Rethinking The Roots of Poverty

Forty five years ago, Daniel Patrick Moynihan introduced the idea of a “culture of poverty.” The idea has since been derided for describing the urban black family as caught in a “tangle of pathology.” But it never lost its appeal to conservative thinkers.

And with one in seven Americans living in poverty today, scholars are revisiting the idea.

Forty five years ago, Daniel Patrick Moynihan introduced the idea of a “culture of poverty.” The idea has since been derided for describing the urban black family as caught in a “tangle of pathology.” But it never lost its appeal to conservative thinkers.

And wIth one in seven Americans living in poverty today, scholars are revisiting the idea.

The New York Times revisits this today with a look at the controversial idea of a "cultural" explanation for modern poverty issues.

We talk to William Julius Wilson, professor of sociology and social policy at Harvard University, who has always defended the Moynihan report, along with Mario Small, professor of sociology at the University of Chicago.