"The Other America" by Michael Harrington

Paper Summary:

The writer of this paper asserts and explains why Harrington's book is even more relevant today than when originally published in 1962. The author's basic premise is that poverty was more widespread than the average person realized because it existed invisibly in a society noted throughout the world for unprecedented prosperity. Harrington defines poverty as not having the means to obtain the basic necessities of life according to the standards that exist in America. This paper discusses why the main cause of poverty may very well be poverty itself.

From the Paper:

"Educational and vocational training opportunities are available but a person required to work two jobs to provide himself with the necessities of life is not able to take advantage of that resource. Since the poor are almost always underinsured, ill health becomes a factor in perpetuating their economic status. Culturally, the poor have far less access to enriching experiences that could serve as a source of inspiration and morale. Efforts at organizing to obtain better pay, conditions and benefits are least successful among the poor, since these individuals are often easy to replace on the job, and they simply cannot risk unemployment."

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