Poverty in American Society
analytical Essay
1736 words
There is a diversity of faces and voices that define people that are currently living in poverty. If you seen them on the street would you know them? Who are these unfortunate people? Do you think you could point them out? Where do they come from? While some impoverished people are apparent -many are hidden and walk amongst us everyday, fighting to survive, playing the societal game, and hoping to rise up and leave behind a life of poverty and despair. The impoverished is made up of people from all aspects of life with differences in age, race, color, and ethnicity. This group also includes fallen power elitists; impoverished by greed or over consumption of addiction. The issues of poverty and homelessness go hand and hand. The two are so closely intertwined that we often fail to see that they are in reality one problem, and that the homeless, excluding the handicapped, the aged, and the mentally ill, is merely the most severe expression of it. Charity and handouts do not solve the problems, although they often soften the blow. The impoverished continue to fight their battle to survive, and hope, and pray that the next day will be better then the last. When we speak of the poor, we speak as though they are an unchanging and faceless group to be pity despised or feared. To talk of the "poverty problem" is to talk of some depersonalized permanent fixture on the U.S. landscape. The poverty is people, it's people standing in welfare lines, it's people standing in soup kitchen lines and unemployment lines. It's people living in rat-infested projects and people sleeping on the streets. It's people struggling to acquire things that the rest of society takes for granted. It's people coming up short in their quest for th... ... middle of paper ... ... Review of Sociology, 21, 237-267. Federman, M., Garner T.I., & Short, K. (1997). What does it mean to be poor in america. Monthly Labor Review, 111 3-17. Gibbs, N.R. (1995). Working harder, getting nowhere. Time, 146 16-20. Goldman, R. H. (1999). Food and food poverty: perspectives on distribution. Social Research, 66 (1), 283-304. Hale, T. (1999). The working poor. Monthly Labor Review, 120, 47-48. Russel, C. (1997). Who's poor. American Demographics, 18 8-12. Susser, I. (1997). The Construction of poverty and homelessness in u.s. cities. Annual Review of Anthropology, 25, 411-435. Thomas S. L. (1997). Women, welfare, reform and the preservation of a myth. The Social Science Journal, 34 (3). 351-368. U.S. Census Bureau. (1999). Federal poverty guidelines (WWW document). URL www.census.gov/hhes/poverty/povmeas/falstp.html
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the impoverished is made up of people from all aspects of life with differences in age, race, color, and ethnicity. the issues of poverty and homelessness go hand and hand.
- Explains that the vast majority of the poor are blacks and hispanics, despite the myth that most people are poor because they don't want to work.
- Opines that the only real solution to changing the relationship between the poor and the deviant is to radically transform society.
- Describes a personal journey to gods kitchen to learn more about how the poor and impoverished live.
- Opines that mainstream america is unwilling to give the poor a chance at decent full-time jobs.
- Explains that goldman, r. h., food and food poverty: perspectives on distribution, social research, 66 (1), 283-304.
- Argues that the "poverty problem" is a depersonalized permanent fixture on the u.s. landscape.
- Argues that women on welfare are promiscuous, morally weak, and undeserving. most welfare recipients are not teenage moms as the media hype and recent myth-driven welfare reforms tend to indicate.
- Explains corcoran, federman, garner, t.i., and short, k. what does it mean to be poor in america.
- Compares susser, i., and thomas s. l. on the construction of poverty and homelessness in u.s.
Related
- opinion
- analytical
- The Importance Of Poverty In Americaopinion essayMany still deny the fact that poverty exists. Even though there are people day to day struggling to have a decent meal or a place to sleep. Poverty is, as quoted John Iceland in “Early Views of Poverty in America”, having “barley sufficient [funds] for decent independent life; the ‘very poor’ those whose means are insufficient for this according to the usual standard of life in this country.”(10) In America this way of life applies to over 14.5% of its people. Poverty is a term that has just recently become accepted; though the concept has been around for many years. People have found themselves without income and unable to support themselves or their family. There are many other reasons to why people are poor: racial discrimination, high-unemployment, and theories created by society. This being the century of change, learning to accept what is poverty and what it means to be poverty stricken or accept that there are people living below
In this essay, the author
- Explains that poverty exists because people are classified by the territory where they live. the number of people suffering from poverty has not decreased but continued to increase.
- Argues that society holds such high standards for an individual that individuals at some point begin to undermine themselves.
- Opines that america needs to accept and work along with the poor to eliminate inequality and furthermore poverty.
- Opines that america has let too many citizens fall victims of poverty. the line needs to be drawn when poverty begins to affect families followed by handfuls of children.
931 wordsRead More - Stereootyping The Poor Essay: Steretyping The Pooranalytical essayPoverty is a potential outcome for everyone. It’s sneaky and many people fall victim to it every year. No one believes that they have the potential to fall into debt, but it can happen through a string of bad luck, time running short, and other possibilities that can’t be controlled. People who are struggling with difficulty believe that there is no way out because no one will help them. However, there are ways for us, as a society, to help those who are short on income receive the help that they need. Many of the impoverished are thought to be slackers, addicts, or self-destructive to their lives. Society can help each other by dismembering the stereotypes given to people who are underneath the “Poverty Line” that they used as wedges between the classes. Labels given to those who’re poor have nothing to do with who they are as humans.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that society can help those who are short on income receive the help that they need by dismembering the stereotypes given to those under the "poverty line."
- Explains that the most common classification that people make on the underprivileged is that they are all criminals or drug addicts.
- Analyzes how the foreword of hand to mouth tells the reader that indigenous people are jerked around unaccountably when they have minimum wage jobs.
- Explains that society classifies the poor as lazy, some will slack off, but they have given up the hope to continue pushing through each harsh day that gets thrown at them.
- Explains that the impoverished don't go to school to gain an education and make their lives better for themselves. the penniless rarely have enough money for the monthly rent and food. without a thousand dollar scholarship or financial aid, there's nearly no way to go.
- Explains that poor people are written off as irresponsible when it comes to child care. they're also shamed for having wedlock children.
- Argues that poverty is often caused by bad luck such as losing a job, or getting buried in debt from unpaid bills.
- Analyzes how linda tirado explains that self-destructive behaviors are the only thing that keeps her from collapsing or exploding. some argue that there is no way for people in poverty to get out of being poor.
- Argues that the america economy isn't working as people have been led to believe it is. the rich save their money in banks and have fewer workers which prevent many lower class americans from earning a living wage.
- Explains that poverty is an outcome for anyone, and no one is helping because of negative stereotypes that people have labeled them as. the middle class is slowly making its way into bankruptcy because jobs are running thin and living expenses are increasing.
- Argues that we can help the forty-five million people who struggle with paying bills by creating better paying jobs for them to have access to in order to pay their living expenses.
1405 wordsRead More - The United States' Poverty Epidemicanalytical essayCompared to the rest of the world the United States is economically prosperous however, many citizens are plagued with poverty and destitution. Poverty has become such a problem that one in six Americans are living below the poverty line (Yen). Despite the significant number of Americans living in poverty, most Americans are unaware of its vast scope and scale. The public’s apathy towards poverty has caused it to become an invisible epidemic. The middle -class’s flight from the cities has created de facto segregation between the impoverished and the financially comfortable. Lawmakers find that running on the platform of “fixing poverty” is not appealing to the majority of their middle-class constituents. The media turns a blind eye to America’s poverty epidemic because poverty does not excite viewers or garner favorable ratings.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that while the united states is economically prosperous, many citizens are plagued by poverty and destitution. the public's apathy towards poverty has caused it to become an invisible epidemic.
- Explains that the concentration of the impoverished in cities began to skyrocket in the years following world war two. the separation of classes based on socioeconomic status plays into a human's natural desire to show indifference to the plight of others.
- States that ferguson, lena, "inside america's war on poverty." icic rss. initiative for a competitive inner city, 03 feb.
- Argues that the lack of money and influence in washington is a primary contributor to poverty's invisibility. politicians cater their campaigns to issues that resonate with the general public.
- Explains that the real measure of poverty is 1 out of 6 americans - nbc news. associated press, 06 nov. 2013. web. 15 apr. 2014.
890 wordsRead More - Poverty Doesn't Discrimminate by Age, Gender or Raceanalytical essayGrowing up, my family has always struggled to make ends meet. With a neglecting father and a mother working endlessly between multiple jobs, we often had to go without some necessities. Nevertheless, we never lost hope. Although at the rightful age of twenty, some conditions have barely improved. My mother is still working multiple jobs, but we are able to assist her with bills because we are older. Therefore the issue of poverty in the United States rings close to my heart because I have empathy for those who are suffering. Furthermore, I find it insulting when people suggest that families living in poverty are impoverished due to laziness or drug abuse. In reality families living in poverty are some of the hardest working people you will ever meet. Society must understand that the majority of impoverished families cannot afford the resources that would grant them better income mobility such...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that poverty does not discriminate based on age, race, or gender.
- Opines that society must understand that the majority of impoverished families cannot afford the resources that would grant them better income mobility.
- Explains that the imbalanced state of the economy makes poverty a proliferating and ever-present issue in many societies.
- Argues that poverty fosters and influences crime because there is a direct correlation between poverty and criminality.
- Analyzes the link between poverty and mortality, stating that the majority of deaths are not directly caused by poverty, but are a result of behavioral and social lifestyles and lack of health insurance.
- Opines that poverty is a major issue in the united states, despite the contentious state of the economy.
909 wordsRead More - Before this point in my life, I had a definition of poverty. Poverty was achieved by laziness and negligence. After experiencing financial hardship, I discovered how naïve and heartless I was towards disparity. Thousands of people in our community are deprived of basic necessities as we speak. Living in alleyways, they strive to find employment, food, or a mere conversation. This is poverty. Yet as these unfortunate individuals stand on street corners wishing for a miracle, we glance at them with callous faces as if they are worthless.
In this essay, the author
- Narrates how they knew money was scarce as a child. on the news, reporters spoke of the economic downfall. elementary teachers discussed economic social ladder and daily statistics about increasing poverty levels.
- Narrates how their financial status began to follow the economic trends, and their father could no longer afford rent or groceries for dinner. this was the most petrifying moment of their life.
- Describes how they were nave and heartless towards disparity. thousands of people in our community are deprived of basic necessities as we speak.
- Opines that the recent economic stimulus package signed by obama will initiate an optimistic future for the united states.
- Opines that the stimulus package will stimulate the economy, reduce poverty, and provide job opportunities. the lower class receives more financial aid than the upper class.
- Explains that a team is only as good as its weakest player. greediness will only hearten the recession. the new economic stimulus package has embraced this philosophy.
- Opines that the stimulus package is only the tip of the iceberg. ninety percent of our solution to our predicament is frozen under the waves of hesitation.
- Opines that education is the foundation of success. without intelligence in money management, how can we expect anyone to thrive?
- Recommends creating nationwide informational centers that are accessible to all citizens, despite social class or location. these should be state funded, with trained professionals in the business industry.
- Recommends creating an accessible and reliable internet source teaching basic money management skills. this would allow for nationwide coverage to teach virtually everyone how to avoid debt pitfalls.
- Proposes hosting similar classes through the mortgage industry, which would be cheaper than establishing new buildings and establish a well-earned rapport.
- Opines that public school districts need to require a business, financing, and money management class for all students before graduation.
- Opines that the youth of this nation have the future government in their hands; we are the foundation of opportunity. by educating this new generation, a bright future will be ahead and misfortune like our current foreclosure crisis is less likely to occur.
- Opines that change will not happen within the next few days, or even weeks; it will take a great deal of time to overcome the financial catastrophe we have endured.
1119 wordsRead More - Povertyopinion essayPoverty is one of the most leading and outgrowing problems in the world. It is one of those problems that has been around for so long that it is getting worse and worse each day. Everyday, thousands and thousands of people around the world are getting thrown out into the streets and left homeless without any food or clothes. Many people suffer from poverty for various reasons. For example, a lot of people live in a poor and corrupt country which doesn't provide enough government support for the citizens. Some people are born into a poor family and can't build their way to success because they can't afford education. Others go through tragic incidents such as getting fired or getting bankrupt and losing everything that they have.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that poverty is one of the most leading and outgrowing problems in the world and that it is getting worse and worse each day.
- Opines that poverty can be prevented by more government support to the people.
- Opines that more and more good jobs should be created so that people can work and earn a good living.
- Opines that people should build non-profit organizations, programs, and charities in order to prevent poverty. it only takes a few people to encourage others to help fight this universal problem.
- Explains that not everyone in the world can be born rich or have support from families who will take care of them no matter what. poverty can never be fully vanished or prevented but slowly, people can help solve it.
549 wordsRead More - Poverty In Jonathan Swift's 'A Modest Proposal'analytical essayPoverty is not the absence of money in your bank; it’s the absence of opportunity to succeed. After reading “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift, it is apparent that poverty is something that is almost impossible to escape. Since the beginning of time, the saying has been true; “the rich get richer, while the poor get poorer”. We see beggars on the side of the street and turn our heads the opposite way. Society has learned to hate those in need, because it has been told time after time, that poor people are less worthy than the wealthy. It is the fortunate people of this world that keep the poor people poor, by strengthening the welfare
In this essay, the author
- Explains that poverty is not the absence of money in your bank, but the lack of opportunity to succeed. society has learned to hate those in need because it has been told that poor people are less worthy than the wealthy.
- Argues that the welfare state is one of the weights that pin poor people down to poverty.
- Argues that raising the minimum wage would put more money into the pockets of those who rely on government assistance, but it would have a devastating effect on those that we are "helping".
- Argues that creating new businesses is an amazing way to boost economy, create jobs for the un-employed, and offer a career ladder for people stuck in minimum wage jobs.
- Explains that the "super rich" or the top one percent of americans have their hand in every politician's pocket. with money, they can afford to pay off politicians.
- Opines that the rich need to bring businesses back to american soil and get rid of corrupt politicians who make laws based on dollar signs. government assistance, raising minimum wages, and strict regulations on business are not going to help the poor.
1131 wordsRead More - Welfare to Work: A New Response to Povertyanalytical essayTrattner, W. (1999). From poor law to welfare state: A history of social welfare in America (6th ed.). New York: The Free Press.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the effectiveness of tanf's welfare to work initiative, focusing on the target population, single mothers and children, and the overall problem of poverty.
- Explains that poverty exists in all cultures and affects people from many walks of life, especially single mothers and children.
- Explains poverty's causal explanations, ranging from the micro to the macro level. the micro-level explanation places blame on the american family’s deterioration, followed by inequality in the education system perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
- Argues that poverty is an insidious evil that robs families of necessities we take for granted.
- Describes roosevelt's new deal efforts, which included the federal emergency relief act (fera), the civilian conservation corps (ccc), and the works progress administration (wpa).
- Explains how federal legislation spurred the work incentive program (win), and the omnibus budget reconciliation act (obra) tightened the government’s grip on welfare benefits, restricting eligibility and reducing federal subsidies.
- Explains that under tanf, the federal government issues block grants to each state on a maintenance-of-effort mandate, which imposes minimum, must-spend percentage of funding.
- Explains that the study examines the effectiveness of tanf's welfare to work initiative, highlighting the target population, single mothers and children, and the overall problem of poverty.
- Analyzes the impact of welfare to work on single women and children. cancian argues that the program is not punishing or helping its clients.
- Explains that the biggest historical issue regarding welfare to work is the question of where will former recipients go if the labor market does not provide enough employment.
- Argues that more than enough jobs are prevalent in the market system but, unfortunately, are either low paying or not compatible with the demanding lifestyle of single mothers.
- Explains that finding jobs that offer family leave, child care tax credits, and family-friendly company policies may be more difficult than expected.
- Explains that low-income women in low paying jobs are unlikely to have access to many of these benefits. early evidence suggests that a large proportion of women leaving welfare for work find temporary jobs or jobs with irregular schedules with implications for child care and transportation.
- Explains that transportation is also a problem for former recipients who get jobs, as they may be unable to establish work because jobs are either too low paying, or located outside the limits of mass-transit services.
- Argues that a mismatch between former recipients' skills and those required to attain good jobs indicates that welfare-to-work job training may be ill-prepared and/or teaching them skills for which no true demand exists.
- Analyzes the mismatch between welfare recipients' skills and the skills required to get, and successfully perform in, the good jobs the new economy is creating — jobs that lead to self-sufficiency.
- Argues that job training, education, and skills matching support may need further analysis and modification to increase the efficacy of welfare to work.
- Argues that advocacy at the macro level should include the creation of policy for improvements in the range of public transportation, the maintenance and extension of important long-term supports for the welfare-to-work transition, and the assurance of education, training and employment available to poor fathers.
- Summarizes corrina vallianatos' report that poor fathers receive less means-tested assistance than poor mothers and participate less in job search or education and training activities.
- Opines that awareness of discrimination is crucial to policy analysis and change, but remember that all women are minorities and are often pushed aside, regardless of their ethnic origin.
- Concludes that with the passing of time limits comes the question of where the 19 to 30 percent that would have returned to the system will go for support.
- Cites carnevale, a. p., desroches, d. m. and coleman, j. w.
- Explains that egendorf, l. k., and stoesz, d. (1999). american social welfare policy: a pluralist approach.
2621 wordsRead More - The Problem Of Poverty In Americaopinion essayPoverty in America is a serious problem because of the inequity of wages between the higher paying jobs and the low-paying jobs that only pays the minimum wage in each state which could be up to the amount of nine dollars an hour which unfortunately is not enough to maintain the basic needs for American families. Each family must prioritize where to spend their income which normally will go to their immediate needs of food and shelter. For example, Karger & Stoesz (2014) writes, " for most Americans, poverty is a fluid rather than static condition in which people cycle in and out" (p. 98). Moreover, it is hard for family who is just getting by and could not even afford basic medical needs or insurance. The people in question can be categorized as working poor. .
In this essay, the author
- Explains that poverty in america is a serious problem because of the inequity of wages between the higher paying jobs and the low-paying jobs.
- Opines that the repeal and replacement of the affordable care act by president trump will negatively affect this demographic population.
- Opines that taking away health insurance from people who are on the poverty line or below will surely impact the health and welfare of not only the adults but the children as well.
420 wordsRead More - Poverty in Great Britainanalytical essayWalsh, M., Stephens, P. and Moore, S., (2000) Social policy & welfare. 1st ed. Cheltenham, Glos., U.K.: Stanley Thornes.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how politicians and world leaders measure their performance using the decline of poverty under their tenure, thus highlighting the importance of the issue in society.
- Explains that although there is no universal definition of poverty, it is accepted that definitions should be considered according to cultural, social and historical circumstances.
- Explains that absolute poverty projects the belief that all human beings share the need for basic yet vital needs without which survival is unattainable.
- Explains how relative poverty is measured using two methods; relative income measure and consensual measure of poverty.
- Explains that public perception defines poverty based on the subjective experience of the individual in question. this approach takes into consideration how people perceive themselves as poor compared with others in society.
- Explains that state defined poverty employs the use of minimum level of benefits given by the welfare state to ascertain poverty in society.
- Explains that poverty in britain has undergone considerable change over the years. until the poor law of 1601, there was no relief for the poor.
- Analyzes how the poor law made relief to the poor an unpleasant ordeal to deter people from relying on that relief. charles booth's survey revealed 30% of the london population alone living below the poverty line
- Explains that rowntree's survey and introduction of absolute poverty is the most recognised measurement of poverty in the early 20th century.
- Explains that the new right individualistic theory states that people choose to be poor due to their decisions such as dropping out of school which translates into being employed with low wages.
- Argues that income would be more attractive if taxes from market forces are not channeled to fund the welfare state.
- Explains the collectivist approach to explaining poverty, which states that social structures restrict a portion of the population from overcoming poverty.
- Concludes that there is a change in the type of poverty in britain over the last century. the ability of the welfare state to influence poverty is evident with the increment in poverty during benefits cuts.
- Cites alcock, may, and wright, who authored the students' companion to social policy.
- Explains the gap between rich and poor growing fastest in britain.
- Opines that the demonisation of the disabled is a chilling sign of times.
- Opines that there are 300,000 more children in absolute poverty than last year, and it's likely to get worse.
- Describes dickens, ellwood, and field's report on the independent review on poverty and life chances.
- Explains gordon, townsend, & harris, n. social security law in context. cambridge, ma: belknap press of harvard university press.
- Explains that lister, macdonald, and mack, j., (1983) breadline britain, london: g. allen & unwin.
- Explains that nozick, r., and palmer, g. (2014) uk: numbers in low income - the poverty site.
- Cites poverty.ac.uk's definitions of poverty and the extra 200,000 children in poverty due to benefit cap.
- Explains rawls, j., and rogers. the poverty maps of england are available from the guardian.
- Summarizes smith, dorling, and shaw's work on poverty, inequality and health in britain, 1800-2000.
- Explains that spicker, p., (2014) social policy. www2.rgu.ac.uk.
1729 wordsRead More