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Herbert Gans wrote the “Uses of Poverty,” in 1971. In the essay he wrote about what he believed to be the thirteen functions of poverty. Basically, he says that the poor end up with the worst jobs and the worst housing, and etc. all because somebody has to do it. He believed that not only does poverty serve a purpose to society that poverty provides a barrier for people to base their wealth. He also wrote that the poor help keep the aristocracy busy, because the upper class continues to gain points by “dedicating” themselves to end poverty. However, poverty is what keeps them in the lights in the first place. Some of the more important functions will be discussed in this essay. The first and second functions of poverty, as written by Herbert Gans, deals with the fact that the existence of poverty ensures that society’s dirty work will get done and that because the poor work these �