Anything is possible in America. Those who are able and willing to work, are working. All Americans have the same opportunities. These are a just a few of the statements often made by middle and upper class Americans. For a significant portion of the population, this could not be further from the truth. For many families living in poverty, defined as earning less than $24,563 annual income for a family of four (U.S. Census Bureau, 2016), achieving the American dream of working and making a decent living is not probable. While, “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” works for some, there are many low-income families who never break free from poverty.
There are numerous poverty classifications, including, situational, generational, absolute, …show more content…
Generational poverty is often associated with hopelessness, survival and counterproductive traditions. The effects of generational poverty are normally very serious, with the person’s health being the most impacted. Those who are born into poverty, regularly suffer severe and frequent health problems. In addition, those born into poverty repeatedly have a low birth rate, which is usually associated with cognitive and physical disabilities. In addition to health, other important factors regularly associated with generational poverty are crime, stress, unemployment, illiteracy, hunger, housing issues and frequent moves. While no family is immune to poverty, overwhelmingly, minority families are more susceptible and make up the majority of families who experience generational poverty. The primary contributor both historically, and today, is inequality in America. The relationship between socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity is intimately intertwined. Research has shown that race and ethnicity in terms of stratification often determine a person’s socioeconomic status (U.S. Census Bureau, …show more content…
There are many factors associated with situational poverty. Predominantly, families who enter into situational poverty are more equipped to escape poverty than families living in generational poverty. On occasion, situational poverty leads to generational poverty. There are two types of households that experience situational poverty: Relatively secure middle-class families and families with permanently low income (Richmond Vale Academy, 2016). When relatively secure middle-class families’ fall below the poverty line it usually encompasses making a high-risk decision. The families with permanently low incomes shift constantly from above to below the poverty line and they are described by Leisering and Leibfriend as having a “precarious well-being” (Richmond Vale Academy,
There are numerous poverty classifications, including, situational, generational, absolute, …show more content…
Generational poverty is often associated with hopelessness, survival and counterproductive traditions. The effects of generational poverty are normally very serious, with the person’s health being the most impacted. Those who are born into poverty, regularly suffer severe and frequent health problems. In addition, those born into poverty repeatedly have a low birth rate, which is usually associated with cognitive and physical disabilities. In addition to health, other important factors regularly associated with generational poverty are crime, stress, unemployment, illiteracy, hunger, housing issues and frequent moves. While no family is immune to poverty, overwhelmingly, minority families are more susceptible and make up the majority of families who experience generational poverty. The primary contributor both historically, and today, is inequality in America. The relationship between socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity is intimately intertwined. Research has shown that race and ethnicity in terms of stratification often determine a person’s socioeconomic status (U.S. Census Bureau, …show more content…
There are many factors associated with situational poverty. Predominantly, families who enter into situational poverty are more equipped to escape poverty than families living in generational poverty. On occasion, situational poverty leads to generational poverty. There are two types of households that experience situational poverty: Relatively secure middle-class families and families with permanently low income (Richmond Vale Academy, 2016). When relatively secure middle-class families’ fall below the poverty line it usually encompasses making a high-risk decision. The families with permanently low incomes shift constantly from above to below the poverty line and they are described by Leisering and Leibfriend as having a “precarious well-being” (Richmond Vale Academy,