Culture of Poverty
Book •
Oscar Lewis developed the 'culture of poverty' thesis from ethnographic fieldwork, arguing that certain behaviors, values, and coping strategies become embedded within poor communities and can perpetuate intergenerational poverty.
Guerra references Lewis and his team's empirical research in a Cuban barrio as a state-approved project to study former slum dwellers and their attitudes under revolutionary transformations.
Lewis's approach informed contentious debates about structure versus culture in explaining poverty and was influential and controversial among policymakers and scholars.
In Cuba, Lewis's work revealed tensions between official narratives of poverty elimination and the lived experiences of residents, prompting scrutiny and eventual expulsion of his team.
Guerra uses Lewis's project to show how the Cuban state both welcomed and weaponized foreign social research.
Guerra references Lewis and his team's empirical research in a Cuban barrio as a state-approved project to study former slum dwellers and their attitudes under revolutionary transformations.
Lewis's approach informed contentious debates about structure versus culture in explaining poverty and was influential and controversial among policymakers and scholars.
In Cuba, Lewis's work revealed tensions between official narratives of poverty elimination and the lived experiences of residents, prompting scrutiny and eventual expulsion of his team.
Guerra uses Lewis's project to show how the Cuban state both welcomed and weaponized foreign social research.
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Lillian Guerra
Lillian Guerra, "Patriots and Traitors in Revolutionary Cuba, 1961-1981" (U Pittsburgh Press, 2023)
