About cultural poverty

Powerlessness is closely related to cultural poverty. Cultural poverty means that people can be acculturated to practices that keep them poor. (It does not mean that they have no culture.) Even if you offer a solution to people's problems, they might culturally find it difficult to accept.

In other words, disadvantage is part of their culture. Look at these examples:

• If people are used to living in a rubbish tip, they have trouble adapting to living in a house.
• If a group of people are used to being abused, they think that being abused is normal.
• If a group of people are used to using physical violence to solve problems, they won't be able to navigate a system that requires polite negotiation.
• If a group of people are used to  living on credit card debt, they think that being debt-free is unrealistic and that living without instant credit is a form of hardship.
• If a group of people normally drink large amounts of alcohol, they think that alcohol problems are normal and people are odd if they don't drink.
• If a group of people are normally long-term unemployed, they become unemployable because they can't show up at work on time or be told what to do by a boss.

As a community services provider, the implications of cultural poverty for you are:

• Your client may be blind to his/her problem.
• Your client might not believe you.
• If the client sees you as culturally different, they may think that there is a catch to getting help.
• Your client may have difficulty believing that his/her lifestyle could be better.
• Your client might have trouble adjusting to a different lifestyle, and risks reverting back to the former lifestyle.