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Herbert Gans' comments on why poverty exists from a functionalist perspective

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The attached classic article by Herbert Gans comments on why poverty exists from a functionalist perspective.

After reading the article, comment on the question of whether or not Western democracies could possibly afford to eliminate poverty.

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Herbert Gans' comments on why poverty exists from a functionalist perspective are explicated briefly after examining his article in this guide.

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Uses of poverty
The attached classic article by Herbert Gans comments on why poverty exists from a functionalist perspective.

After reading the article comment on the question of whether or not Western democracies could possibly afford to eliminate poverty

The article provided is interesting but very dated having been written in 1971. One major problem with this article, and one that I find unforgivable in light of the fact that it is published in a recognized journal, is that the term poverty is never defined. The reader is not informed whether the poverty in question is simply an economic question or whether poverty might also refer to a lack of education, lack of intelligence or other criteria. Further it is never clarified whether any difference is made between those who are poor and wish to become richer and those who are poor and are so because they chosen a particular lifestyle that does not value riches.
The thirteen functions that poverty undertakes for society are, in my opinion far-fetched. As I read these functions my mind turned more and more to bored rich people as opposed to ...

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