Poor-Bashing: The Politics of Exclusion

Jeff Karabanow is an assistant professor in the Maritime School of
Social Work at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

According to the author of this thoughtful book, poor people in Canada
are “humiliated, stereotyped, discriminated against, shunned,
despised, pitied, patronized, ignored, blamed, and falsely accused of
being lazy, drunk, stupid, uneducated, having large families, and not
looking for work.” Swanson presents detailed analyses of how economic,
political, and social contexts have shaped the current situations of the
poor. Those living on the street, in shelters, or on social assistance,
she points out, have been impacted by high unemployment, low-paid casual
and part-time labor, a relentless dismantling of public welfare systems,
and growing neoconservative/neoliberal attitudes that reject government
interventions in favor of a return to individual/family values and
reliance on the market economy.

The book’s central argument is that poverty has more to do with
structural factors than individual pathologies. Drawing on the voices of
the poor and those who advocate on their behalf, Swanson presents an
angry and frustrated portrait of how poor people are consistently and
relentlessly blamed for their situations. History is repeating itself,
she suggests, as current policies and attitudes toward the poor mirror
the mean-spirited poor laws and workhouses of 19th-century Europe.
Demeaning and exploitative notions of “charity” have taken the place
of meaningful discussion about economic distribution, power, and
equality. This perceptive analysis of Canadian poverty is recommended
for those interested in poverty and inequality; social work and
community development; and social, political, and economic policy.