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2 Causes of Poverty
Poverty has been attributed to
- individual, or "pathological" causes, which see poverty as the result of the behaviour, choices or abilities of the poor;
- familial causes, which attribute poverty to upbringing;
- subcultural causes, which attribute poverty to common patterns of life, learned or shared within a community;
- agency causes, which see poverty as the result of the actions of others, including government and the economy; and
- structural causes, which argue that poverty is the result of the social structure.
Poverty is a highly political issue. People with right wing views often see it as related to laziness, and a lack of Family planning. People with left wing views see it more in terms of Social Justice and lack of opportunity in Education. It is a highly complex issue in which various factors often play a part.
Although it is widely thought that poverty is a result of laziness, as well as unemployment, the United States (presumably the wealthiest nation in the world) has millions of what must be considered the working poor; that is - persons not on welfare or immediate public assistance plans, that due either to the capitalist economic system, or to other factors, who are completely unable to rise above poverty, despite frequent efforts to the contrary.
3 Eliminating Poverty
Many societies at various times have tried to eliminate poverty, through numerous measures including education, industrialization, and through forms of social welfare. A true solution has remained elusive. The main responses to poverty are
- Poor Relief, or giving aid direct to poor people. This has been part of the approach of European societies since the middle ages.
- Responses to individual circumstances. A variety of measures have been taken to change the situation of poor people on an individual basis, including e.g. punishment, education, social work, employment, and workfare.
- Provision for contingencies. Rather than providing for poor people directly, many welfare states have provided for categories of people who are likely to be poor, such as old people or people with disabilities, or circumstances which may impoverish people, like the need for health care.
- Strategic intervention. Many people have argued that poor people can be helped to change their circumstances through focusing on selected, specific measures. Examples have included political participation, urban regeneration and the development of social capital.
- Economic development. The anti-poverty strategy of the World Bank depends heavily on preventing poverty through the promotion of economic growth. It is often argued that "a rising tide lifts all boats", though as critics comment, it can also sink some.
4 See also
5 External links
Human societies
Social ethics
Humanitarian aid
