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Renowned
sociologist suggests answers to problems of urban poverty
By Shelly Lutton '05
On Mar. 16, Dr. William Julius Wilson delivered the
Fritz Nova memorial lecture in Bartley Hall. Wilson, a Lewis P. and Linda L.
Geyser University Professor at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School
of Government, is a commanding figure in fields such as race relations,
poverty and public policy. The director of Harvard’s Joblessness and Urban
Poverty Research program, Wilson is currently conducting studies on race and
the social organizations of neighborhoods, the effects of high-risk
neighborhoods on adolescent social outcomes, and the effects of welfare
reform on poor families and children. His lecture, “The World of the New
Urban Poor,” focused on this research, paying particular attention to the
increasing concentration of poverty in large cities, as well as the causes
and consequences of jobless poverty throughout a period of welfare reform.
Past president of the American Sociological
Association and
 a
distinguished scholar, Wilson is considered an authority on issues of urban
poverty. He is the author of numerous works, including Power, Racism and
Privilege, The Truly Disadvantaged, and When Work
Disappears: The World of the New Urban Poor. In the latter book, Wilson
argues that it is a lack of job opportunities that generates and propagates
social dysfunction, rather than social dysfunction leading to deficient job
opportunities. Several times throughout his lecture, Wilson referenced this
premise, stating that joblessness is one of the great causes of urban
poverty and therefore needs to be addressed and resolved before urban
poverty can be remedied. His speech also made several references to Martin
Luther King, Jr. and the monumental affects of King’s civil rights efforts.
However, Wilson claims that the structure of racial inequality has changed
and civil rights movements are no longer enough, as the problems of urban
poverty transcend civil rights issues and therefore must be addressed
through more effective means. He suggested changing the focus from
discrimination to social rights as a whole; this would include problems with
jobs, education and housing that affected all poor of all races, not just
minorities.
Wilson’s discussion of social rights concluded by
offering several solutions to the problem of urban poor, such as promoting
school-to-work transitions via internships and apprenticeships, job training
programs and relief of work disincentives such as child support, as well as
job placement programs. He also reiterated his belief that “while many
problems are driven by the fundamental changes in the global economy, many
will view black problems separately”; therefore, Wilson believes that
race-based solutions are required to fix urban poverty problems. There are
both supporters and critics of this theory, and over a dozen books have been
published concerning the “Wilson debates” in fields of race relations and
poverty policy.
The turnout for the lecture was outstanding-
students filled all 130 seats of the auditorium, as well as the floor.
Wilson was well-received by both faculty and students, and received a warm
round of applause at the end of his lecture. Junior Theresa Murray
commented, “Wilson was able to convey remarkable insight with his theories
on the new urban poor and his solutions to this growing problem.” Sociology
professor Peter Knapp explained that Wilson’s many accomplishments made him
a perfect candidate to deliver the Fritz Nova memorial lecture. “No one on
the face of this earth is more suited to be a Fritz Nova speaker than
William Julius Wilson,” Knapp claimed in his introduction to the
sociologist. “He has a commanding presence in a number of disciplines and
his studies have generated an abundance of solid research literature,”
something that is looked for in all Fritz Nova memorial lecturers. Past
lecturers include Steven Messner, Duncan Watts and Joe Feagin. |
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