Shantytowns Case Study

Shanty towns, as Google defines them, are deprived areas on the outskirts of cities consisting of large numbers of crude dwellings. There is already a countless number of shantytowns around the world, but that number is growing. The main reason why families are moving into shantytowns is economic opportunities…“The driving force behind these migrations is the abundance of jobs in the cities” (Teghrarian, 1997). People, in hopes of pursuing a new career and making money for their family, often resort to these shantytowns for a temporary living space, but soon find out it’s too hard to leave (Painting with appositives). The families that populate shantytowns often work harder than the average citizen, but are forced to live in dirt and tents,

However, it is understood that money is the major issue with government intervention. Perhaps, new funding can be created for solely shantytowns fundraising. Whatever it is, shantytowns can be on the decline with help from others. With about one-third of the urban population of developing countries living with the overcrowding, disease, poor infrastructure, child labor, and sexual exploitation, that come with shanty towns/slums, shantytowns have both hurt and helped people struggling with poverty worldwide, with large shantytowns in South America, Africa, and China. To slow down the growth of shantytowns in these parts of the world, the government and motivated groups of people can provide the necessary materials to better the living conditions in shanty

Economists and others have explained that shantytowns provide a “toehold for rural migrants seeking their fortune in cities, they are thought to foster upward mobility” (“Down and out”, 2014). shantytowns are just a stepping stone in the overall journey, providing a temporary, cheap living space. Edward Glaeser, an economist at Harvard University, agrees with this statement, “the buzz of slums encourages entrepreneurship and hard work” (“Down and out”, 2014). Studies conducted suggest that people who have lived in shanty towns, trying to expand financially, have moved on to bigger and better things. However, that’s not evident in the majority of slums around the world. Poor hygiene and illness are prominent and affect most dwellers. In Alexandre Trudeau’s article entitled In the Shadow of Suffering, he explains his trip to Haiti and all the squalid shantytowns and poor villages he saw. Trudeau (2003) emphasized that “in the slums, there are no health services, no public education, and no working infrastructure” (p. 3). Without these major factors that help people succeed in life, it’s very hard to argue that shantytowns benefit those who live in