Los debates sobre pobreza urbana y segregación social en Estados Unidos

Abstract

This paper studies the historical evolution of the concept of "urban poverty" in the USA. The first section begins by focusing on the pioneering contributions of the end of the 19th Century, and also on initial studies to the field of urban sociology that were made by the Chicago School and on the perception of problems such as overcrowding and cheap housing, during the first decades of the Century. The second section explores the many and varied theories about urban poverty that appeared in the 1960’s during the so called "War on Poverty" that had been declared by federal governments controlled by the Democrat party. This is followed by a synthesis of the most recent developments in this field and a general overview and debate about the concept of the subclass as a common denominator among poor and marginalised social groups. The paper concludes by highlighting themes that recur throughout these debates and recognises a number of major paradigms that may facilitate analysis and interpretation.