Katherine Newman

In the following viewpoint, Katherine Newman contends that approximately 30 million Americans work year-round, full-time but struggle to survive despite their efforts. According to Newman, the problems of these "working poor" are largely ignored by poverty programs. The working poor have to cope with a variety of difficulties, she asserts, including taking care of children and elderly parents. In addition, Newman argues that policy makers need to take into account that the problems of working and nonworking poverty are intertwined. Newman is a professor of social policy at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In the author's opinion, why are the working poor ignored?
2. According to Newman, what conditions contribute to disease among the working poor?
3. What has been the result of middle-class economic insecurity, according to the...