Josh Hoppel SOCY 100 9/25/14 The Problem of Poverty Today’s world is faced with numerous social problems that pose enormous threats to humanity. Many of these problems threaten our very survival. Poverty is an issue that plagues all societies in every part of the world. Not even the most privileged countries can seemingly avoid it. It has a huge presence in the United States which is one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Poverty is such an important issue to address, not only for those suffering directly from it, but because high levels of poverty decrease GDP, damaging the economy, thus creating an endless, viscious cycle. “Not only is the reduction of poverty important for those affected, but it also has an impact on welfare spending, …show more content…
I used to think that most homeless people were just lazy and that everyone who works hard can make it. But in recent years, my heart has gone out for those living in such terrible conditions and I feel much more of a responsibility to do something about it. The more and more I have learned about those who are impoverished and have actually seen the devastating living circumstances people live in, the less comfortable I feel with my privileged, white middleclass American life. It is hard to go on living in luxury when there are people who are struggling to …show more content…
“Reducing poverty is important for those affected, for society and the economy” (Sutherland). So then the question of what to do about it comes up. “Understanding the relationship between policy, power and agency is a vital part of working to prevent poverty at all levels” (Sutherland). There are so many factors that play into poverty that it is important to have a better understanding of each of these complex and layered issues. Once this is done, we must strive to improve systems such as the cash net as well as others designed for aiding those who are
“Poverty is the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possession” (“Poverty”). Throughout history, poverty has been a debilitating social issue that has negatively impacted people and societies. Numerous programs and initiatives dating back centuries have attempted to solve poverty yet it still remains an issue. There are many strategies that help combat or minimize poverty. We will look at how government legislation and social aid programs have impacted poverty and also the factors that ultimately place people in poverty.
When one thinks of poverty often the mental picture that comes to mind is of single parent welfare, dependent, women and unemployed, drug-addicted, alcoholic lackadaisical men. The children are often forgotten. The impact of poverty, the destruction of crime and stigmatization of the violence on the children is more devastating and irreversible than the miseducation and illiteracy that most often companies poverty. The implication is not the poverty can not be overcome but that the cycles of teenage pregnancy, welfare dependency, and dropping out of high school continues and are hard to break. The badges of poverty are just as addictive and capitiving as any disease such as alcohol or drugs.
Several contributing factors can be viewed as reasons for crime. Depending on the circumstances, it can sometimes be very difficult to resist the temptation to commit a crime. It is even harder when you are coming from a place where crime is considered to be a normal part of society and looked at as a way of daily living that is supposed to be incorporated into daily lifestyles, hence the city we are not too far from: Fresno. In fact, by having a city or group of cities nearby where violence, crime, and gangs are abundant, it has given me an incentive to dig deeper into this issue. Now the question can be posed: What is the significance of crime in areas where poverty is present? True, this is not an easy question to answer considering that crime happens for many different reasons and sometimes location is not the problem. The origin of crime date back to the beginning of man, and the thing is it will never be stopped, as it is almost a part of human nature nowadays. But for now, we must study how crime and poverty are linked to one another, and what other contributing factors influence the effect of crime where poverty is relevant.
Poverty is both a personal issue and a public issue. A community is as strong as its inhabitants (“A Community”). We often think of childhood discipline in the respect that it takes a village. To further elaborate, it takes a village to influence a strong, prosperous community. However, many people may feel as if it is not their duty to help the poor, that individuals are responsible for their own lot in life. Of course, this should not be the only way of viewing poverty. Surely, the various reasons for poverty also influence the solutions to improving poverty. Moreover, just because someone is living in poverty does not mean that said individual caused the situation or is not trying to correct the situation. In essence, situations sometimes occur that may impart poverty upon individuals, creating circumstances that are out of control for these individuals. With that being said, it is more important than ever to realize that poverty is a public and personal issue that can affect anyone and at any time. Even so, how one deals with the issue usually determines the outcome. Several programs offer assistance when one is affected by poverty, but it is also the individual’s responsibility to seek out these programs and help themselves in overcoming poverty. Ultimately, poverty is a situation that personally affects the entire public community.
Wealth is the many fortunes that billions of people have never gotten a glimpse of. In contrast, poverty has drenched the lives of over three billion people; 270 million of these people are Indigenous. The 15 percent of the world’s indigenous poverty resides in Canada. Issues such as land usage, lack of employment, internal conflicts, poor education, and racism are well known factors of poverty. The Indigenous peoples of Canada are predominantly controlled by the issues derived from poverty.
Everyone knows what the word poverty means. It means poor, unable to buy the necessities to survive in today's world. We do not realize how easy it is for a person to fall into poverty: A lost job, a sudden illness, a death in the family or the endless cycle of being born into poverty and not knowing how to overcome it. There are so many children in poverty and a family's structure can effect the outcome. Most of the people who are at the poverty level need some type of help to overcome the obstacles. There are mane issues that deal with poverty and many things that can be done to stop it.
Unfortunately, the “paradise” is not always possible. Everyone wants a comfortable life. People want a life where they can have all the resources that they need without difficulty and live without concerns. But Poverty is always present. Poverty is a condition where people 's basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter are not being met. David Dante wrote, “People assume poverty results from weak values and poor decisions”(150). I partially agree with this statement because even though you have not very good values, you can succeed in life because success is personal. I can say that sometimes you struggle with poverty because you don’t have all the necessary information that you need. But the results of poverty depend more on weak information
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 a human condition characterized by the sustained or chronic deprivation of the re-sources, capabilities, choices, security and power necessary for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. It can also be described as a condition where people 's basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter are not being met like having little or no money, goods, or means of support.
Poverty is an undeniable problem in America. In 2014, 14.8 percent of the United States was in poverty (“Hunger and Poverty Fact Sheet”). There are more people in the United States than it seems that do not have their basic necessities. In an
Poverty is prevalent throughout the world around us. We watch television and see famous people begging us to sponsor a child for only ten dollars a month. We think in our own minds that ten dollars is only pocket change, but to those children and their families, that ten dollars is a large portion of their annual income. We see images of starving children in far away countries, and our hearts go out to them. But we really do not know the implications of poverty, why it exists, or even what we can do to help combat this giant problem in our world.
While there is no clear definition for ‘human rights’, it is possible to describe them as basic moral and legal rights that all people have, simply in virtue of their humanity. Although human rights are traditionally associated with being civil and political rights, they also include socioeconomic rights. Focusing on a political conception of human rights, it is important to note that not every question of social justice is a human rights issue. Despite UN declarations, many do not consider poverty a violation of human rights. Severe poverty, traditionally defined in terms of low income, concerns insecurity caused by a lack of resources. By the UN dividing its human rights law into two separate treaties, countries are able to endorse civil
Poverty is an issue which the world faces everyday. It is a constant struggle that cannot be ignored anymore. As you can see defeating poverty would take great efforts and contributions from all. We must better educate the youth and have education available for everyone all over the world. We also need to ensure that everyone has a job and that they are properly skilled for the job. People need to realize that poverty affects everyone, not only the poor and uneducated. Our world would be a much better place if everyone pitched in to help defeat a major problem around the world, poverty.
Gans (1971) stated in modern society there are few events that can be considered functional or dysfunctional for society, and that most events result in benefits to some groups, while they present a cost to other groups. Poverty provides a great example of the negative impact on one group of society while providing benefits to another group in society. “All human endeavors have benefits and costs, material and nonmaterial, and that most such endeavors produce benefits for some people and groups and reparations for others. Even some of the most costly social evils benefit someone” (Gans, 2012). Poverty provides numerous benefits for the wealthy. However, the poor can also benefit from the wealthy.
In conclusion, sometimes actions take place that changes a person’s outlook on life and as you can see poverty is one that can have a huge effect on not only one person, but also the people around him/ her.