Question

__________________________ sought to understand why pockets of extreme poverty persist amid the wealth and overall high quality of life in the United States. To answer this question, he lived with Puerto Rican crack dealers in East Harlem, New York. He contextualized their experiences both historically in terms of their Puerto Rican roots and migration to the U.S. and in the present as they experienced social marginalization and institutional racism. Rather than blame the crack dealers for their poor choices or blame our society for perpetuating inequality, he argued that both individual choices and social structures can trap people in the overlapping worlds of drugs and poverty

Answer 1

The subject of the question is Social Studies at the college level, focusing on ethnographic research, conflict theory, and the enduring impact of systemic inequalities like unstable housing and racial discrimination on poverty in the United States.

Step-by-step explanation:

The individual mentioned in your question sought to deeply understand the persistence of poverty amidst contrasting wealth in the United States by immersing himself in the lives of marginalized communities and analyzing the structural issues that contribute to their situation. This approach, often seen in ethnographic research, emphasizes the complex interplay between individual agency and societal structures. For instance, Matthew Desmond's work in Milwaukee, showcased in his book 'Evicted', captures how unstable housing contributes to cyclical poverty, while Laurence Ralph's study in Chicago highlights the impact of racism and economic deprivation on residents' dreams and aspirations.

The disparities in crack versus cocaine sentencing display the embedded class and racial prejudices within the criminal justice system. Sociologically, this can be interpreted through a conflict theory lens, where law-making is seen as a reflection of the interests of the dominant classes. Jacob Riis's investigative work into New York's tenements brought public attention to the squalid conditions of the poor, invoking social reform and change.

Moreover, the ongoing struggle of many Black communities, high rates of homelessness, and the overall challenge of social exclusion due to stale racist housing policies like 'redlining' further exacerbates the vulnerability to poverty. These social issues require multifaceted solutions, including policy reforms and a systemic approach to address the fundamental causes of poverty.