The Individual, Society, or Both? A Comparison of Black, Latino, and White Beliefs about the Causes of Poverty

Abstract

In a sample of southern Californians, three questions were investigated : (1) Are there race/ethnic differences in beliefs about the causes of poverty ? (2) Do two social psychological variables, namely internal and external self-explanations, significantly affect beliefs about poverty net of respondents' background characteristics ? and (3) Do the determinants of beliefs about poverty differ for blacks, Latinos, and whites ? Results indicate that in each case the answer is yes. First, blacks and Latinos are more likely than whites to view both individualistic and structuralist explanations for poverty as important. Second, respondents' self-explanations have significant effects on poverty beliefs. Lastly, the patterns of effects of several variables that predict beliefs about poverty differ across race/ethnic groups. Results confirm, contradict, and extend current knowledge of beliefs about poverty