Structures of Modern Poverty

The current debate on poverty m the Western world is influenced by concepts such as the feminization of poverty, marginalization of the poor, the poor underclass and the culture of poverty. These concepts are often used in a contradictory and confusing manner This article is an attempt to look at the theoretical position behind the concepts and to examine similarities and differences between them. Furthermore, the empirical consequences of the four concepts are analyzed and related to information about poverty m the Scandinavian nations. As empirically investigated by Scandinavians, poverty does not in general fit into either of the four conceptualizations. Neither the feminization-of-poverty debate nor the debate on the culture of poverty seems relevant to Scandinavia. The underclass and marginalization concepts are more frequently used, but due to both theoretical inconsistency and lack of relevant data the two views are rarely tested against each other or, indeed, tested at all.