Introduction
This report will explain how poverty still remains the worst adversity in the world mainly in Africa.Regardless of the economic growth in capitalist countries the gap between the poor and rich continues to increase every year.
What is poverty?
Absolute Poverty: These are circumstances that are characterised by the disadvantage of having your basic needs as a person and these needs are food, water, sanitation, proper health care, shelter, basic education. Poverty does not include the income you make but also the access of information you need.
Overall Poverty: According to the United Nations (1995) overall poverty is lack of income and productive resources to ensure sustainable livelihoods; hunger and malnutrition; ill health; limited or lack of access to education and other basic services; increased morbidity and mortality from illness; homelessness and inadequate housing; unsafe environments and social discrimination and exclusion. It is also characterised by lack of participation in decision making and in civil, social and cultural life. It occurs in all countries: as mass poverty in many developing countries, pockets of poverty amid wealth in developed countries, loss of livelihoods as a result of economic recession, sudden poverty as a result of disaster or conflict, the poverty of low-wage workers, and the utter destitution of people who fall outside family support systems, social institutions and safety nets.
These are relative definitions of poverty, which see poverty in terms of minimum acceptable standards of living within the society in which a particular person lives.
Why is it a social problem?
Poverty is seen to a social problem because it creates an extensive economic ball and chain in the economy on su...
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Absolute poverty refers to when a person does not have the minimum amount of income needed to meet the minimum requirements for one or more basic living needs over an extended period of time. This includes things like, Food, Safe drinking water, Sanitation facilities Health, Shelter and Education. It can also be measure by those living on less than $1.25 a day.
Although poverty has minimized, it is still significant poverty which is characterized by a numerous amount of things. There are two types of poverty case and insular. “Case poverty is the farm family with the junk-filled yard and the dirty children playing in the bare dirt” (Galbraith 236)Case poverty is not irretraceable and usually caused if someone in the household experiences “ mental deficiency, bad health, inability to adapt to the discipline of industrial life, uncontrollable procreation, alcohol, some educational handicap unrelated to community shortcomings” (Galbraith 236).Case poverty is often blamed on the people for their shortcomings but on some levels can be to pinpoint one person's shortcomings that caused this poverty. Most modern poverty is insular and is caused by things people in this community cannot control. “The most important characteristic of insular poverty is forces, common to all members of the community, that restrain or prevent participation in economic life and increase rates of return.
Poverty is not just an issue reserved for third world countries. Instead, poverty is a multifaceted issue that even the most developed nations must battle
Poverty is the lack of money to the point that the individual cannot afford their basic needs. There are two types of poverty, absolute and relative. Absolute poverty is the lack of basic needs for a long period of time that puts your life in danger, which opposes with relative poverty, that covers the vital and biological needs like food, clean water, and basic housing (poverties.org, 2011) .
Absolute poverty is where people don't have enough money to provide standard living conditions for themselves and characteristics of substandard lives are disease, malnutrition, and low-life expectancy. Relative poverty is where a person is considered poor in relation to the average wealth held in their society. Poverty is a major problem within the developing world. The developing world holds 75% of the world's population yet only 20% of the world's wealth. This presents a problem and the shortage of money leads them into the vicious circle of poverty, where one factor leads to another and eventually the situation spirals to terrible extents.
Poverty is general scarcity, dearth, or the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. It is a multifaceted concept, which includes social, economic, and political elements (Google definition). There are two types of poverty, absolute poverty and relative poverty. Absolute poverty is measured relative to a fixed standard of living that is consistent over time and between countries. Relative poverty on the other hand is measured relative to the living standards in some particular society and varies both over time and between societies as
Poverty is a global epidemic that contributes to the deaths of millions each year. However, poverty is more prominent in some areas around the world than others. The Oxford dictionary defines poverty as the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support, but it’s so much more. Poverty can be defined as being hungry, lacking shelter, being unable to go to school, being unable to see a doctor, or being powerless and having a lack of freedom. The reason behind the many descriptions of poverty is that poverty has many faces, and its definition changes depending on the place and time, however the effects of poverty on the poor are always the same.
Poverty is general scarcity or dearth, or the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. It is a multifaceted concept, which includes social, economic, and political elements. Poverty seems to be chronic or temporary, and most of the time it is closely related to inequality. As a dynamic concept, poverty is changing and adapting according to consumption patterns, social dynamics and technological change. Absolute poverty or destitution refers to the deprivation of basic human needs, which commonly includes food, water, sanitation, clothing, shelter and health care. Relative poverty is defined contextually as economic inequality in the location or society in which people live.
Economically poverty is the condition of not having enough funds to provide water, shelter, clothing and nutrients for them and the household. Socially, poverty is viewed as a disadvantage in the social belonging, such as capabilities, educational and cultural aspects. Here is an exception from Narayan, D. & P. Petesch. 2002. Voices of the poor: from many lands. Oxford University Press for the World Bank. New York, this is one of the best description out there to describe poverty from one’s point of view. “Throughout the Voices of the Poor series people vividly describe multiple, interlocking sets of disadvantages that leave them powerless to get ahead. Experiences of ill-being including material lack and want (of food, housing and shelter, livelihood, assets and money); hunger, pain and discomfort; exhaustion and poverty of time; exclusion, rejection, isolation and loneliness; bad relations with others, including bad relations within the family; insecurity, vulnerability, worry, fear and low self-confidence; and powerlessness, helplessness, frustration and anger”
“Poverty at Large: A Dark Spot in Humanity.” Causes of Poverty, 25 March 2014. Web. 26
It is also characterised by absence of participation in community decision making and in civil, social, economical and cultural life. It may occurs in all countries: as mass poverty in majority developing countries, pockets of poverty amid wealth in advanced countries, loss of livelihoods as a result from economic recession, sudden poverty as a result from disaster and conflict, the poverty of low-wage market workers, and the utter destitution of people who fall outside family assistance systems, social institutions and safety nets (WB, 2000).
Poverty is one of the greatest problems facing South Africa. South African families live in very unsatisfactory conditions. The South African government works hard to bring down the rate of poverty but it also seems to increase as they try.
Poverty is the state of being extremely poor, or when people are living in deprivation of food, water and or shelter.
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.
The main cause of poverty in South Africa is the lasting effects of apartheid. People didn’t get proper education and skills training during the apartheid era. As a result, most of them are unemployed because with the lack of proper education and skills, they can’t find jobs that will give them the means to a better life.