Ch 2: Poverty

poverty rate in 2010

15.1%

episodic poverty

As defined by the Census Bureau, being poor for at least 2 consecutive months in some time period.

(T/F) Most people living in poverty are poor because they are lazy and unmotivated.

False; the majority of poor are either employed or looking for work

colors of poverty

Latino, African-Americans, and Asians

Structural explanation of poverty

Poverty results from problems in society that lead to a lack of opportunity and a lack of jobs.

Individualistic explanation of poverty

Poverty results from the fact that poor people lack the motivation to work and have certain beliefs and values that contribute to their poverty.

Symbolic interactionism and social stratification

Stratification affects people's beliefs, lifestyles, daily interaction, and conceptions of themselves.

Functionalism and Social Stratification

Stratification is necessary to induce people with special intelligence, knowledge, and skills to enter the most important occupations. For this reason, stratification is necessary and inevitable.

Conflict Theory and Social Stratification

Stratification results from lack of opportunity and from discrimination and prejudice against the poor, women, and people of color. It is neither necessary nor inevitable.

Functionalism and Poverty

The poor are necessary to fill labor jobs, buy goods that others do not want, and create jobs for others in programs to assist those with poverty.

Dependency Theory of Global Poverty

The poverty of poor nations stems from their colonization by European nations, which exploited the poor nations' resources and either enslaved their populations or used them as cheap labor. The colonized nations were thus unable to develop a professional and business class that would have enabled them to enter the industrial age and to otherwise develop their economies.

Modernization Theory of Global Poverty

Wealthy nations became wealthy because early on they were able to develop the necessary beliefs, values, and practices for trade, industrialization, and rapid economic growth to occur. Poor nations remained poor because they failed to develop these beliefs, values, and practices; instead, they continued to follow traditional beliefs and practices that stymied industrial development and modernization.

vulnerability to poverty

a significant probability that people who are not officially poor will become poor within the next year. developed by world bank

social stratification

a system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy

age of poor

about half of all poor people are children or elderly

supplemental poverty measure

calculates the poverty line by incorporating expenses such as tax payments, location, work expenses, food, clothing, shelter, and utilities

low-income children

children born into families that are below the twice-poverty line. make up almost 44% of all American children.

twice poverty

families with incomes between the poverty line and twice the poverty line

major consequences of poverty

family problems, poor health/medical care, poor education, inadequate housing or homelessness, increased crime and victimization

AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children)

fed funds, administered by the states, for children living with persons or relatives who fall below state standards of need; extended in the 60s because of divorce rate, babies born out of wedlock, etc; abolished in 1996

Effects of Poverty at an early age

fewer schooling, severely lower incomes, food stamps, 3x as likely to have poor health, 2x as likely to be arrested, 5x as likely to be teenage parents

microfinancing

lending small sums of money to the poor so they can work their way out of poverty

Poverty "under children's skin"

poverty-induced stress can affect neural development in children, affecting the immune system, blood pressure, etc

TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)

program provides temporary financial assistance for pregnant women and families with one or more dependent children. stricter than its predecessor, requires 30-35 hrs worked each week

global inequality

richest fifth have almost 75% of the world's income

Portion of Americans below the twice-poverty line

roughly 1/3 or 100 million people

Consequences of Global Poverty

shortened life expectancy, higher child mortality, poor sanitation and lack of clean water, malnutrition, adult illiteracy

progressive taxation

taxation that hits upper income brackets more heavily

poverty gap

the difference between the actual income of the typical poor household and the official poverty line

official poverty

the level of income that a government recognizes as constituting poverty - goes off the poverty line

Poverty line

the official measure of poverty; calculated to include incomes that are less than three times a low-cost food budget. no longer an accurate way of measuring poverty

GDP (Gross Domestic Product)

the total market value of all final goods and services produced annually in an economy

feminization of poverty

the trend of women making up an increasing proportion of the poor

wealth typologies

wealthy nations, middle income nations, poor nations