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Solving the problem of poverty
Solving the problem of poverty
Solving the problem of poverty
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In general, poverty is dominantly in inner-city neighborhoods. The isolation of poverty driven cities causes lower employment rate and diminishing government services such as school systems, health care, and police protection. The consequence of this is destructive environmental pressures such as violence, drug use, and gang affiliation (McLoyd, 1998). Poverty is more prevalent in African Americans and Latinos rather than white people. This correlates with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Association statistic that states African American drug use in ages 12 and up is 12.4% and 8.9% in the Latino community compared the 10.2% national average (SAMHSA, 2014). McLoyd’s childhood poverty graph shows that children under the age of five
in the African American community are more susceptible to poverty than that of whites (McLoyd, 1998). Analysis implies that among all socioeconomic indicators family income is the highest for academic achievement and prosperity (McLoyd, 1998). The vast majority of people below the federal poverty threshold are being supported by welfare. Research suggests that children developing in a family being supported by welfare increases the chance of developing deplorable characteristics such as reluctant behavior and dependency on others. The author Jeffrey Arnett from Clark University states that a human’s socioeconomic status (SES) is critical for human development. SES influences education, resources, increase risk of infant mortality, and proper health care (Arnett, 2011). Nature plays an extraordinary role in a child’s development. For some infants, poverty starts in the womb due to lack of prenatal care.
... For one, being disadvantage was measured on being expelled from school, having an absent father, and whether they were employed or not. Of course, there are more ways to measure being disadvantage. Also, there was a lack of measures for students’ history of violence. Furthermore, policy implications based on this study’s finding suggest that programs should be geared toward male inner-city youths’. Programs should develop their community and schooling system, as well as displaying a means for other employment opportunities besides drug trafficking. Thus, there will always be room for future studies and continuation of this topic.
When a child is growing up he is frequently asked what he is going to do for money when he gets older. The more this question is asked to them, the more they feel like they have to have money to be happy in life. After many tries of trying to make a stable life at a low paying job, a criminal life maybe more appealing to them at they may start living life under the gun. As stated by William Wilson in When Work Disappears, “Neighborhoods plagued by high levels of joblessness are more likely to experience low levels of social organization, they go hand in hand.” In Chicago for instance, in 1990 there was only one in three in the twelve ghetto communities that had held a job in a typical workweek of the year. When there are high rates of joblessness bigger problems surface such as violent crime, gang violence, and drug trafficking. (Wilson P356-362)
Why are some people poor and homeless, while others have so much money they literally
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2014 African Americans held the highest poverty rate of 26%, with Hispanics holding the second highest rate at 24% (DeNavas-Walt & Proctor, 2015). When comparing this to the poverty rates of Whites at 10% and Asians at 12% in 2014, we see that in America, racial and ethnic minorities are more vulnerable to experiencing poverty (DeNavas-Walt & Proctor, 2015). In addition, discrimination is seen between genders among those living in poverty. Family households of a single adult are more likely to be headed by women and are also at a greater risk for poverty (DeNavas-Walt & Proctor, 2015). In 2014, 30.6% of households headed by a single woman were living below the poverty line compared to 15.7% for households headed by a single male (DeNavas-Walt & Proctor, 2015). Many factors such as poor wages for women, pregnancy associations, and the increase of single-woman parented families have impacted the increase of women in poverty. Children are most harshly affected by poverty because for them the risks are compounded, as they lack the defenses and supports needed to combat the toxicity surrounding them. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 21% of all U.S. children (73.6 million children) under 18 years old lived in poverty in 2014 (DeNavas-Walt & Proctor,
Poverty leads to poor mental health, hunger, malnutrition, and physical illness; in the United States 15% live below the poverty line that has been set by the federal government (Santiago, Kaltman, & Miranda, 2013). “The rates of poverty are higher among ethnic minority adults and families, with 27.4% of African Americans, 26.6% of Hispanic/Latinos, 27.0% of American Indian/Alaska Natives, and 12.1% of Asians living in poverty compared with 9.9% of non-Hispanic Whites” (Santiago et al., 2013, p. 115). This population presents with greater incidents of depression, anxiety, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), related to poor living conditions and exposure to violence in neighborhoods and in their homes (Santiago et al., 2013).
Many environmental factors contribute to a person’s proneness to substance abuse. These factors include but are not limited to stress, early physical or sexual abuse, witnessing violence, peers who use drugs, and drug availability. (Addiction Science) The desire to be accepted within a particular group often creates an enormous amount of stress in teens. This stress and feeling of alienation is a driving force towards drug use. Research has shown that, “Another important environmental factor is the amount and quality of emotional and social support a person receives. Teens who reported having an adult they trusted and could talk to, for example, have a lower risk of addiction than those who don’t.”(Environmental Factors) An impoverished environment increases the likelihood of substance abuse and addiction as well. Those who are apart of a lifestyle of poverty often experience incarceration and dropping out of school. Those who drop out of school, are unemployed or live in unsafe areas are at “higher risk, especially if their home environment has already exposed them to dru...
One of the most prevalent social problems in America, which also carries the most social stigma, is poverty. The documentary “The Line”, which was produced by Linda Midgett, discusses this issue and reveals that many people who live in poverty work incredibly hard to escape the vicious cycle. The fact of the matter is that no one chooses to live in poverty. Some people work two or three jobs to try and support their family, but still struggle paycheck to paycheck. Approximately “46 million Americans live in poverty” (The Line). This is a staggering statistic which should force people to open their eyes, and realize that people in poverty are not all addicts. They are not all people who have made bad choices. Many of them are hardworking people, who want
Thus far, children who are falling below the set educational standard, families living in poverty, and families living in dilapidated neighborhoods have all been identified as populations of interest. Research suggests that there is a strong predictive relationship between a child’s poverty status and their well-being (Prince, Pepper, & Brocato, 2006). This would suggest that the target population is children and families living in poverty. However, more information should be considered before choosing causal
While driving downtown, a driver takes notice of a thin, dirty, bearded man holding up a cardboard sign which reads, “Will work for food.” This is one of many examples of poverty in our nation. What the driver does next in the situation is purely subconscious; the driver reaches over, rolls up all of the windows of his car, and locks all four doors, this way he is one-hundred percent safe from any harm this homeless man may resort to. This is a correlation that many citizens in the U.S. have come up with; when a homeless person, or one who looks to be below the poverty line is near, thoughts of drugs, violence, gangs, and crimes flood the mind, and all precautions are taken to stay safe from any harm these people could potentially cause. Though, these precautions have not always been the case. Many years ago an individual could walk down the highway with one thumb erect in the air, and hitch a ride from a stranger to the nearest gas station, regardless of what this individual may look like, no questions asked. But as time continued to pass, so did violent acts of crimes from those hitchhikers, as it is now a common rule of thumb not to pick up strangers from the road. There is a huge difference between what poverty looked like then, and what poverty looked like now, both in the looks of the individuals below the poverty line, and also in the numbers that correspond with people below the poverty line. Though in any case, poverty has always played a key role in crime, both then and now.
One in fifteen African American children have at least one parent in prison, resulting in higher high school dropout rates, higher poverty rates, and a greater likelihood that they will end up going to prison themselves. Incarcerating those suspected of having committed drug related crimes is financially incentivized by the government, with localities receiving upwards of 80% of the possessions of those who are imprisoned. It is also estimated that if the state decided to reduce the incarceration rates to pre-crime crusade levels that over a million jobs would be lost. On a whole, the issue of mass incarceration for nonviolent drug offenses feeds into the greater issue of wealth inequality within the African American
McBride, V., Berkel, C., Harden, N.K.G., Linder, N.C., and Nation, M. (2011). Neighbourhood Poverty and Adolescent Development, 21(1), 114-128.
When analyzing children growing up in poverty a lot of factors come into play such as their physical, psychological and emotional development. To grow up in poverty can have long term effect on a child. What should be emphasized in analyzing the effects of poverty on children is how it has caused many children around the world to suffer from physical disorders, malnutrition, and even diminishes their capacities to function in society. Poverty has played a major role in the functioning of families and the level of social and emotional competency that children are able to reach. Children in poverty stricken families are exposed to greater and emotional risks and stress level factors. They are even capable of understanding and dealing with their own emotions as well as the emotions of others. Some of the implications of poverty include educational setbacks, issues with social behaviors and hindrances in psychological and physical development. Poverty deprives children of the capabilities needed to survive, develop and prosper in society. Studies have shown that the income status of a household and even the neighborhoods in which they reside can affect the amount of readily available resources needed to sustain a healthy child. This essay will examine the psychological and physical effects of poverty on children. The psychological aspect will include a look at behavioral problems in children, depression, chronic stress, and conduct disorders such as ADHD. Poverty is known to decrease the amount of psychological and physical capabilities in children which can have long term adverse effects on their wellbeing.
You can’t turn on the television, or read the paper without hearing about violence in our cities and world. In a report from “Stand Up for Kids” in Chicago, they analyze the relationship between low wages, income inequality, and the epidemic of violence in Chicago’s low income neighborhoods. This report found that in 2012 there were nearly 7,700 gun-related crimes reported in the city. The city of Chicago has the third highest overall metropolitan poverty rate in the nation. Nearly one quarter of all Chicago residents live below the federal poverty threshold according to this report. ("Chicago Not Only Leads the Nation in Gun Violence Rates, but Also in Measures of Urban Poverty." Stand Up Chicago, 1 Feb. 2013. Web. 7 Oct. 2014.) Decades of research have demonstrated that there is a statistically significant link between low wages, income inequality and crime. The analysis presented in this report shows that when a city’s economic conditions improve, the violent crime rates go down.( "Chicago Not Only Leads the Nation in Gun Violence Rates, but Also in Measures of Urban Poverty." Stand Up Chicago, 1 Feb. 2013. Web. 7 Oct. 2014.) Parents and children are turning to violent acts to provide for their family needs. Policy makers and the government need to address the issues of persistent poverty and income inequality such as raising the minimum wage to a living wage and create satisfying jobs for the
Drug and alcohol addiction affects about 20% of the homeless population. Drugs can become so addictive that it will dominate the life of the user. Therefore, some people dump all of their money into their habit. For example, a gram of cocaine sells for about $100. If a person were to use a gram per day, they would spend $700 per week on their habit. That is more than most Americans make per week. For those who use heroin, their habit could cost them thousands of dollars per week. The cost of alcohol can be significant as well, especially in high poverty areas. As well, money spent on alcohol and a heavy drinker could also suffer from poor economic effects. These include lowered wages because of missed work and decreased job efficiency, lost employment, increased medical expenses for illness and accidents. Based on these examples it is easy to see how drug and alcohol abuse could drive users and their families into poverty or
Brooks-Gunn, Jeane, Greg J. Duncan, and Lawence Aber. 1997a. Neighborhood Poverty, Volume I: Context and Consequences for Children. Russell Sage Foundation.