The Gray Area with Sean Illing takes a philosophy-minded look at culture, technology, politics, and the world of ideas. Each week, we invite a guest to explore a question or topic that matters. From the the state of democracy, to the struggle with depression and anxiety, to the nature of identity in the digital age, each episode looks for nuance and honesty in the most important conversations of our time. New episodes drop every Monday.
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Why the poor in America stay poor
Are we responsible for keeping poor people poor? Sean Illing is joined by Matt Desmond, a sociology professor at Princeton University and the author of the books Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City and Poverty, by America. They discuss why most Americans are unaware of their privilege and how their choices perpetuate poverty. They also discuss the power and hope that can come from bringing awareness to these choices and why abolishing poverty is possible.
Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area
Guest: Matthew Desmond, Sociology professor, and author of Poverty, by America
References:
- Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond (Penguin Random House, 2023)
- Evicted: Poverty And Profit In The American City by Matthew Desmond (Penguin Random House, 2017)
- “Why even brilliant scholars misunderstand poverty in America” by Dylan Matthews (Vox, Mar. 2023)
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This episode was made by:
- Engineer: Patrick Boyd
- Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall
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