Research Remix (Brochure)

The Wicked Problem

Child poverty is a very relevant and important problem that a large number of children around the world face. The cause of this “wicked problem” is very distorted and mixed into other problems such as poor living conditions, poor education, and culture (Wicked Problems, 2017).

Current Theories

Anthony Gidden, a British sociologist, created a method of analyzing social relations known as “Structuration Theory.” This theory explains that people have the freedom to choose their own choices in life, but are guided by external cultural forces (Stones, 2007). This suggests that there is a recursive cycle that keeps the poor from escaping poverty.

Another theory advocates that the poor do not have access to the same utilities that the wealthy have access to. For example, in 1983, it was reported in the American Journal of Sociology that in the Southern United States, poverty was associated with a substandard precollegiate education (Coleman). This theory suggests that poverty is a product of lack of opportunity.

Primary Source

Carlos, a student at the University of California Davis and first-hand witness to the atrocities of poverty, was interviewed. The goal of the interview was to see how the current theories and reality match up. The result of the interview revealed that Structuration Theory had a lot of basis in reality. Carlos repeatedly explained how the culture that influenced him discouraged learning. He said that if a person gets a job, any job, they are good no matter the pay of the job. They don’t hold higher education with much esteem. Carlos’s parents were different from the rest, fortunately for him. They pushed him to do well in school and to strive to go to college. Carlos also explained how his uncle, who is his age, failed in his attempt to make it to a four-year university and Carlos felt as though it was his job to finish what his uncle had started. This shows how Carlos differs from the rest, and was more successful because of it.

Work Cited

Coleman, J. S. (1967). Equal Opportunity in Education. American Journal of Sociology, 73(3),

354. Retrieved May 18, 2017.

Stones, R. (2007). Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. US: Blackwell .

Wicked Problems: Problems Worth Solving. (n.d.). Retrieved May 17, 2017, from https://www.wickedproblems.com/1_wicked_problems.php