In King Kong on 4th Street, Sharff examines what she believes to be the structural causes of poverty among the urban poor—i.e., inequalities built into the political, economic, and social systems of a society. The author notes how these “built-in” inequalities have created conditions in which the disadvantaged arrange alternative social orders to survive. In addition, Sharff investigates how these new social relations can be limiting as well as create fodder for conservative backlash against the poor.
In two pages, discuss specific examples (from the book) of such structural inequalities, and note the ways in which the urban poor created new social orders to cope with their disadvantages while paying attention to the ways in which the alternative social arrangements of the impoverished were both a source of strength and weakness.
Make sure to have accompanying citations for each of your specific examples (author’s last name, pg. #).
Sample Solution