigated by interviewing a population of poor young Israelis and their parents. Both the model—that is, the claim that poverty traits and norms in the four spheres of life (individual, familial, communal, and societal) appear simultaneously—and the cultural explanation of the continuity of poverty were rejected. Instead, the situational explanation is supported, according to which the poor are part of the general culture, but adaptation to their situation makes them adopt some other norms that they tend to relinquish when their situation improves. Some implications for social policy are discussed, especially the rejection of the argument that governmental assistance to the poor is dangerous because it leads to dependence, or—because of rising expectations—leads them to rebel.