POVERTY

ABSOLUTE POVERTY –refers to the lack of resources

necessary for well-being – most importantly, food and water,
but also housing, sanitation education and health care.

RELATIVE POVERTY – refers to the lack of material and

economic resources compared with some other population.

Individuals, families and groups can be said to be in

poverty when they lack the resources to obtain the types
of diet, participate in the activities and have the living
conditions and amenities which are customary, or at least
widely encouraged or approved, in societies to which they
belong.
 THEORIES OF POVERTY

STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE

Poverty results from institutional breakdown – economic institutions that

fail to provide sufficient jobs and pay; educational institution that fail to
equip members of society with the skills they need for employment; family
institutions that do not provide two parents; government institutions that
do not provide sufficient public support.

The starting point of structural theories is that society is organized (or

structured) unequally; the distribution of power, status, wealth and income
is stratified: people at the top have more and people at the bottom less.
Two things follow from this: first, poverty is relational in the sense that it
cannot be understood in isolation from the totality of social relations, rich,
poor and all those in between. Second, that social institutions function to
maintain and reproduce this structured inequality (* Congress n NPA)
CONFLICT PERSPECTIVE
Economic inequality results from the
domination of the bourgeoise over the
proletariat.
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE
Symbolic interactionism focuses on how meanings, labels and definitions affect
and are affected by social life.
This view calls attention to ways in which wealth and poverty are defined and the
consequences of being labeled poor.
Poor – lazy irresponsible lacking in abilities motivation moral values
Rich – capable motivated hardworking deserving of their wealth

• Ending or reducing poverty begins with the recognition that doing so is a worthy
ideal and an attainable goal. Imagine a world where everyone had comfortable
shelter, plentiful food, clean water and sanitation, adequate medical care, and
education.

• If this imaginary world were achieved and if absolute poverty were effectively
eliminated what would be the effects on social problems?

• “reducing poverty and the hopelessness that comes with human deprivation is
perhaps the most effective way of promoting long term peace and security (WB
2005)
What we think poverty is (definition)
will influence which people we
recognize as being poor
(measurement) why we think they
are poor (causes) and what should be
done about it (responses: policy
and practice)
 POVERTY in relation to…
Age and Poverty
Children are more likely than adults to live in poverty

Sex and Poverty

Women are more likely than men to live below the poverty line
– a phenomenon referred to as the feminization of poverty.
Women are less likely than men to pursue advanced
educational degrees and tend to have low-paying jobs, such
as service and clerical jobs. However, even with the same
level of education and the same occupational role, women still
earn significantly less than men. Women who are minorities
and/or who are single mothers are at increased risk of being
poor.
Education and Poverty
Education is one of the best insurance policies for protecting an
individual against living in poverty. In general, the higher the
person’s level of educational attainment, the less likely that person
is to be poor. The relationship between educational attainment and
poverty points to the importance of fixing our educational system so
that students from all socioeconomic backgrounds have access to
quality education.

“Poverty in a rich society does not simply reflect a failure of equal

opportunity to acquire a good education; it reflects a social failure in
the creation of sufficient jobs to provide an adequate standard of
living for all people regardless of their education or levels of skills”
Family Structure and Family
Poverty is much more prevalent among female-
headed single parent households than among
other types of family structures.

Race or Ethnicity and Poverty

The past and present discrimination has
contributed to the persistence of poverty among
minorities.

Labor Force Participation and Poverty

A common image of the poor is that they are
jobless and unable or unwilling to work.
CONSEQUENCES of POVERTY and
ECONOMIC INEQUALITY
Poverty is associated with health problems and
hunger, increased vulnerability from natural
disasters, problems in education, problems in
families and parenting and housing problems.

These various problems are interrelated and

contribute to the perpetuation of poverty across
generations, feeding a cycle of intergenerational
poverty. In addition, poverty and economic inequality
breed social conflict and war.
Health Problems, Hunger and Poverty
In developing countries, absolute poverty is
associated with hunger and malnutrition, high rates
of maternal and infant deaths, indoor air pollution
from heating and cooking fumes, and unsafe water
and sanitation.
Inadequate nutrition hampers the ability to work
and generate income and can produce irreversible
health problems such as blindness (from vitamin A
deficiency) and physical stunting (from protein
deficiency)
Natural Disasters and Poverty
Although natural disasters strike indiscriminately
– rich and poor alike – the poor are vulnerable to
devastation from such disasters.
The poor have few or no resources to help them
avoid or cope with natural disasters.
When the poor lose their homes and their
livelihoods in a natural disaster, they do not have
the resources to rebuild.
Poverty also affects natural disaster relief efforts
because the poorest victims lived in areas with
weak or non-existent infrastructure.
Educational Problems and Poverty
Health problems associated with childhood poverty contribute to poor
academic performance.
Because poor parents have less schooling, they may be less able to
encourage and help their children succeed in school.
Poor parents have fewer resources to provide their children with books
and other goods and experiences that promote cognitive development and
educational achievement.
With the skyrocketing costs of tuition and other fees, many poor parents
cannot afford to send their children to college.
Poor adults who want to escape poverty by furthering their education m,ay
have to work while attending school or may be unable to attend school
because of unaffordable child care, transportation, and/or tuition fees, and
books.
Family Stress and Problems Associated with Poverty

The stresses associated with low income contribute to substance abuse,

domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, parents’ separation and
questionable parenting practices.
Teenage pregnancy and early childbearing is associated with increased
risk of premature babies or babies with low birth weight, dropping out of
school and lower future earning potential as a result of lack of academic
achievement.
Housing Problems
Substandard Housing
Homelessness

Intergenerational Poverty
Intergenerational poverty creates a persistently poor and socially
disadvantaged population, referred to as the underclass.
War and Social Conflict
Poorer countries are more likely than wealthier countries to be
involved in civil war and countries that experience civil war tend to
become and/or remain poor.
“when inequalities become persistent and some groups are
systematically barred from the benefits of growth…those at the
bottom claim their share of the national income by any means
possible. (ILO 2008b)
In the developing world, most of the people recruited for armed
conflict are unemployed. “Countries with impoverished,
disadvantaged and desperate populations are breeding grounds
for present and future terrorists.”
Not only does poverty breed conflict and war but war also
contributes to poverty. War devastates infrastructures, homes,
businesses, and transportation systems. In the wake of war,
populations often experience hunger and homelessness.