Etiology of Poverty: A Critical Evaluation of Two Major Theories

Authors

Stephen W. Stoeffler, Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaFollow
Rigaud Joseph, California State University San BernardinoFollow

Keywords

Poverty, etiology of poverty, poverty attribution theories, theory evaluation scale, epistemology

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to appraise two competing frameworks related to poverty attribution: individualistic theories and structural theories. Using the Theory Evaluation Scale (TES)—an empirically validated nine-criterion measure—this paper scrutinizes the aforementioned theories for coherence, conceptual clarity, philosophical assumptions, connection with previous research, testability, empiricism, limitations, client context, and human agency. Results revealed that, at the scale level, both perspectives are of excellent quality. However, at the item-level, the structural perspective was found to be significantly stronger than the individual perspective. Therefore, the structural perspective is an epistemologically sounder framework for informing antipoverty interventions.

Recommended Citation

Stoeffler, Stephen W. and Joseph, Rigaud (2020) "Etiology of Poverty: A Critical Evaluation of Two Major Theories," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 47: Iss. 1, Article 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.4269
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol47/iss1/5