Community Anti-Poverty Programs: Article Review & Analysis

This article review analyzes community anti-poverty programs designed in response to various theories regarding the cause of poverty. It explores five key theories: individual deficiency, culture of poverty, progressive social theory, geographically based theories, and the cycle of poverty. The review emphasizes that poverty is a complex social issue with diverse roots. The analysis covers how each theory influences the design and implementation of anti-poverty strategies, including incentives, cultural interventions, systemic changes, geographical considerations, and comprehensive support. It highlights the importance of community developers structuring programs around comprehensiveness, community organizing, and collaboration to break the cycle of poverty. The article draws on the work of Blank, O'Connor, Bradshaw, and others to provide a comprehensive overview of anti-poverty approaches in the United States.

Article Review
There are various kinds of strategies that are available in order to cater to the needs of groups or
people who are in poverty. The main purpose of this article is to analyze the community anti-
poverty programs which are designed, chosen as well as implemented in response to various
theories regarding the cause of poverty which also justify the community development
interventions. There is not a single theory of poverty which either incorporates or simply
invalidates the other theories. In this article the theory is considered to be link combining various
concepts that explain poverty by joining several factors that are useful in and considered to be
the main reasons for poverty. Through this article the knowledge regarding poverty will be
expanded on the basis of five theories of poverty. These five theories make the base of common
anti-poverty programs which are used by community developers in order to handle the issues of
poverty within their community. This paper argues that poverty is a very complex social issue
having different roots as well as several variants and all of them have authority on the basis of
situation (Blank, 2003).
Generally poverty is defined as lack of necessities. According to O’Connor (2001) the
knowledge regarding poverty essentially maintains focus on the element that both the definition
as well as policies addressing poverty all are shaped by political values as well as biases. There is
disparity of interest along with status which makes the research on poverty a political act, where
power is being exercised. This paper selectively reviews the strategically chosen programs as
well as the approaches which are used by the communities in the United States to address
poverty (O'Connor, 2001).
The first theory of poverty chosen is quite multifaceted as well as large set of explanations in
which an individual is considered to be the main cause of their poverty situation. Thus the poor
are being referred to as “moral hazard” and the issues of poverty keep on lingering not because
the community developers fail to do enough, but they are doing too much that turns out to be
counterproductive. Thus as per individual deficiency theory which is embraced by antipoverty
policies it is suggested that incentives as well as penalties help in changing the behavior. The
anti-poverty programs related to community development oppose the strategies which either try

to change or punish the individuals as an answer to poverty. Therefore inspire of the societal
view that is quite widespread the individuals are held responsible for their poverty, thus the
community developers seek to explore various other theories of poverty to get more positive
approaches towards poverty eradication (Bradshaw, 2009).
The second theory of poverty believes that the main cause is “Culture of Poverty” and suggests
that poverty is created because of transmission of set of skills, values as well as beliefs over
generations which are generated socially but are held individually. Thus the individuals cannot
be blamed for poverty as they are mainly the victims of their dysfunctional culture / subculture.
Thus considering the community development perspective the theoretical cause for poverty is
residing in the values along with the beliefs that are reinforced as well as transmitted through
subcultures of disadvantaged persons. In this case the local anti-poverty efforts should intervene
in order to assist in bringing about change in the culture. This is called socialization of policy.
The third theory of poverty is a progressive social theory whereas the first one was an
“individualistic” theory and the second one is culturally liberal one. Thus in this theory
individuals are not considered as source of poverty , rather the economic , social as well as
political system is the one which results in providing limited opportunities as well as resources
to individuals with which they are expected to achieve wellbeing and income. Thus the problem
of poverty resides in the system and not in the poor, a community development [program needs
to be developed in order to bring a change in the system Bringing changes in the system takes
place at three levels. At the grassroots level it is the social movements which can help in
bringing changes in vulnerable parts of the system to bring desired changes. Second strategy that
can be adopted through community development involves creating as well as developing
alternative institutions that have features like openness, innovation , access along with the
willingness to help the poor people in achieving wellbeing. Thus the change can occur finally
with the help of policy process (Page & Simmons, 2000) .
According to the fourth theory there are geographically based theories of poverty which are
different form rest other theories of poverty. According to this theory the people , cultures as
well as institutions in few areas are devoid of objective resources which are required to create
general wellbeing along with income and they also do not have the power to claim
redistribution. According to the geographical theory of poverty the responses should be directed

towards resolving the major dynamics which cause decline in the depressed sections whereas the
other areas keep on growing. Thus this theory directs the community developers to take a look at
the processes as well as people so that they can become self-sustainable.
The final theory of poverty is very complex and builds on components of every theory discussed
above. According to this theory the individuals as well as their communities are found to be
engaged or rather caught in the problems and opportunities spiral and once the problems start
dominating them start closing the opportunities. Rather they create a set of cumulative issues that
make any kind of effective response almost impossible (Bradshaw, 2000) . According to the
cycle of poverty the solutions for poverty elimination are very complex in nature. Helping the
poor people to achieve self-sufficiency is considered to be very important phase which helps in
reduction of poverty. The main emphasis is on giving deep as well as wider support and
services to poor people The three focal points on which the community developers structure
their program in order to break the cycle of poverty include: comprehensiveness, community
organizing and collaboration.

Bibliography
Blank, R.M., 2003. Selecting Among Anti-Poverty Policies: Can an Economics Be Both Critical
and Caring?. Review of Social Economy, 61(4), pp.447-471.
Bradshaw, T.K., 2000. Complex Community Development Projects: Collaboration,
Comprehensive Programs and Community Coalitions in Complex Society. Community
Development Journal, 35(2), pp.133-45.
Bradshaw, T.K., 2009. Theories of Poverty and Anti-Poverty Programs in Community
Development. Journal of Community Development.
O'Connor, A., 2001. Poverty Knowledge. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Page, B.I. & Simmons, J.R., 2000. What Government Can Do: Dealing With Poverty and
Inequality. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.