When Work Disappears: The World of the New Urban Poor
byWilliam Julius Wilson
Willson does an analysis on urban poverty pointing to the big problems of chronic joblessness and entrapment from welfare, inadequate transportation and long commutes to find work which is spare in one's own community, inadequate healthcare and childcare and an impoverished culture, "Culture of Poverty", that is created from the perceptive of disconnectedness, lack of purpose from work, poor education and access to opportunities. I felt that Wilson's analysis was very throughout, and he wasn't afraid to address some common critiques such as the role of individual responsibility and work ethic. Wilson was a big advocate on the stance that government should do more and invest more in social programs and work training. I agree with some of these, and other's weren't very pragmatic or realistic with other issues to employment like technology disrupting the standard workforce.
Motivations to Read
I grew up in an environment where many of the effects of joblessness plagued the community. I wanted to gain better insights into the socioeconomic and psychological factors that can lead to a cycle of poverty as well as possible solutions.
3 Reasons to Read
- A discussion on race and poverty in America.
- Empirical evidence on the structural issues that contribute to inner-city joblessness.
- Pragmatic solutions for policy makers and everyday people.
