Poverty
Poverty has been a consistent problem throughout history. No matter what the average income, unemployment or overall prosperity level is, there will always be people who are homeless and hungry. Despite being one of the most richest countries in the world, the United States is not immune to it either. Even today, there are still people struggling to find shelter, feed their kids and find warm clothing. This social problem has various impacts on different institutions and people. However, there are feasible solutions that are available to dissolve this social problem. In discussing poverty in the United States, I will be utilizing three major perspectives: the general condition, the emerging middle class poverty and the relationship between small businesses and strategic measures to eradicate poverty.
According to Howard Glennerster in United States Poverty Studies and Poverty Measurement: The past twenty five years, poverty has been a steady condition in United States history. Not only that, but today there is even more discussion focused on the “culture and race of poverty” (Glennerster, 10). More and more aid seems to be going to minorities in which there is a high density. Moreover, the attention has also been placed on women on welfare. This segment of the population has retracted to working multiple jobs while taking care of children (Glennerster, 13). Therefore, in the mainstream sense of the term, Glennerster attributed a majority poverty related issues to minorities and single mothers. This mainstream analysis indicates the general level of poverty that is evident in most countries as well.
Allan Singer, in Business Strategy and Poverty Alleviation, focused on the issue of poverty with regard to small business owners who don’t have these social problems integrated with their own interests. For instance, he boldly claims that “entrepreneurs and corporations overwhelmingly do not view the alleviation of global poverty as a strategic priority” (Singer, 225). Essentially, personal interests overcome the need to help others. Interestingly enough, Singer does not label poverty as a lack of income or assets, but an issue of “capability-deprivation” because of the circumstances some people are born under (Singer 226).
The solutions presented by all three articles indicate that government intervention is the solution. For instance, Glennerster cited that poverty management over the past twenty-five years has been alleviated by government programs targeted towards specific demographics (Glennerster, 14). He also offered solutions by enhancing education levels in order to promote a long term solution. Conversely, Singer argued that since governments have control over tax payer dollars and small businesses have control over job creation; the solution would be derived from the synergy of these two institutions working together (Singer, 227). Furthermore, by utilizing funding and coordinating business strategy to help alleviate poverty, the cooperative partnerships between these two entities would surely help promote long term job growth. Finally, while Chen doesn’t offer a direct solution, the context of middle class poverty reflects that only short term support is needed. Therefore, by helping food banks and local city governments push through enhanced demand for the short term, this would suffice until a long term solution has been found.