... EDU 532 POVERTY Dr. Daniela DiGregorio Poverty Is Real The war against poverty began in 1960s in the USA The poverty line has been changing based on the inflation over the years. The USA spends about $500 billion annually on the problems connected to poverty (e.g., unemployment, low paid jobs, higher crimes, health problems). We all need to try to prevent poverty. (Saylor Foundation, 2016, pp.33-36) Poverty Statistics Global poverty- 689 million people live in extreme poverty (9.2% of the world) COVID 19- drove additional 97 million people around the world into extreme poverty in 2020 (World Vision, 2021) International poverty line is set at $1.90 a day. USA- 10.5% of the population (34 million) people lived in poverty in 2019 the poverty in the USA increased to 11.4% in 2020 (United States Census Bureau) Poverty line in the USA is 26,500 a year for a family of four. When families move out of poverty, their mental health situation and well-being improves. To get out of the poverty, a person needs opportunities such as education, clean water, medical facility, and financial resources (World Vision, 2021) The Measurement and Extent of Poverty Poverty line- specifies when a family or an individual are in the poverty category. A family income is lower than three times the cost of a very minimal diet (Saylor Foundation, 2016, p. 38). The official poverty rate - is based on the size of a family and a minimal food budget (Saylor Foundation, 2016, p. 41) Episodic poverty- is when an individual is poor for at least 2 consecutive months. Those people who move out of poverty do not get very far (Saylor, 2016). Who Are the Poor? What do you think? Most poor people in the United States are: a. Black/African American b. Latino c. Native American d. Asian e. White Answer is at the end of the presentation. Social Patterns of Poverty Gender- more females (16.%) live in poverty than males (14%) AGE- almost 44% of American children live in low-income families Region- South (16.9% poverty rate), West (15.3%), Midwest (13.9), Northeast (12.9) US childhood poverty rate is the highest of al Western democracies. MYTH-belief that people living in poverty are lazy 80% of people living in poverty were working or looking for a job, disabled or unable to work (too young or too old) (Saylor Foundation, 2016) The Consequences of Poverty Family Problems: Divorce Domestic violence Stress of paying bills Homelessness Alcohol and drug abuse Childhood poverty has lifelong consequences such as: Fewer years of schooling (attend rundown schools with inadequate facilities, less likely attend college) Poor health (inadequate nutrition, cognitive and behavioral problems) More likely to have been arrested in adulthood (gang influence, gang violence) (Saylor Foundation, 2016) Global Poverty Why some countries are rich and some are poor? World Bank- international institution that provides loans, grants and other assistance to poor nations Modernization theory- major assumption that wealthy nations became rich due to developed practices for trade and rapid economic growth, poor nations failed to use these practices Dependency theory- the poverty of poor nations stem from their colonization by European nations, which exploited the poor nations Global Poverty impacts: Adult literacy, life expectancy, child mortality, malnutrition (Saylor Foundation, 2016) Reducing Poverty Certain policies need to be improved to reduce poverty: Increase minimum vague to families can get out of poverty Increase federal aid for the working poor Establish well-funded early childhood intervention programs Provide sufficient income for poor families Increase the supply of affordable housing Improve schools in poor districts Establish universal healthcare Increase Pell Grants and other financial aid for higher education (Saylor Foundation, 2016, p.92) References Saylor Foundation. (2016). Social problems: Continuity and change. United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Income and poverty in the United States: 2020. Retrieved from Income and Poverty in the United States: 2020 (census.gov) World Vision. (2021). Global poverty. Facts, FAQ, and how to help. Retrieved from Global poverty: Facts, FAQs, and how to help | World Vision Answer to the question on slide 5 is: non-Latino whites are the typical poor people = about 42.4 percent of white people are poor ...
