I am writing an essay, and I claimed that people have said that poor people are poor because of their own moral failings. I have heard this in school when I was younger, but I have been unable to find a reliable source or any source at all really. Is this statement just flat out wrong then? The strange thing is that I have found articles talking about how the idea that poverty is a moral failing is a lie, but no source as to where said idea comes from. I just really need a good source but I just can't find a good article that speaks of the idea's origin.
Hi - we as mods have approved this thread, because while this is a homework question, it is asking for clarification or resources, rather than the answer itself, which is fine according to our rules. This policy is further explained in this Rules Roundtable thread and this META Thread.
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Additionally, while users may be able to help you out with specifics relating to your question, we also have plenty of information on /r/AskHistorians on how to find and understand good sources in general. For instance, please check out our six-part series, "Finding and Understanding Sources", which has a wealth of information that may be useful for finding and understanding information for your essay.