Title Blaming the poor : the long shadow of the Moynihan report on cruel images about poverty / Susan D. Greenbaum

Published New Brunswick, NJ : Rutgers University Press, [2015] ©2015

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Description 1 online resource (viii, 177 pages) Contents Introduction -- Research and politics : the culture of poverty knowledge -- Kinship and family structure : ethnocentric myopia -- There goes the neighborhood : deconcentration and destruction of public housing -- Crime, criminals, and tangles of pathology -- Commercializing the culture of poverty -- Ending poverty as we know it : and other apparently unreachable goals Summary "A leading authority on poverty and racism in the United States, Susan D. Greenbaum dismantles Moynihan's main thesis--that the so called matriarchal structure of the African American family "feminized" black men, making them inadequate workers and absent fathers, and resulting in what he called a tangle of pathology that led to a host of ills, from teen pregnancy to adult crime. Drawing on extensive scholarship, Greenbaum highlights the flaws in Moynihan's analysis. She reveals how his questionable ideas have been used to redirect blame for substandard schools, low wages, and the scarcity of jobs away from the societal forces that cause these problems, while simultaneously reinforcing stereotypes about African Americans. Greenbaum also critiques current policy issues that are directly affected by the tangle of pathology mindset--the demonization and destruction of public housing; the criminalization of black youth; and the continued humiliation of the poor by entrepreneurs who become rich consulting to teachers, non-profits, and social service personnel. A half century later, Moynihan's thesis remains for many a convenient justification for punitive measures and stingy indifference to the poor. Blaming the Poor debunks this infamous thesis, proposing instead more productive and humane policies to address the enormous problems facing us today"-- Provided by publisher "In 1965, the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan--then a high-ranking official in the Department of Labor--sparked a firestorm when he released his report "The Negro Family," which came to be regarded by both supporters and detractors as an indictment of African American culture. Blaming the Poor examines the regrettably durable impact of the Moynihan Report for race relations and social policy in America, challenging the humiliating image the report cast on poor black families and its misleading explanation of the causes of poverty. A leading authority on poverty and racism in the United States, Susan D. Greenbaum dismantles Moynihan's main thesis--that the so called matriarchal structure of the African American family "feminized" black men, making them inadequate workers and absent fathers, and resulting in what he called a tangle of pathology that led to a host of ills, from teen pregnancy to adult crime. Drawing on extensive scholarship, Greenbaum highlights the flaws in Moynihan's analysis. She reveals how his questionable ideas have been used to redirect blame for substandard schools, low wages, and the scarcity of jobs away from the societal forces that cause these problems, while simultaneously reinforcing stereotypes about African Americans. Greenbaum also critiques current policy issues that are directly affected by the tangle of pathology mindset--the demonization and destruction of public housing; the criminalization of black youth; and the continued humiliation of the poor by entrepreneurs who become rich consulting to teachers, non-profits, and social service personnel. A half century later, Moynihan's thesis remains for many a convenient justification for punitive measures and stingy indifference to the poor. Blaming the Poor debunks this infamous thesis, proposing instead more productive and humane policies to address the enormous problems facing us today."-- Provided by publisher Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index Notes English Print version record Subject Moynihan, Daniel P. (Daniel Patrick), 1927-2003 SUBJECT Moynihan, Daniel P. (Daniel Patrick), 1927-2003 fast Subject United States. Department of Labor. Office of Policy Planning and Research. Negro family, the case for national action Poor African Americans -- Social conditions African American families -- Social conditions African Americans -- Public opinion Poverty -- United States -- History Public welfare -- United States -- History POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Public Policy -- Social Security. POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Public Policy -- Social Services & Welfare. POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Public Policy -- Social Policy. African American families -- Social conditions African Americans -- Public opinion Poverty Public welfare Race relations Social policy Soziale Situation Armut Schwarze Öffentliche Meinung SUBJECT United States -- Race relations -- History United States -- Social policy. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85140547 Subject United States Genre/Form History Form Electronic book ISBN 0813574161 9780813574165 9780813574141 0813574145 9780813574134 0813574137

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