Are the impoverished victims of circumstance or are they contributing to their situations through their own actions and principles? This perplexing question does not have a simple answer. "Generational Poverty: An Economic Look at the Culture of the Poor" examines both sides of the coin. Written by an economist, the book provides a unique perspective into the study of this emotionally-charged issue. It shows that economic analysis can shed light on some of the roots of persistent poverty and may point to its potential solution. Generational Poverty covers the author’s eye-opening experiences with a young man named Jermaine and his family, initiated through the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program. As someone who cares for Jermaine and his family, it was nothing short of a surprise to see first-hand some of the obstacles Jermaine’s family are creating for themselves, while at the same time battling many of today’s social constructs. In the course of the program, the author learned a great deal about Jermaine’s life, culture, and the obstacles he faces. This work identifies impediments that Jermaine has experienced as well as common challenges faced in his community. In the words of the author: “Most of my research for this book is devoted to pinpointing these cultural issues and gathering varying opinions for each one. While I do detail each unique perspective, my goal is to align each argument to an economic fundamental. This creates a more consistent diagnosis that does not depend on a personal set of values. My hope is that future economists will continue to study this suffering portion of our population to determine the most effective way to remedy the continuingly increasing problem of poverty.”

Are the impoverished victims of circumstance or are they contributing to their situations through their own actions and principles? This perplexing question does not have a simple answer. "Generational Poverty: An Economic Look at the Culture of the Poor" examines both sides of the coin. Written by an economist, the book provides a unique perspective into the study of this emotionally-charged issue. It shows that economic analysis can shed light on some of the roots of persistent poverty and may point to its potential solution. Generational Poverty covers the author’s eye-opening experiences with a young man named Jermaine and his family, initiated through the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program. As someone who cares for Jermaine and his family, it was nothing short of a surprise to see first-hand some of the obstacles Jermaine’s family are creating for themselves, while at the same time battling many of today’s social constructs. In the course of the program, the author learned a great deal about Jermaine’s life, culture, and the obstacles he faces. This work identifies impediments that Jermaine has experienced as well as common challenges faced in his community. In the words of the author: “Most of my research for this book is devoted to pinpointing these cultural issues and gathering varying opinions for each one. While I do detail each unique perspective, my goal is to align each argument to an economic fundamental. This creates a more consistent diagnosis that does not depend on a personal set of values. My hope is that future economists will continue to study this suffering portion of our population to determine the most effective way to remedy the continuingly increasing problem of poverty.”

Author Lester Nuby Jr. began life in a dilapidated house in Bell Springs Mountain, Alabama, but now he is a successful businessman who doesn't have to worry about money. It wasn't easy for Nuby to scrounge his way out of poverty, a task made more difficult by the fact that his father was murdered just five months before he was born. Nuby understood early on the difference between the "haves" and the "have nots." He made it his mission to break free of the bondage of poverty. By the age of seven, he had already started taking notes that would become the ingredients for a personalized formula for success. By following this formula, Nuby went from being a low-level employee at a company with hundreds of workers to its front office in eight years. When he became president, CEO, and chairman of the board, the company had annual sales of $70 million; he was just thirty-four years old. Join Nuby as he recalls how he broke the chains of poverty to lead companies throughout the world, and take a new view of economic disparity and how to seek justice in First: Breaking Generational Poverty.

What circumstances or behaviors turn poverty into a cycle that perpetuates across generations? The answer to this question carries especially important implications for the design and evaluation of policies and projects intended to reduce poverty. Yet a major challenge analysts and policymakers face in understanding poverty traps is the sheer number of mechanisms—not just financial, but also environmental, physical, and psychological—that may contribute to the persistence of poverty all over the world. The research in this volume explores the hypothesis that poverty is self-reinforcing because the equilibrium behaviors of the poor perpetuate low standards of living. Contributions explore the dynamic, complex processes by which households accumulate assets and increase their productivity and earnings potential, as well as the conditions under which some individuals, groups, and economies struggle to escape poverty. Investigating the full range of phenomena that combine to generate poverty traps—gleaned from behavioral, health, and resource economics as well as the sociology, psychology, and environmental literatures—chapters in this volume also present new evidence that highlights both the insights and the limits of a poverty trap lens. The framework introduced in this volume provides a robust platform for studying well-being dynamics in developing economies.

"In this book, Dorr discusses the needs of children and teens living in generational poverty; suggests authors, illustrators, and books that depict the struggles and joys of this population; and shares compelling biographies and memoirs of inspirational authors, illustrators, and individuals who were raised in generational poverty"--

This book looks at human capital development and provides explanation for why cognitive development varies among ethnic groups. The book provides a strong thesis to counter explanations based on racial and genetic superiority.

The 'feminisation of poverty' is viewed as a global trend, and of particular concern in developing regions. Yet although popularisation of the term may have raised women's visibility in development discourses and gone some way to 'en-gender' policies for poverty reduction, the construct is only weakly substantiated. This work covers this topic.