Poverty: A Major Problem In The United States

Improved Essays
Globally, poverty is a major issue partly due to economic inequality. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, poverty is “the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions” (Poverty, n.d.). Additionally, poverty is not having the finances needed for shelter, food, or clothing, which is considered the basic necessities for everyday life. Poverty has numerous causes, consists of multiple problems, and is comprised of the poor.
Poverty is comprised of diverse groups such as, “one-parent families, children, older adults, large-size families, people of color, and the homeless” (Zastrow & Kirt-Ashman, 2013, p. 532). Poverty is not just an issue within the United States, this is a worldly issue. In rural areas people are facing poverty from the result of low pay rates, lack of education, and the increase in unemployment. Individuals or diverse groups of people
…show more content…
Unfortunately, this causes others to depend on the government welfare system for assistance. Many countries have the capital that’s needed to obliterate poverty. However, they choose to use their finances to help the rich get richer, while frowning on suggested programs that would improve the lives of those living in poverty, forcing the poor to get poorer. According to Zastrow & Kirt-Ashman (2013), the conflict theory of poverty suggests that “poverty exist because the power structure wants it to exist,” (p. 536). Globally, poverty is an issue when a country’s wealth is not divided equally, causing issues of inequality and social tensions. In addition, a life of poverty prevents people from living a long, healthy, and enjoyable life. Individuals and groups of all race, sex, religion, culture and age are affected by poverty. Communities, healthcare systems, and CPS are some macro systems that are also affected by

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    so I have seen first hand all the effects of poverty. Poverty does not just leave you hungry or thirsty but can mentally and physically break someone down. For example, refugees in Djibouti living in camps benefit from food aid and free health care and education; they face difficult circumstances and describe themselves as having lost everything, even their identity (SOURCE 5). Poverty in Djibouti and low education are strongly correlated. Just like here in the United States.…

    • 1004 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Poverty Capstone Paper

    • 838 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Introduction of Topic The basic definition that the dictionary provides for poverty is “the state of being extremely poor” (CITE). The effects of poverty can be felt in most, if not all, levels of society. In fact there are many leaders and politicians that focus a lot of their campaigns on finding a solution to poverty.…

    • 838 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Poverty is an ongoing problem throughout the whole world. Poverty does not discriminate against the victims it targets. Poverty effects men and women, individuals and families, young and old, and all ethnic groups. Poverty is a state, specifically economic state, of being extremely poor, or to lack money. This detrimental factor in life has effected people for many years.…

    • 1847 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Poverty is split into three main groups, cumulative, previous period, and concurrent. The main reasons one might fall into one of the groups of poverty are health problems, illiteracy or even lack of income but the foremost contribution to poverty, in my opinion, is government assistance and social welfare. It is no secret that lower income individuals are more prone to disease and a lower life expectancy. “Moreover, lower SES is associated with each of the 14-major cause-of-death categories in the international classification of diseases, as well as many other health outcomes including major mental disorders.” One of the main problems with health care and individuals living in poverty is job security.…

    • 660 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Poverty is an issue that has plagued the United States for decades, and it is treated much like a rash, for people tend to not recognize poverty until it flares up and infiltrates their daily life. Poverty can infiltrate the lives of the middle and upper classes through a rise in their areas homeless population, crime, and taxes. Frankly, however, poverty is not a major issue because of its effects on the upper and middle classes; poverty is an issue because of the devastating effects it has on those who live at or below the poverty line. Furthermore, the causes of poverty may be even more distressing than the effects, for the causes of poverty are vast and interrelated. The inhabitation of disadvantaged communities, lack of an education and…

    • 157 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    For most, the word poverty suggests an inability to provide food, water, clothing and shelter. According to the 2012 U.S. Census, poverty rates have many variables between ethnic groups. In 2012, 27.8% blacks and 22.3% of Hispanics were impoverished, compared to 8.4% of non-Hispanic whites and 12.1% of Asians. Minority families headed by single-women particularly experience a higher rate of poverty than of families headed by single-men, or married couples, so it makes sense why children are the age group most significantly affected by poverty. Regardless of location, these communities that are victim to poverty by pathology are very low-quality neighborhoods, with bad schools, and little to no job availability.…

    • 694 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    “Effects of Poverty on Society: Why We Should All Care.” RSS, 7 May 2011, www.poverties.org/blog/effects-of-poverty. Bakst, Daren. “Big Government Policies That Hurt the Poor and How to Address Them.” The Heritage Foundation, The Heritage Foundation, 5 Apr. 2017, www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/report/big-government-policies-hurt-the-poor-and-how-address-them?_ga=1.205547091.150964800.1489075998.…

    • 1631 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Poverty is the state in which a person lacks a certain amount of money, but there is much more to it than just money. “It is a cruel mix of human deprivation in knowledge, health, dignity and rights, obstacles to participation, and lack of voice” (Fast Facts). Many countries around the world suffer from this and there should be more efficient ways that the people can lower the poverty rates throughout the world. In the 1950’s, the poverty rate for the United States was 22.4 percent, which is roughly 40 million people.…

    • 828 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Why I Chose Social Work

    • 1280 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Poverty is a complex problem that stems from a combination of factors. Although there can be different combinations for each individual’s experience, there are certain societal contributions from society that are more common. Social stratification in particular lack of jobs, social stratification, addiction, lack of health insurance graft and corruption in government, failing infrastructures and services such as roads, public transportation, healthcare, education, employment, affordable housing, and so…

    • 1280 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Poverty Poverty is defined as the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or support. There is poverty everywhere and not everyone knows what it is like to live in it. Not everybody gets access to health care, a home, a bed, food everyday, or even clothes. Poverty affects everyone and anyone. This is a big struggle all over the world and the rates are constantly increasing.…

    • 1158 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Poverty Definition

    • 1136 Words
    • 5 Pages

    As the United States discovers itself trillions of dollars in debt, more individuals are ending up in poverty. With the measure of individuals who are currently inside and underneath the poverty line, it is astonishing that there is still such a variety of individuals who don 't know about poverty. Things being what they are, what is poverty and how can it happen to individuals? These are inquiries that should be tended to and clarified. With the measure of time that these points have not been tended to, it has brought on a variety of suppositions to emerge that may hurt the capacity of needy individuals to function in ordinary society.…

    • 1136 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Poor individuals are rarely responsible for their own plight. Instead inequality in society is a key contributor to different levels of class in society. Poverty can have different meanings to different people and different sections of society. However, poverty is typically defined as having little or no money, possessions or means of support. Although it should be noted that there are different levels of poverty and people may fall in and out of poverty at various stages in their life.…

    • 519 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When you think of poverty what does come to mind? As you walk through your towns imagine seeing the homeless rummaging through garbage trying to get their next meal clothed in rags with nothing on their feet. All because of poverty and sadly many people are affected by poverty all over the world. What causes poverty you may ask lack of education, poor health, bad economy etc. and poverty can have diverse effect on countries.…

    • 1495 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    As well as wealthy individuals benefiting from poverty, wealthy countries and big corporations also benefit from people and countries with less financial power. For example, the price of oil around the world is largely based on whether a country is more of a consumer or a producer of oil (Do, 2015). Countries where the gas prices are lower, such as the U.S, consume a great deal more oil than is produced. This means that these countries need to import and purchase a great deal of oil from other countries, and do not export early as much. 80 percent of the world’s population shares just 6 percent of the world’s wealth (Do, 2015).…

    • 1805 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Essay On War On Poverty

    • 1146 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Poverty has become a crucial problem worldwide and has a great influence on economic development. Regardless if poverty is on a large or small scale, some strand of poverty is visible within many communities worldwide. More than likely, somewhere in the world, there is a young man who is homeless on the street, a single woman who cannot adequately supply for her family, an elderly woman who is sick and is not able to afford her medication, a young lady that has to settle for contaminated water to compensate for nourishment of her body, and people who are on the verge of total financial collapse. America, one of the wealthiest nations on earth with having a high inequality than other industrialized countries has struggled with inequality within income, power and education which resulted in the high intensity issue of poverty.…

    • 1146 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays