Premium Essay

Effects of Poverty on Society

In:

Submitted By jll99203
Words 1330
Pages 6
Poverty as a problem

A. Describe the social problem.
Poverty is a state in which income is insufficient to provide basic needs. Lack of control over resources, lack of education and poor health. There is a multidimensional component which may cause one to lack the ability to care for the basic needs for themselves as well as their families. Poverty can cause alienation and be very distressing. On a very concerning level are the indirect effects of poverty on the development and ones continued wellbeing in regards to emotional, behavioral and psychiatric problems.
Measurement of poverty is based on income and consumption levels. People are considered poor if their consumption or income levels fall below the poverty line. The poverty line is the minimum level necessary to meet basic needs (Townsend, 1979). B. Analyze the social problem.
According to article (Poverty, social inequality and mental health, 2004, para2). Poverty and social inequality have direct and indirect effects on the social, mental, and physical wellbeing of an individual or group of people.

Income inequality produces psychological and psychosocial stress. This stress will trickle down and may cause increased health problems and an influx in mortality rates over time in these lower socioeconomic classes. This is caused by a lack in community investment in the social and physical infrastructure (Wilkinson, 1996).
The effects of income inequality also trickle down into society. This trickle effect may cause increased stress, frustration, and cause families to lose their cohesiveness, which then increases the rates of crime, homicide and violence. This unfortunate social problem may last for generations and the cycle unfortunately just keeps recycling itself. (Wilkinson, 1996).
In bridging the gaps, the world health organization (1995). The effects poverty can have on society are

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Response Paper

...What Are The Real Reasons Behind Poverty In The Middle East? "Poverty: The state of being extremely poor" by Oxford Dictionaries Introduction With the recent revolutions in the Middle East demanding word and social justice, and the high levels of unemployment in the region. The Middle East is still suffering from a high poverty rating, and a huge wage gap between the social classes. Rich people literally are getting richer while the poor are facing more problems and disasters as time goes by. Many questions remain unanswered: What are the reasons behind poverty in the Middle East? Why do rich people get richer while the poor get poorer? How do the rich people benefit from the current situation? How laws are fixed to protect only the rich? Are governments involved in these acts? Poverty rate in MENA has been slightly declining since 1990 to 2005, 17 percent of the region's population live below $2/day in 2005. The region faces various challenges in poverty reduction, such as the persistency of poverty, as poverty in this region is impacted by a hasty economic growth, which is above 2 percent per capita. This is a result of the nature of poverty, which is concentrated on groups that benefit the last ones from that economic growth: the uneducated, rural residents, families with a lot of members. Another challenge the region is facing is the increasing inequality, which is increasing steadily. Which has serious implications for reducing poverty. Inequality is experienced during...

Words: 2553 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Poverty

...Poverty Student’s names Professor’s name Course Title Poverty Poverty is a state of not accessing basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. Poverty is primarily caused by hunger, illness, and thirst and affects the entire society by generating many problems and making people to live substandard lives. It is normally classified in absolute and relative poverty. Absolute poverty refers to a state of not being able to obtain basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing that are very important in sustaining life. Relative poverty, on the other hand, is a state of not being able to obtain resources in relation to a certain mean resource and normally applies to people who are not able to meet societal social needs. According to Townsend (1979), a family is considered to be in relative poverty if it is not able to afford the required diet, get involved in societal activities, and use basic health and educational facilities. Problems connected to poverty bring political, economic, and social disorder in the society. There are two theories that apply to poverty; conflict theory and structural theory. Conflict theory explains that poverty leads to class conflict in a society (Giddens & Simon, 2006). This comes as a result of the oppression of the poor by the rich. It says that conflict must remain in order to create a positive change in the society and that the wide gap between the rich and the poor is very significant. Structural function...

Words: 1064 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Essay On Poverty And Violence

...The question whether poverty breed violent conflict or violent conflict cause poverty is very complex and difficult to answer. Many scholars have different views. Some are in the favor of poverty led violence other having different opinion. This phenomenon is interlinked. In some situations, poverty and under development is caused by violence and on the other hand violence is been the main source of destruction of poverty and underdevelopment .It is observed that those people who live in poverty and belong to poor class are more prone to violence. There could be a number of provocations; poor/limited housing space, excessive and close interaction with lots of people, homelessness, distressed neighborhood, noise pollution, disrupted families, high crime rate, disease etc. Simply hunger can push a teenager to steal...

Words: 814 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Internal Assesment

...before you. This assignment would not have been possible without you. I thank you all. INTRODUCTION This Internal Assessment (I.A) will examine major factors that impinge on the issue of poverty, the analysis of which relates to problems of social integration of all members of society in the Caribbean. In its preparation, use has been made not only of the most recent data, but also of data relevant to periods, such as to detect trends of social development in terms of poverty and the direction of the process of social integration. This I.A. investigates the causes and effects, and solutions to, Poverty. Poverty is the state or condition of having little or no money, goods or means of support. The point of this I.A. is to find out the causes and effects of Poverty. This I.A. will outline the statement of the problem/aims, reasons why I chose Poverty, method of investigation, instrument of data collection/questionnaire, procedure for data collection, presentation of data, interpreting/analysis of data, findings/conclusions and recommendations. Numerous studies have been undertaken for the purpose of assessing poverty and developing strategic plans for its reduction. However, few have been undertaken for the purpose of determining which groups are not really integrated into society’s development and the reasons why this occurs. Therefore, policies need to be put in place to foster social...

Words: 2812 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Response to Kenworthy

...focused on inequality in their society. The excerpt does focus heavily on the lowest income brackets in society making the distinction between poverty and inequality difficult to identify. While he demonstrates through survey data that people are concerned about inequality, his findings support the notion that individuals should care about low equality because as the top earners have gotten wealthier, the percent of the population in poverty. Kenworthy struggles to put forward an argument that shows how greater inequality is detrimental to economic growth. Kenworthy write that, “ high levels of inequality may be viewed by those at the middle and bottom of the income distribution as excessively unfair, thereby reducing worker motivation and workplace cooperation” (16). While this statement may sound like a plausible effect of high inequality, Kenworthy is only speculating and not supporting his statement with specific data. Could it be possible that due to inequality those in the lower classes have a greater incentive to work because they know that if they receive a promotion, their salary will grow substantially? This variable would also be quite difficult to measure, as feelings such as motivation are nearly impossible to quantify. Furthermore, Kenworthy writes, “frustration generated by higher levels of inequality may reduce trust, cooperation, … and other growth-enhancing forms of social capital”(16). Much like his previous claim of the effects of inequality on worker motivation...

Words: 839 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Poverty

...Assignment 1: Investigate a Social Issue Part 1 Poverty Author: Josue Benitez Instructor: Tasha Anderson SOC100030VA016-1122-001: Intro To Sociology Publish Date: 03/17/2012 1 Abstract In this report we will define poverty in society, as well as describe the affects that it has on society today. We will also discuss how society has changed over time in regards to poverty. In addition, we will attempt to find at least two possible solutions to improve the social issue of poverty that is affecting mankind on a global scale. 2 Poverty When some people live below a level which a society defines as a reasonable minimum, they are in poverty, but there is no agreement on how to define it more precisely. Poverty is often identified as a lack of resources or its causes, or its deleterious consequences in human experience or behavior, but meanings and usages change over time. Debate often focuses on people in poverty (the poor) or disparate measurement methods rather than the concept of poverty itself. Many incompatible discourses are separately but simultaneously used to discuss its forms, dimensions, causes and cures, and to address different audiences in the industrialized societies and in developing nations, with little attempt to integrate the approaches. Until the twentieth century, poverty was used to describe the conditions in which much of the urban...

Words: 1238 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Crime of Poverty

...If we diminish poverty, then we will receive less delinquency. Poverty and crime has been major issues in our society over the past few years. Do you think these two issues correlate to each other? I think society today does see poverty as a factor in crime rates and the correlation between each is valid. The cause and effect theory is: because of poverty, crime rates are high. If this is true, one way to solve crime is to solve poverty. The sociological perspective on this topic involves looking at the bigger picture. The structural functionalism for poverty is lack of education, unemployed, preferring to “live for the moment”, and resigning themselves to a culture of poverty (which nothing can be done to change their economic outcomes). We can solve poverty by; (1) understanding the factors that play into poverty and crimes, (2) advancing our education levels, and (3) lowering our unemployment rates. With these three solutions we can diminish poverty and receive less delinquency. (Macionis, 2010, p.59). According to census, in 2014 there were more than 45 million Americans living below the poverty line. A family of three making less than $19,790 year is considered living below the poverty level. $19,790 averages out to about 10$ per hour. (Gongoff, 2014, para. 2). A single mom working at minimum wages with two kids lives in poverty. A third of all poverty households are single mothers. Single mothers are more likely to become a victim of a crime. I found...

Words: 726 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Racial Disparities In America

...to observe the interplay and effects of this socioeconomic divide between races and collect data on the consequences and patterns in terms of schooling, employment, community resources, crime rates, single parenthood, and health. Socioeconomic status within...

Words: 1570 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Child Poverty in the Uk

...When you hear the word poverty, the images which we come across may involve people in distant lands. We have seen people who suffer greatly from poverty from the effects of wars, natural disasters, famines and bleak economic situations. it is unimaginable that here in the UK, one of the worst poverty rates since World War 2(bbc poor kids 2012). We often feel impelled to do something to help, or contribute to a cause or campaign aimed at the response to a specific need or crisis, while it is important for us to become aware of a global problem or crisis. Poverty is defined as two meanings;Absolute poverty; when a persons income is so low that they cannot afford the basic essentials for living.Relative poverty where there income is well below the national average of living usually around £15,000 pounds a year(gcse sociology ). Child poverty has become a significant issue in the UK. Its definition itself has become quite controversial. This essay will use the definition set by the government. Labour has defined child poverty as any child living in a household with below 60% of average income after housing. (www.society.guardian.co.uk) It has grown substantially in the 1980s and 1990s. The recent increase in child poverty is particularly a British phenomenon. According to figures, the level of child poverty in the UK is very high . Child poverty affects 3.5 million children in the UK. Inner city areas of London, Manchester, Leicester, and Glasgow are among the worst hit areas...

Words: 2163 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Psychology

...causes and consequences of social problems from a psychological perspective, and learn about the possible remedies of problems such as poverty, aggression, and health. CONTENTS Introduction Human-Environment Relationship Different Views of the Human-Environment Relationship The Bishnois and the Chipko Movement (Box 8.1) Environmental Effects on Human Behaviour Human Influence on the Environment Noise Pollution Crowding Natural Disasters Promoting Pro-environmental Behaviour Psychology and Social Concerns Poverty and Discrimination Aggression, Violence, and Peace Key Terms Mahatma Gandhi on Non-violence : Why Does Summary Non-violence Work (Box 8.2) Review Questions Health Project Ideas Impact of Television on Behaviour Weblinks Pedagogical Hints 152 Psychology Introduction In the previous two chapters, you read about some topics related to social behaviour and groups. We will now reflect on a set of social concerns with a wider scope, which are linked to each other and involve psychological aspects. These issues have to be understood and resolved at the level of the community rather than the individual. It is now known that besides affecting our physical health, the environment also influences our psychological processes and behaviour. Human beings also influence the environment through their behaviour, and some of these effects are demonstrated in stress-producing environmental conditions, such as noise, pollution and crowding. At the same time, environmental...

Words: 12784 - Pages: 52

Free Essay

Tae Mo

...The Effect of Poverty to the Academic Performance of Third year Students of Bachelor of Science in Office Administration In Bacolod City College. Group No.7 (BSOA 3A) BASIC REASERCH Leader: Jamandre Ansel Angelo Members: Recabo Jovil Relota Rhea Joy Esporsado Rosalie Mae The Effect of Poverty to the Academic Performance Of Third year Students of Bachelor of Science in Office Administration In Bacolod City College. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Education is the main reason why people can live happily in their lives because they, profit and change their way of life from the use of their skills and knowledge through work and labor. People with such development are successful and satisfied, not like people that don’t have a diploma or undergraduates has less chance of having or finding jobs these days. That’s why education is one of the basic needs of every child in the society, but nowadays students’ cares less for their educational background or attainment because of poverty and others that tend to affect their performance in the class. Education is a process through which individual acquires skills, competencies, and attitude. It is the right of every child to be educated, be it traditional or Asian. Thus, education is been regarded as culture to man, people and the nation of the world at large. This explains why man has to educate himself and his offspring in the society. Poverty is one of the factors militating...

Words: 739 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Poverty and Domestic Violence

...R. A E E 1 Professor Dr. L. Hamilton SOC 106 11/25/13 Section 1: Growing up in poverty Poverty is everywhere, It is in every race and every country. A child that grows up in poverty is largely at risk because he or she may speak another language, or be less healthy, or has even been abused in one way or another. When children are in the school system and they are labeled “at-risk” and that means that the student comes from a low-socioeconomic level or speaks another language. Today, there are more single parents, dual earner couples, and parents with more than one job living in both rural and urban areas in the United States than at any other time in history. Statistics show there is approximately one in five American children who live below the national poverty level (Causes of Poverty). In today’s society, many people live below the poverty line and those numbers continue to increase because of our high unemployment rates. The Census Bureau reported that 12% of Americans live in poverty. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the poverty level in 2009 for a family of four was $22,050. With today's unfortunate down turn of events in our economy, many families struggle to earn and still do not come close to that level. Welfare reform in the United States may pressure single mothers to be gainfully employed even though child care is extremely expensive and the mother may only have an income of minimum wage. At-risk children face so many seemingly...

Words: 2921 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Child Poverty

...social problems that our society live in, but tries to cover it up by pushing it under a rug. Although I know our society has issues, I just didn’t think of them in this way since starting class and doing the research we’ve done, have taught me so much. Many of society issues are social inequality, poverty, urbanization, discrimination against race, and culture. When learning about these issues, I’ve decided to do my paper on Poverty and Children in the United States. Poverty within the United States has become a major issue that affects our society and at hand families with children are coming face to face with this issue every day of their life. Poverty has become a major issue in our society today due to the result of our economy and the decision that one makes in life. And sad to say when the economy is always on the defense at failing, the children of our society have to pay a high price. There’s many reason and factors that can be related to one’s poverty. Some factors that can take place to which can place a child at poverty could be, single parent, unemployment, homelessness, abuse, or mother having more kids she can take care of. Over time history shows that poverty in the United States has raised a great deal. Many of us can’t even imagine how it feel to live in poverty, even if it’s looking us right in our eyes, we still try not to picture ourselves in that place. Poverty means can range from so much, and not just from not having enough money. Poverty truly mean not having...

Words: 1845 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Poverty

...structural power relations ignite oppression and discrimination. I have chosen to look at this in relation to poverty and race. This essay aims to define discrimination and oppression, and relate this to what is evident when talking about poverty and race and discuss the implications for the young people I work with. The literal meaning of discriminate is to identify a difference. When the term is used in a legal, moral or political sense it is generally used to refer to unfair discrimination, this refers to the process where a difference is identified and used to impose unfair treatment. Oppression is the outcome of unfair treatment. associated with discrimination has oppressive consequences for the people so affected. It is important to note the differences between anti/discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice are primarily semantic, rather than theoretical or ideological. What is paramount is that as care and social workers we all must tackle this issue head on, without fear of opening a can of worms. Poverty is an issue that has been talked about for many years in Scotland. Nethetheless, in despite severity of the situation, and regardless of the impact on our youth, and ultimately the future of our country. Even though legislation put in place to ensure the well being of our children, it can be argued that not enough is being done to tackle the issue. Poverty is an issue which raises much debate but little seems to be happening to minimise it. It is sad that in...

Words: 2061 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Poverty

...POVERTY Name: Professor: Course Title: Intro to Sociology Date: 19 Nov 2012 Introduction Social issues are problems in the society today that are described as wrong, widespread and changeable. A category of conditions that people believe need to be changed. Poverty is a serious social issue in the society today. According to Peilin (2012), poverty brings hardships to families and individuals as well as political thereby negatively affecting the social stability and social development and posing a severe threat to human security (p. 243). This paper focuses on poverty as a social issue in today’s society. First, it gives a succinct introduction of the social issue, and then describes how it fits into the field of sociology. It also evaluates the sociological theories and terminology that relate to the social issue. The section that follows evaluates what is known and unknown about the particular social issue. This is followed by a discussion regarding the value of sociological research into the issue determining the available or possible practical implications of the sociological inquiry. The information presented here is strongly supported by the concepts and theories derived from reliable sources. Poverty as a social Issue Poverty is generally defined as a state of deprivation in well-being. The conventional perspective connects well-being basically to control over commodities, so the poor are individuals who do not have sufficient...

Words: 1154 - Pages: 5