Topic B

Poverty

Saira Humayun
  Poverty describes the condition of being unable to meet the basic
needs of life due to inadequate income or material goods.
 Poverty, the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable
Meaning amount of money or material possessions. Poverty is said to exist
when people lack the means to satisfy their basic needs. In this
context, the identification of poor people first requires a
determination of what constitutes basic needs
  Relative poverty, on the other hand, is defined as the lack of
resources in relation to others in society. Relative poverty means
not having as much money or material possessions as other
Difference people in your community or country. It is often measured by
looking at the percentage of people who earn less than half of the
between median income.
absolute and  Absolute poverty is defined as the lack of certain resources,
including food, shelter, clothing, and safe drinking water. Absolute
relative poverty means not being able to afford the basic necessities of
poverty life. It is often measured by looking at the percentage of people
who live below the poverty line. Moreover, absolute poverty may
also include other factors such as poor health, lack of education,
and lack of access to essential services.
  Absolute poverty is defined as a household earning less than a
certain threshold. This threshold is set by the World Bank and is
currently $1.90 per day. Relative poverty, on the other hand, is
6 Key defined as a household earning less than 60% of the median
income in their country.
Differences
Between  Absolute poverty is measured in terms of income. On the other
Absolute and hand, relative poverty is measured in terms of consumption or
expenditure.
Relative  Absolute poverty is a global issue, i.e found in developing nations.
Poverty On the other hand, relative poverty is mostly found in developed
countries.
 Absolute poverty does not change over time. In contrast, relative
poverty fluctuates over time as income and standard of living rise.
 The poverty line can be used to calculate absolute poverty. On the
other hand, the Gini Coefficient (measures income distribution
across a population) and Lorenz Curveis (a graphical
representation of income inequality or wealth inequality) can be
used to calculate relative poverty.
 There are different approaches to tackling each type of poverty.
For example, one approach to tackling absolute poverty would be
to provide
  So, in conclusion, we can say that there are many different ways to
measure poverty, which can make it difficult to compare rates
across countries. However, the most common way to measure
poverty is by looking at either absolute or relative poverty.
Final words
 Absolute poverty is defined as the number of people living below a
certain threshold, usually set at $1.90 per day. Relative poverty, on
the other hand, looks at the percentage of people living below a
certain percentage of the median income in their country.
  Both measures have their advantages and disadvantages.
Absolute poverty is a more direct measure of deprivation, as it
looks at the number of people who cannot meet their basic needs.
However, it does not take into account factors such as inequality
and cost of living, which can vary greatly between countries.
continue…..
 Relative poverty is a better measure of socioeconomic
disadvantage, as it accounts for these factors. However, it is less
precise than absolute poverty and can fluctuate more from year to
year. Overall, both measures are useful in understanding poverty
levels across countries.
  The poverty and the extent of relative deprivation have a major
impact on the health of a society’s population.
 Recent studies have identified that countries with higher levels of
Impact of equality in income distribution have higher life expectancy and
this is the case both in countries that are relatively poor and in
poverty on life those that are well off.
chances  In Australia there are clear patterns in the distribution of morbidity
and mortality across social groups with the general pattern being
that the lower the social class the worse the mortality and
morbidity (illness)
 Defining the link between health and poverty is more complex than simply a lack of money.
 The harm to health comes not only from material deprivation but also from the psychological
and social problems resulting from living in relative poverty.
 That said, the majority of the research related to poverty and health suggests that material
conditions are the underlying root of ill health. That is, poverty is considered principally in
terms of lack of economic resources and how that prevents people from attaining a decent
standard of living and from participating in society .
 The diets of low-income groups are likely to be inadequate, and such diets are characterized by
low fruit, vegetable and fish consumption.
 As a consequence, nutrient intake is low in dietary fibre, antioxidant and other vitamins, folate,
iron, and essential fatty acids.
 Low income can also contribute to a lack of quality housing. Poor housing can be damp, cold
and contain mould, conditions which are associated with wheezing, breathlessness, cough,
phlegm, meningococcal (meh·nuhng·gow·ko·kl) infection, and respiratory diseases and
asthma.
 In addition to these issues, poor housing conditions can also bring a risk of fire and accidents,
and overcrowded housing not only increases the risk of infection but impacts on mental health
through factors such as lack of privacy and high noise levels.
• Sociologists of health argue that individual’s health and longevity are
dependent on the political and social context and levels of inequality in
which they live (White 2002).
• This argument suggests that social divisions and material differences
are significant factors of lifestyle and behavior.
• When social and economic circumstances are poor and there is lack of
hope for the future, people are less empowered to make healthy
decisions on such things as smoking, drugs, alcohol, diet or exercise
  Children growing up in poverty on average do less well in
education.
 Gaps open up very early – even before children start school – and
persist and even widen after that.
 Children from the lowest income families are less likely to achieve
Education the standard benchmarks at age 11, make slower progress in
secondary school, and are much less likely to attend the most
selective higher education institutions. This has an impact on
levels of educational attainment and later job opportunities and
wages
  Define the term poverty 2m
 How can poverty affect the life choices of an individual ? 4m
Questions  Differentiate between relative and absolute poverty. Give
examples of countries experience absolute and relative poverty.