Biocultural Myths of the Poor Body

This chapter explores the biocultural myths about the poor. Most of the accepted wisdom about the biological, sociological, and cultural life of the poor is based on misinformation. Looking at race, drunkenness, sexuality, filthiness, physical size, and the like, the chapter debunks the most prevalent of these myths. The conclusion is that poor people are not dramatically different biologically or psychologically from their richer counterparts, but the genre of poornography has made them seem so.