Social Effects Of Poverty

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Living in poverty does not just mean that not having enough money to provide for basic needs, it has a deeper meaning than that. The World Bank Organization describes poverty as the lack of food, shelter, not being able to afford medical assistance, not being educated not having a job and living one day at a time. When these people are not included in daily activities of the society, it causes a strain on the society in terms of the health care system, and other systems that provide support to people in need. The society ends up paying the price of poverty while we may not be aware of it. While it may seem that people that are impoverished in developed countries do not affect the general population, that assumption is wrong. It affects us in …show more content…
There are five major effects of poverty which are, Malnutrition, Health, Education, Economy and many effects on the Society. Malnutrition is seen particularly in children that are living in poverty due to the fact that they do not have access to highly nutritious foods. Quality food is considered a luxury for most people around the world and those suffering from this, do not have enough funds to support this (Cleveland, 2014). While malnourished children are typically found in impoverished countries and not developed countries, it is still an issue no matter which part of the world you are on. Malnutrition could) also potentially lead to some health issues which directs to the second point of health being affected by poverty. The World Health Organization has declared poverty as one of the largest determinants of health (Canada without poverty, 2016). Health is one of the most severe consequences that is an effect of poverty. Individuals living in poverty have a decreased life expectancy as they have a difficult time obtaining medication. Research shows that the wealthier people are typically healthier as they are able to eat nutritious foods and have access to immediate healthcare should they need it. Living in poverty limits and individuals options in terms of how they eat, where they live, and how they build relationships in society .Studies have also shown that adults that …show more content…
Homelessness, unlike other social issues, is something that policymakers know how to address. Although policymakers know how to address homelessness, why is it on the rise in Canada? It costs the provincial government about 40,000 per homeless person. In some provinces like British Columbia, it costs the residents about 86.9 million a year to keep those living on the streets alive (Paulsen, 2007). There are many potential solutions to people that are homelessness. A major reason why people could be living on the streets is because they were no longer able to pay their rent. By the government raising welfare rates, it will benefit those who have trouble paying their rent. It is also cheaper to pay for their rent as it would cost less than the 89 million dollars currently being spent in British Columbia. Welfare rates have not been updated since 1991 as the current model leaves room for $6 dollars a day outside of rent. This is difficult for a single employable adult to survive with as it does not account inflation into the mix. If governments are unable to increase the welfare rates, they could train young workers. One of the most at risk group for being homeless are young people (Ward, 2016). Those who lack basic employment skills have a high chance of ending up on the streets. Obtaining jobs such as day labour could be difficult to get as they require steel toed boots. By the

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