This book is a wake-up call to the nation dealing with the realities of the lives of young people living in poverty in the inner city. The perspective is unique: it combines the voices of students attending a high school in the Watts community of Los Angeles with current research to create a clearer picture of the lives of people who live in poverty and some of the factors which serve to perpetuate that poverty. The author focuses on issues cited by individuals who blame the poor for their own plight as evidence that those living in poverty are responsible for the state of their lives: academic failure, problematic family dynamics, adolescent maternity, child abuse, substance abuse, and gang membership. She debunks the myths and negative stereotypes about inner-city youth and challenges those blaming the poor, thereby providing the reader the opportunity to explore the socio-political realities of living in poverty.
- ISBN10 079142667X
- ISBN13 9780791426678
- Publish Date 12 October 1995 (first published 6 October 1995)
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 12 July 2000
- Publish Country US
- Imprint State University of New York Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 172
- Language English