SOCIOLOGY 409-1: SOCIOLOGY OF POVERTY

Instructor: Dr. Theresa Davidson

Class Meets: T, TH 11:00 – 12:50 Burns 311
My Office: Burns 312 Hours: T, TH 10:00 – 11:00; or appt.
Contact Info: email tcdavids@samford.edu, phone 726-4029

Course Description:
According to 2007 Census data, 12.5% of Americans live in poverty. In Alabama, over
15% of the population lives in poverty, with a child poverty rate of nearly 24%. This
means that they live below the federally established poverty line of $16,530 for a family
of three. Despite four decades of economic growth and social policy to alleviate poverty,
these rates remain high, particularly for children and minorities. This class examines the
nature and extent of poverty in the United States. We review topics such as views of
poverty, theories of poverty, poverty measurement, the characteristics of the poverty
population, underlying causes of poverty, and government policies that address poverty.
While the bulk of the material focuses on U.S. poverty, we will discuss aspects of global
poverty.

Course Learning Objectives - Students Will:

1. Gain knowledge of the extent and dimensions of poverty in the US and abroad.
2. Read and analyze theoretical and empirical literature on poverty.
3. Apply knowledge gained to an empirical investigation of poverty.

Some Considerations for Success in this Course:

Intellectual Ambition – inequality and poverty are often dealt with in popular media as
the result of individual failing, bad behavior, and flawed decision-making by the poor.
This is short-sighted and lacks any critical analysis of the myriad issues affecting poverty.
I am committed to introducing you to serious scholarly work in the field of poverty
research and therefore expect you to challenge yourself to become knowledgeable of the
theories, methods, and concepts used by scholars of inequality.
Preparedness & Engagement – this upper-level course is designed to be moderately
demanding. Reading load will be approximately 25-100 pages per week. I expect you to
have read the material prior to class. Further, you will learn more and get more
satisfying grades if you complete the readings on schedule, take notes on readings and
class lecture, attend class regularly and on time, participate in class discussion and ask
questions in class or in my office.

Required Books:
Iceland, John. 2006. Poverty in America: A Handbook. 2nd Edition. Berkeley, CA:
University of California Press.
DeParle, Jason. 2005. American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation’s Drive
to End Welfare. Penguin Press.
Giroux, Henry. 2006. Stormy Weather: Katrina and the Politics of Disposability.
Paradigm Publishers.
Patterson, James T. 2000. America’s Struggle Against Poverty in the Twentieth Century.
Harvard University Press.
Piven, Frances Fox and Richard A. Cloward. 1993. Regulating the Poor: the Functions
of Public Welfare. New York: Random House Vintage Books.
Wilson, William Julius. 1996. When Work Disappears: The World of the New Urban
Poor. New York: Random House Vintage Books.

Additional Required Readings:

Additional required readings are listed by date under the class schedule and coded as
follows:
(I) Internet address provided
(A) link to the journal article is available through Academic Search Premier/EBSCO,
linked to Samford search engine. Best viewed/printed in PDF format!
(B) Posted on Blackboard

Recommended Readings:
I have provided suggestions for further reading in most topical areas. You are not
required to read these, but may find them a useful supplement for your own personal,
academic, or professional interest or to add breadth to required content. In addition, they
may be helpful toward your final paper.

Requirements and Grading:

(1) Exams. There will a midterm and a final. The exams will consist of multiple choice,
short answer, and long essay questions. The final exam will not be comprehensive.
(2) Synthesis Papers. Beginning with the second week, you must complete a synthesis
paper to summarize the common themes among the assigned readings for each week.
These will be due, hard copy (no emailed papers!), in-class, each Thursday. On these
days we will hold class in a “seminar” type format. I will select two or more students
to read their synthesis paper to the class. Papers must be approximately 1 page in
length, typed, and single-spaced. Each paper is worth 10 points for a total of 110
points. Late papers will lose 2 points per day. Format of papers: First, you must
summarize and synthesize the main ideas, concepts, findings, and/or theories, etc. that
are common to all the assigned readings. The readings are designed to represent a
shared theme, you must identify and discuss this. Second, you must add a “critical
(i.e. thoughtful) comment”. This section of your paper can consist of some
methodological critique or commendation of an empirical study, a theoretical
connection or critique, or some personal experience (such as research you have done,
a social service agency you have been involved with, etc.) that involves the week’s
topics. [Note: if you choose to critique an empirical work or theoretical argument, it
must be substantive. In other words, avoid anecdotal rebuttals such as “I just don’t
believe” or “I’ve never seen” or “I’ve always been told”, etc. You must offer a
critique that is based on evidence and prior research, not your opinion. If you find
fault with a methodology, offer an alternative that would better address that particular
research question. If you find a theory inadequate, explain what aspects of poverty it
appears unable to address. Likewise, a commendation of a theory or methodology
should be backed up with evidence from prior research.]
(3) Term Paper. You must complete an empirical research paper that describes a U.S.
county in terms of poverty. You will use census data, in addition to other resources,
to characterize a county of your choosing in terms of general demographic, social,
and economic factors. Papers are due Nov. 24th, to my office by 9am. Late papers
will lose an automatic 10 points per day! More detail with specific instructions will
be provided in a handout very soon. [If you are interested in global poverty, you may
choose a country of interest: please see me first to discuss your topic] An outline of
your research paper will be due October 6th.
(4) Poverty Simulation*. Participation in the Samford poverty simulation is a
requirement of this course. Details will be discussed in class. If you are unable to
attend the simulation, you must participate in another capacity (see me). *{This is a
tentative assignment; event dependent upon funding and scheduling}.

Your final grade will be based on the number of points you earn as follows:

Assignment Points Possible Percent of Total Grade

Midterm Exam 50 17%
Final Exam 50 17%
Synthesis Papers (11) 110 36%
Paper Outline 20 7%
Empirical Paper 50 17%
Poverty Simulation* 20 7%
Totals 300 100%

Grading Scale: A= 270-300 points

B= 240-269 points
C= 210-239 points
D= 180-209 points
F= 179 points or less

Please Note:
1) I do not assign +/-.
2) If I am unable to schedule a Poverty Simulation, the grading scale will be recalculated
to reflect this. Total possible course points will then be 280.
House Rules:
1. Considerate & Regular Attendance: No late entries or early exits from class
are allowed. Violations will be dealt with on an individual basis. I will take
attendance daily. Four or more unexcused absences will result in loss of one
letter grade.
2. Respectful in-class Behavior: Disruptions of any kind such as cell phones (turn
them off or do not bring them!), personal conversations during class time, and
cheating will not be tolerated. These violations will be dealt with on an individual
basis and will result in dismissal from class, loss of letter grades, or withdrawal
from the course.
3. Laptops are not Allowed: please see me if you have a compelling need for the
use of a laptop during class such as an injury, etc. Otherwise, laptops are
prohibited during class time.
4. Exam Policy: You will receive a make-up exam ONLY if you have notified me
well in advance (at least two weeks) of the exam or can provide documentation to
excuse an absence on exam day. If you miss an exam without 2 weeks prior
notification or legitimate documentation (physician’s note with contact
information signed and dated, documentation for court subpoena or jury duty,
documentation requiring your participation in university athletic competition,
musical event, etc.) you will automatically lose 10 points, and then an additional 5
points per day until you have taken the make-up.
5. My Notes: I do not distribute my lecture notes. If you are absent, get the notes
from a fellow student in class.
6. No Extra Credit: As a general rule, I do not offer extra credit. Your grade is
based on the amount of points you earn in this course, and therefore reflects your
ability to master the material, not your ability to complete “busy work”.
7. Disabilities: Samford University complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities who seek
accommodations must make their request through Disabilities Services located in
Counseling Services, ext. 4078 or 2105.
8. Plagiarism: Plagiarism will not be tolerated. This includes quoting text or other
works on an exam, term paper or homework without citing the source, submitting
a paper purchased from a term paper service or acquired from any Internet source,
and/or submitting another’s paper/project as your own. Plagiarism will result in a
zero grade for the assignment and possible dismissal from class. See your student
handbook for more information! Also, see Samford Library’s Quick Reference
page for proper citation styles: http://library.samford.edu/refshelf/cite.html.
Course Schedule By Week*:
1. August 25: Course Overview & Introduction
Iceland. Chapter 1.
(no synthesis paper due)

2. September 1: Early Views of Poverty

Iceland. Chapter 2.
Patterson. Chapters 1, 3.

3. September 8: Attitudes toward Poverty & Welfare

Dyck, Joshua and Laura Hussey. 2008. “The End of Welfare as we know it: Durable
Attitudes in a Changing Information Environment.” Public Opinion Quarterly,
72(4):589-618. (A)
Wilson, Matthew J. 1999. “’Blessed are the Poor’: American Protestantism and
Attitudes toward Poverty and Welfare.” Southeastern Political Review, 27(3):421-437.
(B)

Recommended Reading:
Davidson, Theresa C. 2009. “Attributions for Poverty among College Students: the
Impact of Service-Learning and Religiosity.” College Student Journal, 43(1):136-144.
Seccombe, Karen. 2006. So You Think I Drive a Cadillac? Welfare Recipients’
Perspectives on the System and its Reform. 2nd Edition, Allyn & Bacon.
Wuthnow, Robert. 1998. God and Mammon in America. Free Press Publishing.

4. September 15: The Measurement and Meaning of Poverty

Iceland. Chapter 3
Patterson. Chapters 5, 6.
Brady, David. 2003. “Rethinking the Sociological Measurement of Poverty.” Social
Forces, 81(3):715-751. (A)

5. September 22: Characteristics of the Poverty Population & the Geography of

Poverty: Urban & Rural Poverty
Iceland. Chapter 4
Wilson. Introduction & Chapter 1
Bishaw, Alemayehu. July 2005. Areas with Concentrated Poverty, 1999. U.S. Census
Bureau, Special Reports. http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/censr-16.pdf (I)
Tickamyer, Ann and Cynthia Duncan. 1990. “Poverty and Opportunity Structure in
Rural America”. Annual Review of Sociology, 16:67-86. (A)

Recommended Reading:
Mosley, Jane and Kathleen Miller. March 2004. What the Research says About Spatial
Variations in Factors Affecting Poverty. Rural Poverty Research Center, Research Brief
2004-01. http://www.rprconline.org/WorkingPapers/RP0401.pdf (I)
Weber, Bruce, Greg Duncan, and Leslie Whitener, eds. 2002. Rural Dimensions of
Welfare Reform. W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
September 28-29: Fall Break!

6. October 1: Causes of Poverty: Economic Processes, Stratification, and Race

Iceland. Chapter 5: pp. 70-87
Wilson. Chapter 2
Rank, Mark, H. Yoon, and T. Hirschl. 2003. “American Poverty as a Structural Failing:
Evidence and Arguments.” Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 30(4). (A)

Recommended Reading:
Kubrin, Charis, Tim Wadsworth, and Stephanie DiPietro. 2006. “Deindustrialization,
Disadvantage, and Suicide among Young Black Males.” Social Forces, 84(3). (A)

7. October 6: Causes of Poverty: Family Structure, Race, and Culture

Iceland. Chapters 5 & 6: pp. 87-117
Patterson. Chapter 7.
Wilson. Chapter 4.

Recommended Reading:
Hays, Sharon. 2003. Flat Broke with Children: Women in the Age of Welfare Reform.
Oxford University Press.
Edin, Kathryn and Maria Kefalas. 2007. Promises I can Keep: Why Poor Women put
Motherhood before Marriage. University of California Press.

Poverty Paper Outline due October 6th!

8. October 13: Immigration & Poverty

Capps, Randy, Michael Fix, Everett Henderson, and Jane Reardon-Anderson. June 2005.
A Profile of Low-Income Working Immigrant Families. The Urban Institute Policy Brief
No. B-67. http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/311206_B-67.pdf (I)
Crowley, Martha, Daniel Lichter, and Zhenchao Qian. 2006. “Beyond Gateway Cities:
Economic Restructuring and Poverty among Mexican Immigrant Families and Children.”
Family Relations, 55. (A)

Recommended Reading:
Mohanty, Sarita. July 2006. Unequal Access: Immigrants and U.S. Healthcare.
Immigration Policy Center.
http://immigration.server263.com/images/File/infocus/Unequal%20Access.pdf
Fix, Michael and Jeffrey Passel. 2002. The Scope & Impact of Welfare Reform’s
Immigrant Provisions. Urban Institute: Discussion Paper #02-03.

October 20: Midterm Exam!

9. October 22: Poverty in the International Context
(no synthesis paper due this week)

10. October 27: Poverty in the International Context

Iceland. Chapter 4: pp. 59-69
World Bank. 2001. World Development Report 2000/2001. Attacking Poverty:
Opportunity, Empowerment, and Security. Overview.
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPOVERTY/Resources/WDR/overview.pdf (I)
Ferraro, Vincent. 1996. “Dependency Theory: an Introduction”.
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/depend.htm (I)

Recommended Reading:
International Food Policy Research Institute. 2008. Impact of Climate Change and
Bioenergy on Nutrition. Pp. 1 – 43.
http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/hunger/environment/2008/08ifpri.pdf (I)
Emory University Globalization Website. World-System Theory: Synopsis and Analysis.
http://www.sociology.emory.edu/globalization/theories01.html (I)
Action Aid. The IMF and Education.
http://www.actionaid.org/pages.aspx?PageID=22&ItemID=23 (I)
Oxfam International. 2009. Suffering the Science: Climate Change, People, and
Poverty. http://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/bp130-suffering-the-science-
summary.pdf (I)

11. November 3: Policy, Past & Current

Iceland. Chapter 7
Patterson. Chapter 10
DeParle. Pp. 1 – 81
(no synthesis paper due)

12. November 10: Policy, Welfare Reform 1996

Iceland. Chapter 8
DeParle. Pp. 85 – 172, 282 – 302.
Moffitt, Robert. 2002. From Welfare to Work: What the Evidence Shows.” The
Brookings Institution Policy Brief No. 13.
http://www.brook.edu/es/research/projects/wrb/publications/pb/pb13.htm (I)

Recommended Reading:
Katherine Newman. August 2008. The Next Time Around: Some Thoughts on Poverty
Policy in the Next Administration. The Brookings Institution.
http://www.brookings.edu/events/2008/~/media/Files/events/2008/0929_poverty/newman
_paper.pdf (I)

13. November 17: Theoretical Perspectives

Piven & Cloward. Introduction pp. xv-xix, Chapters 1 & 2.
14. November 24: Working Day – no class
*Final Paper Due Today by 9am! Hard copy, my office, Burns 312.

November 25 – 27: Thanksgiving Holiday!

15. December 1: Theoretical Perspectives

Giroux. Chapter 1.
Smith, Neil. 2006. There’s no Such Thing as a Natural Disaster. Understanding
Katrina: Perspectives from the Social Sciences.
http://understandingkatrina.ssrc.org/Smith/ (I)

December 10: Final Exam 10:30am

*Please Note: Inclement weather or other events beyond the control of the University that might
cause risk or danger to students, faculty, and staff may occasionally result in changes to normal
University operations, including cancellation of classes or events; the calendar schedule may be
adjusted.
 Sociology 409-1 Sociology of Poverty
Fall 2009
Dr. Theresa Davidson

Name ______________________________________________________

Date ______________________

I have received, read, and understand the syllabus for Sociology 409-1. By signing this
sheet I agree to the guidelines and requirements outlined in the syllabus for the remainder
of the semester.

Signature ____________________________________________________

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Please complete the following statements regarding poverty and inequality:

When it comes to poverty, I am knowledgeable about

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

When it comes to poverty, I would like to better understand

_______________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

I think this course will be relevant for my own life because

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Please feel free to add any other comments, questions or thoughts: