Poverty in Great Britain

Politicians and world leaders measure their performance using the decline of poverty under their tenure, therefore highlighting the importance of poverty in society (Alcock et al, 2012). This essay will discuss how poverty is explained by various theories and how changes have been made to how poverty in society is measured. Furthermore highlighting how historical changes have occurred to poverty in Britain.

There is no single universal definition of poverty, nonetheless, it is accepted that definitions of poverty should be considered according to cultural, social and historical circumstances (Lister, 2004). According to Dickens and Ellwood (2001), poverty is defined as a situational state whereby an individual's household monetary income is less than a recognised poverty threshold. The United Nations (UNDP, 1997; pp 2) defined poverty as 'the denial of choices and opportunity for living a tolerable life'. In the United Kingdom, there are four main approaches to defining and measuring poverty. These definitions are absolute poverty, relative deprivation, public perception and state defined.

Absolute poverty projects the belief that all human beings share the need for basic yet vital needs without which survival is unattainable. This definition considers poverty as the inability of a household to acquire basic necessities (Moore, 2001). Absolute poverty was introduced by the work of Rowntree (1901) which measured poverty as living below absolute minimum need. In his survey in York, Rowntree measured poverty on a scale of a household's ability to afford the cheapest food, clothing, fuel and rent, with a small amount left for other requirements. This was his poverty line; households able to afford the basic necessities are considered...

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