Poverty and Deprivation

Poverty and Deprivation

Absolute (or subsistence) Poverty is a term used to describe poverty

that is measured as being without the resources to maintain health and

physical efficiency. Basic human needs such as an amount of food,

clothes and shelter are ways that ‘being in’ absolute poverty is

measured. “a family is poor if it cannot afford to eat”. (Keith

Joseph, 1979). The concept of absolute poverty was developed by

Rowntree in the 19th century. Usually measured as a minimum sum of

money. Rowntree’s early studies of York and Booth’s Life and Labour

in east London are both examples of a calculation of resources (money)

needed to meet the needs of survival, therefore being classified as

either ‘in’ or ‘not in’ absolute poverty.Absolute poverty is perhaps

more linked to malnutrition which is particular important to

developing countries and as Sen (1982) argues when looking at the

whole world. “Malnutrition captures only one aspect of our idea of

poverty… (but). must have a central place in the conception of

poverty”.

Much sociological research looks at relative rather than absolute

poverty. Harrington 1962 wrote in ‘The Other America’ “To have one

bowl of rice in a society where all other people have half a bowl may

well be a sign of achievement and intelligence. To have five bowls of

rice in a society where the majority have a decent well balanced diet

is a tragedy”. How relative poverty is measured is constantly

changing. What is considered a reasonable and acceptable standard of

living is measured in terms of judgements by members of a particular

society, and those judgements can vary immensely between cultures,...

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...ed measures is applied, the rate of poverty among children has

increased over the last decade. But according to Unicef reports for

the year 2004/2005 the government is on target of cutting child

poverty by 25%, finally “turning around the Uk’s appalling history on

child poverty.

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