Oscar Lewis facts for kids
Oscar Lewis (born December 25, 1914 – died December 16, 1970) was an American anthropologist. An anthropologist is a scientist who studies human societies and cultures.
Lewis is famous for his detailed writings about people living in slums. He also developed an idea called the "culture of poverty." This idea suggests that poor families, even in different countries, might share similar ways of life. Lewis believed these similarities happened because people faced similar challenges. He thought this "culture of poverty" was a way for poor people to adapt to their difficult situations.
In 1967, Oscar Lewis won the U.S. National Book Award. He received it for his book La vida: a Puerto Rican family in the culture of poverty--San Juan and New York.
Early Life and Education
Oscar Lewis was born in New York City in 1914. He grew up on a small farm in upstate New York. His father was a rabbi.
In 1936, Lewis earned a bachelor's degree in history from City College of New York. There, he met Ruth Maslow, who would become his wife. She also became his research partner.
Lewis later went to Columbia University for graduate school. He decided to switch from history to anthropology. This change was suggested by his brother-in-law, Abraham Maslow. Lewis then earned his Ph.D. in anthropology from Columbia in 1940. His Ph.D. research was about how contact with white people affected the Blackfeet Indians. This work was published in 1942.
Career and Research
Oscar Lewis taught at several universities during his career. He taught at Brooklyn College and Washington University in St. Louis. He also helped start the anthropology department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Lewis was known for his unique way of studying families. He would spend a lot of time living with them. This helped him understand their daily lives and challenges very deeply. His books often shared the stories of these families in their own words.
Oscar Lewis passed away in New York City in 1970. He was 55 years old. He was buried in New Montefiore Cemetery in West Babylon, Suffolk County, New York.
Major Books
Oscar Lewis wrote several important books about his research. These books helped many people understand the lives of families in poverty.
- High Sierra Country, 1955
- Five Families; Mexican Case Studies in the Culture of Poverty, 1959
- Life in a Mexican Village; Tepoztlán restudied, 1960
- The Children of Sanchez, Autobiography of a Mexican Family, 1961
- Pedro Martinez - A Mexican Peasant and His Family, 1964
- La Vida; A Puerto Rican Family in the Culture of Poverty—San Juan and New York, 1966
- A Death in the Sánchez Family, 1969
- Village Life in Northern India
