The Fourth World in the USA: need for convergent generalist, feminist and social development approaches

Abstract

Approximately fifty million Americans fall below the poverty line at some time during a given year, while more than thirty-three million are impoverished over any twelve-month period. The disparity between rich and poor is greater in the United States than all but one other industrialized nation. No other developed country has so many poor people or treats them so badly as we do (Brown and Pizer, 1987).