The Issue of Poverty in the United States - Coursework Example

Poverty in the United s Number Day, Time Introduction Poverty has always been considered a social dilemma afflicting people from diverse backgrounds. It has always been an intriguing and challenging concern due to the multitude of factors that interplay and contribute to its existence. People could be misguided that poverty does not exist in a progressively developed country such as the United States. However, this social stigma pervades people from the lowest income levels despite the economic condition of the country they reside. In this regard, this essay aims to determine the critical issues surrounding poverty in the United States. The contributory factors and possible solutions to poverty would likewise be proffered. In doing so, one would be enlightened on addressing this stigma through basic changes in the structure of opportunities more than just merely seeing it as a result of temporary social dislocations. Poverty as a Social Problem Poverty is generally defined as “the state of living in a family with income below the federally defined poverty line.” (Econterms, 2009, par. 1). The U.S. Census Bureau defines poverty, to wit: “Following the Office of Management and Budgets (OMB) Statistical Policy Directive 14, the Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who is in poverty.  If a family’s total income is less than the family’s threshold, then that family and every individual in it is considered in poverty.  The official poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated for inflation using Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).  The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes and does not include capital gains or noncash benefits (such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps).” In this regard, poverty is considered a social problem since it affects sectors of the society: the individual and the family, as a social unit; confounded by factors which eventually consider it a problem of a particular social class. One discerning the details of the definition of poverty would be confused on the intricate technicalities incorporated in the term. It means that poverty talks about money income, poverty thresholds, taxes, capital gains, among others. But more than the complications presented in the definition, poverty, above all, is a social problem. The sociological factors that need to be examined to closely evaluate the problem of poverty are the society’s behavior and perception of oneself in relation to others and the educational, occupational and governmental support to address the dilemma. According to Bartle (2009, par. 2), “poverty as a social problem is a deeply embedded wound that permeates every dimension of culture and society. It includes sustained low levels of income for members of a community. It includes a lack of access to services like education, markets, health care, lack of decision making ability, and lack of communal facilities like water, sanitation, roads, transportation, and communications.” It is social in nature because it permeates the smallest unit of every society – the individual in the family and affects his interrelationships with other members of his social class. Statistics and Facts about Poverty in America In a book written by Lipton (2006), relevant statistics were revealed which, according to the author, “put the United States in the dishonorable position of having the highest poverty rates in the industrialized world.” He averred that using the poverty threshold of $19,157 for a family of four with two children in 2004, the number of families living below the poverty line reached 37 million or almost 13% of the whole population. (Lipton, 2006, par. 3) The alarming data in his book stipulated that after examination of the poverty levels broken down by age, a significant percentage of American children under the age of 18 live under poverty. (Lipton, 2006, par. 17) In fact, “35 percent of all Americans in poverty, or 13 million, are kids, making the United States first in child poverty in the industrialized world.” (ibid.) When one is to reflect on these figures, it could be incomprehensible to confirm that this data could really be true in one of the most progressive countries in the world. The next area of concern is the determination of how local and state agencies conceive plans and programs to address this problem. Contributory Factors to Poverty Common folks could be quick to aver that the ultimate factor contributing to poverty is lack of money or income. But like a disease, this is just a symptom. Bartle identified five major factors that directly contribute to poverty. These are: ignorance (having a lack of information or lack of knowledge), apathy (“when people do not care, or when they feel so powerless that they do not try to change things, to right a wrong, to fix a mistake, or to improve conditions”), disease (illness or sickness), dishonesty (disposition to lie, cheat, defraud or deceive); and dependency (state of being utterly reliant on someone). (Bartle, 2009, par. 8) Accordingly, these major factors contribute to secondary factors such as “lack of markets, poor infrastructure, poor leadership, bad governance, under-employment, lack of skills, lack of capital, and others.” (Bartle, 2009, par. 9) These secondary factors are more economic and political in nature. These are actually consequences of the behavioral problems noted above. These are also eminent through “the lack of educational and occupational opportunities to those who live in the communities, racial and economic segregation, and governmental ignorance and abandonment of the urban communities.” (Mega Essays, 2009, par.1) The identified factors are solely responsible for the emergence of the disreputable poor. According to Broom & Selznick (1977, 173), “below the lower blue collar workers is a submerged population marked off by a sharp discontinuity – a natural stratum. It has been termed the disreputable poor (Matza, 1966, 310 - 339) and is made up of several elements, to wit: (1) the dregs (have been left behind by otherwise mobile ethnic populations); (2) newcomers (without funds or marketable skills find their way into depressed neighborhoods); (3) skidders (hit bottom due to alcohol, drugs, psychiatric problems, or a long string of bad luck); and (4) the infirm (handicapped by age or disability beyond their control).” These social structures have been branded as a result of the inability to rise despite opportunities to do so. The five major factors contributing to poverty are interrelated to each other. “Disease contributes to ignorance and apathy. Dishonesty contributes to disease and dependency. And so on.” ((Bartle, 2009, par. 32) Their interrelatedness created a web of social predispositions to the secondary factors making poverty persistent in nature. A study conducted by Clark (2004, par. 1) approached the solution to poverty through econometric models. He averred that “the primary policy for reducing or eliminating poverty in America has been to promote economic growth. The basic idea is to make the economic pie larger so that all can have more, rather than to slice the current pie up more equally.” Clark’s model sees the causes of poverty as “market failure; structures; bad decisions; personal catasrophies and disabilities.” He proffered poverty as a problem of exclusion – of non participation. By viewing it this way, poverty is hereby in fact classified as a problem of society. Sociology scholars have assessed that poverty, as a social problem, could only be addressed by addressing, removing, or eliminating these five factors. It could be hard to imagine but an individual’s one personal determination to fight any or all of these factors would eventually lead to a multiplier effect. As more and more begin to change behavioral patterns contesting the prevalence of ignorance, apathy, disease, dependence and dishonesty, ultimately, the war against poverty would be won. Conclusion A large portion of the poor are children, the old, the unskilled, husbandless women, and persons with sever mental and physical handicaps. As such, poverty cannot be eliminated by increasing the productivity of the poor. Rather, it can be significantly reduced only by changing the traditional norm that the right to consume beyond a low minimum guaranteed by public relief is tied to the value of the individual’s contribution to the economy. Despite the highly industrialized economy of the United States, the prevalence of poverty continues due to the big five factors that are inherent in society: ignorance, apathy, disease, dependence and dishonesty – more than economic. In my personal conviction, the study presented by Bartle enlightened the more privileged members of society to be more sensitive to this social ill. The factors are not ultimately impossible to address. As suggested, the personal dedication of each individual to fight the five major factors contributing to poverty would eventually reap positive benefits. This study accord me with the opportunity to be more aware of the social stigma brought about by looking the other way. The studies and researches made by other social scholars revealed the extent and scope of poverty as a social dilemma – not only in other countries – but even in a progressively developed country like the United States. I learned that social ills are actually exacerbated by indifference. This is not far from any of the five major contributory factors to poverty. By making an active stance, by being proactive rather than reactive, by making one’s own personal accountability to counter the five major factors to poverty, the first step to eliminate it starts with me… now. Works Cited Econterms. Definition of Poverty. 2009. Web. 28 Oct. 2009. U.S. Census Bureau. Poverty in the United States. 2002. Web. 27 Oct. 2009. Bartle, Phil. Factors of Poverty: The Big Five. 2009. Web. 27 Oct. 2009. Mega Essays LLC. Social Factors Affecting Inner City Poverty. 2009. Web. 02 Nov. 2009. Broom, Leonard & Selznick, Philip. Sociology: A Text with Adapted Readings. Harper & Row. 1977. Print. Matza, David. “The Disreputable Poor.” Niel J. Smelser and Seymour Martin Lipset (eds.), Social Structure and Mobility in Economic Development. Chicago: Aldine. 1966. Print. Read More