John Kenneth Galbraith’s “The Position of Poverty”

Insular poverty is when as group or area of people is poor, unlike case poverty where an individual is poor. The group of people is usually poor due to a problem in their environmental/ societal surroundings. “insular poverty—that which manifests itself as an “island” of poverty. In the island, everyone or nearly everyone is poor” (Galbraith 407). This idea of insular poverty as an island of poverty shows that the poor community is somewhat divided by the majority of the people in some way or form. This type of poverty explained by Galbraith can be something that one can be grown into and then is repeated through generations. “since it is the undoubted preference of many to remain in the vicinity of the place of their birth, a homing instinct that operates for people as well as pigeons, the people remained in the poverty which heaven had decreed for them” (Galbraith 407). This idea that Galbraith compares to the homing instincts of a person to a pigeon gives the thought of how he may feel about the poor. If he is comparing people to an animal that is looked upon as disgusting and as a rat with wings, then what does he actually think of the poor and their situation. Galbraith refers his “island” idea to his modern day in this quote “Most modern poverty is insular in character and the islands are the rural and urban slums” (Galbraith 408). This idea is still relevant today; most poverty is in certain areas or among groups of people whom are singled out.




Works cited
Galbraith, John Kenneth. “The Position of Poverty.” A World of Ideas: Essential Reading for College Writers. Lee A. Jacobs. 7th ed. New York; Bedford St. Martins, 2006. pp 406-413.