Edin And Shaefer Study on People Living In Poverty and Reason Behind Poverty Escalation

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The leading world economy in the world is also home some of the worst living conditions experienced by some of its citizens due to poverty. According to Edin and Shaefer’s $2 a Day, 1.5 million families live in extreme poverty in the United States. The public itself is oblivious of the worsening conditions invading some of the communities they live in due to the individualistic approach to life and the Americans’ pride in their ability to work and generate income for themselves. Edin and Shaefer sample some of the families within the poverty bracket to try and understand how the families survive the extreme conditions to which poverty subjects them. The research conducted by the two scholars and their colleagues focuses on the coping mechanism of the individuals, the effect of poverty on their lives, and the reason behind the deteriorating situation that is slowly undermining the nation’s values. Edin and Shaefer create a personal understanding of individuals living in poverty by revisiting where they are coming from, how they are coping with their current situations and the reason behind poverty escalation.
According to Edin and Shaefer, it is evident that the American poor are hardworking individuals disadvantaged by the national economy’s lack of employment opportunities. The scholars also pick out the 1996 welfare policy change that drove millions of Americans into extreme poverty levels after scrapping off the cash assistance. Getting long-term or permanent employment in the American economy is a deterrent factor in the fight against poverty in the United States. The adverse effects of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act fur...