Social Awareness

Term 2 Research & Planning | 2021

Please complete this and stick this into your PDM Journal when you are back at school

Task 1:
Select and research an issue that personally interests you and has the potential to be realised as a powerful
set of four still photographic images with text. Answer the following questions in full sentences. Please
provide the URL for each website that you use to answer the questions.

Social issue: Type here - Poverty

1. Who is involved?
Is it a global issue or one that only affects members of a small community (which country or community is involved)?
If it is a global issue, name the countries in the world most affected.

 Type here - Poverty is caused by a variety of factors, including a lack of education, war, natural disasters,
political corruption, mental illness, and disability. The goal of international development initiatives and the
many international organisations working in the field is to eliminate poverty in developing countries.
Countries mostly affected by this social issue include:
 Madagascar.
 Liberia.
 Mozambique.
 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
 Malawi.
 Central African Republic.
 Somalia.
 South Sudan.

URL – copy link here - https://issues.tigweb.org/poverty

What kinds of people are affected?

What is their socio/economic standing? What gender are they?
You will need to research the issue and find statistics about those people affected by the issue.

Type here - People who work for a living are also impoverished in Australia. 7 percent of people in households where
wages are the main source of income are poor. This 7% is made up of families with children, those who rely solely on
part-time work, and those with high housing costs. Children, lone parents, disabled people, and people in households
where no one works are more likely to be poor, to stay poor for longer, and to be poorer than others.

URL – copy link here - https://povertyandinequality.acoss.org.au/poverty/#:~:text=People%20with%20paid%20employment

%20are,those%20with%20high%20housing%20costs.

What parties in society hold the position of power to create change in the situation?

Type here - The government can alleviate poverty by increasing job creation, increasing Newstart and Rent
Assistance, and investing in social housing to ensure that everyone has a safe place to live. To summarise,
government policies to reduce poverty could include Means-tested welfare benefits are provided to the poorest
members of society, such as unemployment benefits, food stamps, income support, and housing benefits. Minimum-
wage jobs. Labour market regulation, such as statutory minimum wages.

URL – copy link here - https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2020/02/over-3-million-australians-locked-into-poverty/#:~:text=

%E2%80%9CThe%20government%20can%20reduce%20poverty,call%20home%2C%E2%80%9D%20Goldie%20said.

2. What is the history of the issue?

Is it a long-standing issue or one which has emerged in the recent past?
Please specify when (give dates) the issue, as it is today and when did it first become a concern?
What events have contributed to the issue in the past? What has occurred in recent history?

Type here - Mollie Olshansky, a Social Security Administration staff economist, developed the current official poverty
measure in the mid 1960s. Poverty levels were calculated by multiplying the cost of a minimum food diet by three to
account for other family expenses. It refers to the low level of economic development under British colonial rule. The
colonial government's policies destroyed traditional handicrafts and discouraged the development of industries such
as textiles. This resulted in fewer job opportunities and a slower rate of income growth.

URL – copy link here - https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/poverty/about/history-of-the-poverty-measure.html

3. How is the issue perceived today?

What words do the media use to describe this issue?
Evidence your answer by providing two quotes from two different authors who discusses the issue (e.g. from a blog, newspaper
article, book or T.V show).

Type here - The media's ability to inform the public can raise awareness of economic, social, and environmental
issues, which are the three pillars of sustainable development. It can also be used as an open forum for people who
have experienced poverty to share their stories, concerns, and opinions.
"Extreme poverty, wherever it exists, poses a threat to human security everywhere."— Kofi Annan, the United
Nations' Seventh Secretary-General
"Poverty gives birth to revolution and crime." — Greek philosopher Aristotle

URL – copy link here - https://www.borgenmagazine.com/how-social-media-can-help-poverty-reduction/

What is your own opinion of this issue? How do you think your opinion has been shaped by public perception of the issue?

Type here – In my opinion poverty is an extremely serious issue that needs to be prevented as it contributes to a lack
of access to healthcare, immunizations, and proper nutrition, making children vulnerable to mostly preventable
illnesses like pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malaria. The government needs to take immediate action on this global
issue as Malnutrition accounts for 45 percent of all deaths in children under the age of five. My opinion has been
mostly shaped by the awareness on social media such as Instagram and twitter. Awareness ads on these social media
platforms consist of explicit videos an photos showing people the extreme harm of poverty around the globe.

URL – copy link here - https://www.worldvision.com.au/global-issues/work-we-do/poverty#:~:text=Poverty%20contributes

%20to%20a%20lack,in%20children%20aged%20under%20five.
4. What is being done to combat this issue?
Name the main charities involved in trying to implement change.
Access their website and print information describing the history and role of the charity in society.

Type here – The main charities involved to implement significant change to poverty include:
 Against Malaria Foundation.
 Equalize Health (D-Rev)
 Evidence Action.
 Fistula Foundation.
 Fred Hollows Foundation.
 Give Directly.
 GAIN's Salt Iodization Program.
 Helen Keller International.
Concern International fights poverty in developing countries by improving sanitation and access to water, treating,
and educating people about HIV and AIDS, and providing humanitarian aid in the aftermath of natural disasters and
human conflict.

URL – copy link here - https://www.want2donate.org/charity-faqs/how-do-charities-help-people-with-poverty

What does the charity do to combat the issue or raise awareness about it? How do they run their campaign?

Type here - Even small contributions make a difference. Many people are deeply saddened when they consider
poverty in the developing world, but they conclude that there is nothing we can do. When donating to a worthwhile
charity, the size of your contribution directly correlates with the number of people you can assist.
Some of the current poverty-reduction initiatives include raising the minimum wage, investing in asset-building
programmes, providing dental services to low-income Ontario families, launching a new child benefit programme,
and increasing social assistance benefits.

URL – copy link here - https://www.thelifeyoucansave.org/why-donate/

Task 2:
Find two posters used to advertise two different charities that raise awareness for your chosen
social issue.
 Copy and paste the poster into this document and deconstruct each one by annotating it to assess
the effectiveness of each poster in raising awareness for the social issue.

The blue bricks, long

sleeve clothing and
blankets convey that the
environment in this
advertisement is
extremely cold and not
enjoyable for the girl.

The pots and pans in the

background of this
advertisement symbolise the
urgent need of food for the
girl sitting outside the store.

This statement made by

The Salvation Army
clearly shows that the girl
should not be hungry and
deserves food.