The cost of being poor : a comparative study of life in poor urban neighborhoods in Gary, Indiana / Sandra L. Barnes.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Barnes, Sandra L.

Series:

SUNY series, the new inequalities.

SUNY series, the new inequalities

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Minorities--Indiana--Gary--Economic conditions.

Minorities.

Minorities--Indiana--Gary--Social conditions.

Poor--Indiana--Gary.

Poor.

Poverty--Psychological aspects.

Poverty.

Gary (Ind.)--Economic conditions.

Gary (Ind.).

Gary (Ind.)--Social conditions.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (290 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, c2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

While the negative effects of urban poverty are well documented, the everyday experiences of urban residents are often absent or secondary in urban studies research. The Cost of Being Poor rectifies this problem by examining both the noneconomic and the often-overlooked economic costs faced by residents of poor urban neighborhoods in Gary, Indiana. Using census, regional, and local data, and in-depth interviews with the residents of Gary, Sandra L. Barnes argues that many people incur costs resulting from the dual dilemma of being poor and residing in a poor urban area. She explores how factors such as race/ethnicity, neighborhood type, and location influence residents' views, coping strategies, and unconventional approaches toward making ends meet. Well written and accessible, this study of Gary's poor urban neighborhoods offers broad findings that apply to other similarly impoverished Rust Belt cities.

Contents:

Introduction : structure vs. agency and the poor urban experience

The economics of the poor urban experience

Space usage and cost differentials in Gary, Indiana : counting the costs

Differential goods and services to feed a family : who pays the costs?

Differential goods and services to clothe a family : who pays the costs?

A tale of three families : impracticality costs

Socio-psychological effects of daily exposure to poverty-related constraints : coping with the costs

Conclusion : a thesis on the poor urban experience.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 249-262) and index.

ISBN:

9780791483206

0791483207

9781423747666

1423747666

OCLC:

76786323