Factors associated with interest in working with the poor

The factors related to the desire of social work students to work with the poor are studied by examining three sets of variables, students' perceptions of the causes of poverty, the best way of dealing with it, and preferred professional interventions in a sample study. The findings suggest that interest to work with poor is associated with less inclination to perceive poverty as caused by lack of motivation, effort, and responsibility, more inclination to view the expansion of state provision as the best means of dealing with poverty, and more desire to employ policy practice and advocacy.