Why do certain communities and social groups stay in poverty across generations?

Why do certain communities and social groups stay in poverty across generations?
1. The Functionalist Perspective:
The structural functionalist perspective sees society as a system. Functionalists identify the structural characteristics and functions and dysfunctions of institutions, and distinguish between manifest functions and latent functions, where manifest functions are those consequences that are intended and recognized by the participants in a system, and latent functions are those consequences neither intended nor recognized. When we apply this to the analysis of poverty across generations, we can categorize poverty as a functional and dysfunctional property. It is functional because it ensures that the dirty work is done. In all the generations, it has been a function of the poor people to do the jobs that are physically dirty, dangerous, temporary, dead-end, poorly paid and menial. Poverty also creates jobs for those who serve the poor or those who shield the rest of t...