Final answer:
A conflict theorist would examine how power structures cause poverty, while a symbolic interactionist would explore individual experiences and meanings of poverty. A structural functionalist, though not described, would likely assess poverty's role within the social structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
To explore the subject of poverty, theorists from each of the three major theoretical perspectives in sociology would approach it differently. A conflict theorist would likely examine the broader power structures and the resulting inequalities that lead to poverty, focusing on how political and economic systems perpetuate inequality between groups and countries. For example, a conflict theorist might study how inner cities transform into ghettos with limited jobs and opportunities or how environmental disasters affect different social classes unequally, such as during Hurricane Katrina.
On the other hand, a symbolic interactionist would zoom into the individual experiences and meanings related to poverty. They might investigate how people define poverty differently based on where they live, comparing the subjective nature of relative poverty in core nations with the absolute poverty in peripheral nations. This approach delves into how poverty is perceived and lived on a day-to-day basis, and how these perceptions shape the actions and responses of individuals.
Last, theorists from the structural functionalist perspective (not explicitly mentioned in the provided information but one of the three main perspectives) would likely consider the role poverty plays within the social structure, possibly investigating how poverty might serve a function, such as creating jobs in social services, or the dysfunctions it causes within society.