Each year, the U.S. Census Bureau counts the number of "poor" persons in the U.S. In 2005, the Bureau found 37 million "poor" Americans. Presidential candidate John Edwards claims that these 37 million Americans currently "struggle with incredible poverty." Edwards asserts that America's poor, who number "one in eight of us…do not have enough money for the food, shelter, and clothing they need," and are forced to live in "terrible" circumstances.However, an examination of the living standards of the 37 million persons, whom the government defines as "poor," reveals that what Edwards calls "the plague" of American poverty might not be as "terrible" or "incredible" as candidate Edwards contends. Poverty is an important and emotional issue.
The lack of motivation caused by years of not having a job and watching your family suffer in poverty is a condition that not too many of us are familiar with. “Native American Poverty,” by Tom Rodgers justifies the allegations that a large percentage, about 25%, of the Native Americans live in poverty. “According to the US Census Bureau, these Americans earn a median annual income of $33,627. One in every four (25.3 percent) lives in poverty and nearly a third (29.9 percent) are without health insurance coverage.” The lack of money has become a huge component in the dismemberment of the culture that the Natives so lavishly submerged themselves into, and the picking up other undesirable traits such as drinking. The
According to the LICO rates in 2011, poverty troubles mainly seniors, aboriginals, and single parents. In Canada, Social assistance falls well below the poverty line and fails miserably to provide adequate income for even a moderate standard living. We should ALL try living on such measly income for a month…. Maybe then we would be more sympathetic for those whom live under the poverty line. There comes a time when people grow old and are not physically capable of handling tasks in the work force.
Although wages increased at the end of the nineteenth century, many people still lived in horrible poverty. They faced problems of: • Poor housing. • Low wages. • Unemployment. • Illness (if a worker was ill he/she could not earn money).
In 2011 Mississippi was ranked the poorest state in America with an average household income of $36,919. They were also ranked the lowest in the United States for per capita income. Ronald Reagan once said, “We fought a war on poverty and poverty won.” With forty-six million Americans now counting was counted as poor, it’s tempting to think we may have been right. This problem has left many families stranded to die of starvation, freezing to death, etc. The purpose of middle class and rich Americans is the responsibility to minimize he poverty level in our country.
Inequalities in social services, poor health, education and nutritional status, weak social protection systems, among many other factors are contributing to continued levels of poverty in Afghanistan. Countries like United States do not face any of the traditional causes and effects of poverty. People enjoy better standards of living in contrast to those of a developing country like Afghanistan. Government along with other charitable organizations play a big role in providing social services and aid to help the disadvantaged and the poor overcome education, health or financial shortcomings. In spite of many recent economical, political, and social achievements, Afghanistan is still ranked as the fourth poorest country in the world, according to the Afghanistan 2007 Human Development Report.
Census Bureau data, as of September 13, 2011, the nation's poverty rate rose to 15.1% which means that we have about 46.2 million people living below the poverty line. In the United States people that earn less than $23,050 and they have a family of 4, these people are considered to be living in poverty. Society has constructed this group in such a way that portrays them as a burden on the entire economic system. Poverty is looked upon as a social issue, but this group is made up with people, that has in most cases, been classified as lazy and unwilling to put in the necessary work to get them out of that situation. Even though financial assistance is supposed to be a means of temporary aid, many aren't looking at it that way Many people are taking advantage of the fact that they can get it and not on the fact of if they need it or not.
Some don‘t have good enough clothes or shoes for the winter like their friends or just good clothes in general. It‘s quite sad to see kids having to suffer from poverty at such a young age in this advanced society. It‘s estimated that about 16% of kids in Iceland live in poverty with their families not being able to get enough income to sustain a good and healthy life. That‘s 12.000 children in a country of only approximately 320.000 people, that‘s 3.75% of the nation and that’s only the kids, 12.7% of Icelanders live in poverty. And that is approximately 40.000 people which is way too much.
In society today poverty is measured to ways either absolute poverty, or relative poverty. Lets start with Absolute poverty, Absolute poverty measures the number of people living below a certain income threshold or the number of households unable to afford certain basic goods and services like food water and shelter. This is the level of poverty you most likely picture when you hear the word poverty. Usually commercials of foreign children, with bloated bellies who suffer from malnutrition and lack of clean water. Absolut poverty is mostly prevalent in developing countries like India or Haiti, but the United States is not immune from it.
The problem of today’s society is the fight against poverty. With many societies today having low-income areas, education seems to be the first thing to be put on hold. Pakistan, the second country with the highest number of children out of schools, has severe poverty in which people are only living off two dollars a day (Haroon, 2011, Impact on Education on Poverty Reduction). This example shows the direct correlation that poverty has on one’s education. Through this correlation, one can see how such factors can keep children in impoverished homes throughout their lives.