In 2010, approximately 46.2 million people were considered poor. The nation's poverty rate rose to 15.1%, while in 2009, 14.3% of people in America lived in poverty (Censky, 2011). This is an increase of 2.6 million people in 2010. In the United States, the federal poverty line – an absolute measure of annual income – is often used to determine who is classified as poor (Ferris & Stein, 2008, 2010 ). The government currently defines the poverty line as an income of $11,139 for an individual and $22,314 for a family of four (Censky, 2011). In sociology, poverty can be defined using two terms: relative deprivation and absolute deprivation. Relative deprivation is a comparison between people and social classes. With relative deprivation, people are considered poor if their standard of living is lower than that of other members of society (Ferris & Stein, 2008, 2010). Absolute deprivation is an objective measure of poverty, whereby people are considered poor because they are unable to meet basic minimum requirements such as food, shelter, healthcare and material goods. Is it difficult to participate in society for those who live poor lives? Many would say that people living in poverty are behind in our cultural movement; that he lacks the essential elements to be at the same level as the rest of society. Many theories have been applied to the issue of poverty with controversy over how and whether the problem of poverty should be addressed. Inequality, homelessness, and the idea of ​​the American Dream also have an influence on poverty. A theory of poverty promoted in 1959 by Oscar Lewis is the idea of ​​a culture theory of poverty. The culture of poverty theory is a deep-rooted attitude that can develop in... middle of paper... does not correspond to reality as it is more of an ideology. The American dream is nothing more than a belief that explains and justifies a sort of social order, in this case the hierarchy of American social classes (Ferris & Stein, 2008, 2010). One problem with achieving the American Dream is inequality. Inequality rooted in race, class, and ethnicity suggests that the American dream is not at all achievable. Sociologists have found that no matter how hard an individual works or seeks a good education, the majority will do little to climb the social class ladder. The American dream is the opposite of what one would like it to be; it encourages consumerism and valorizes material wealth that ultimately leaves Americans in debt. With Americans falling deeper and deeper into debt, it is increasingly unlikely that they will escape their position of poverty.