absolute poverty

Examples of absolute poverty in the following topics:

• Measuring Poverty

  • Someone living in economic poverty may be homeless; someone living in social poverty may be illiterate.
  • The UN's measure of global poverty based on whether or not a person earns $1.25/day (adjusted for international purchasing power) is a measure of absolute poverty -- it is based on whether or not a person has the bare minimum to meet their material needs.
  • Poverty is usually measured as either absolute or relative poverty.
  • Absolute poverty refers to a set standard which is consistent over time and between countries.
  • Relative poverty explains poverty as socially defined and dependent on social context.

• Poverty

  • Poverty is the condition of not having access to material resources, income, or wealth.
  • Near poverty is when one earns up to 25% above the poverty line; put otherwise, a person near poverty has an income below 125% of the current poverty line.
  • Absolute poverty is the level of poverty where individuals and families cannot meet food, shelter, warmth, and safety needs, while relative poverty refers to economic disadvantage compared to wealthier members of society.
  • Countries with low HDI tend to be caught in a national cycle of poverty -- they have little wealth to invest, but the lack of investment perpetuates their poverty.
  • This is a commonly used measure of poverty to allow international comparisons.

• Poverty

  • Poverty is the condition of not having access to material resources, income, or wealth.
  • The United States officially defines poverty using the poverty line.
  • "Near poverty" is the term for an income level that is just above the poverty line; it refers to incomes that are no more than 25% above the poverty line.
  • "Relative poverty" refers to economic disadvantage compared to wealthier members of society, whereas "absolute poverty" refers to a family (or an individual) with an income so low that they cannot afford basic necessities of survival, such as food and shelter.
  • In the United States, minorities and women are more likely to be living in poverty.

• Relative Deprivation Approach

  • Feelings of deprivation are relative, as they come from a comparison to social norms that are not absolute and usually differ from time and place.
  • This differentiates relative deprivation from objective deprivation (also known as absolute deprivation or absolute poverty), a condition that applies to all underprivileged people.
  • A specific form of relative deprivation is relative poverty.
  • A measure of relative poverty defines poverty as being below some relative poverty line, such as households who earn less than 20% of the median income.
  • Discuss the concepts of relative and absolute deprivation as they relate to social movements

• The Dynamics of Poverty

  • Poverty operates in a dynamic cycle, with the effects of poverty increasing the likelihood that it will be transferred between generations.
  • This perpetuation of deprivation is the cycle of poverty.
  • The basic premise of the poverty cycle the idea that poverty is a dynamic process—its effects may also be its causes.
  • Without these resources, poverty-stricken individuals experience disadvantages that, in turn, increase their poverty.
  • Finally, poverty increases the risk of homelessness.

• The Feminization of Poverty

  • The feminization of poverty refers to the fact that women represent a disproportionate share of the world's poor.
  • Recent attempts to reduce global poverty have utilized systems of microcredit, which give small loans to poor households in an attempt to break the cycle of poverty.
  • Many factors place women at higher risk of poverty than their male counterparts.
  • Women in poverty also have reduced access to healthcare services and resources.
  • Increasing health services to women could, therefore, mitigate the feminization of poverty.

• Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.

  • Long-term poverty, inadequate education, cultural dislocation, and high rates of unemployment contribute to Native American populations falling to the bottom of the economic spectrum.
  • Slaves were stripped of all their rights and privileges, and were at the absolute mercy of their owners.

• Social Mobility in the U.S.

  • It typically refers to "relative mobility"—the chance that an American's income or status will rise or fall compared to others in another income or status group; however, mobility can also be "absolute"— whether (and by how much) living standards in America have increased.
  • Poverty, since those with low income have significantly lower rates of mobility than middle and higher income individuals

• Applying Knowledge

  • Students studying sociology can apply their knowledge of inequality and poverty by serving in a number of organizations in the U.S. and around the world.
  • Census Bureau collects data on income and poverty in the United States.

• The Lower Class

  • The poverty line is defined as the income level at which an individual becomes eligible for public assistance.
  • While only about 12% of households fall below the poverty threshold at one point in time, the total percentage of households that will, at some point during the course of a single year, fall below the poverty line, is much higher.
  • Lower class households are at the greatest risk of falling below this poverty line, particularly if a job holder becomes unemployed.