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Erin has an M.Ed in adult education and a BS in psychology and a BS in management systems.
If you live in or near a large city, it's likely you have seen or interacted with the extremely poor. There's no denying that a significant portion of our population could be called 'needy.' And even though we have numerous government programs and charities that attempt to fight extreme poverty, it can sometimes seem like we're fighting a never-ending battle.
Poverty is a significant part of our society, but there isn't just one definition of poverty that fits all poor people. Poverty can look different between cultures and affect people in different ways. Let's discuss two significant definitions of poverty and which populations are most at risk.
First, relative poverty is when people are poor relative to those around them. For example, someone who lives in an expensive subdivision yet rents a run-down house and does not own luxurious things could be considered poor compared to the rest of the neighborhood. For the most part, poverty is relative and socially defined. Compared to people starving in third-world countries, even many poor Americans are well-off. The impoverished that live in the inner city may have the same amount of money as those who live in rural areas, but since the cost of living is so high, those in the inner city may be worse off. At the same time, though, those in the inner city may also have access to more resources.
Because of relativity and the lack of concrete numbers, it's difficult to reach a consensus when it comes to identifying the poor. So in order to develop a clearer picture of poverty in the United States, the government has calculated an official poverty line, and the number is adjusted each year for inflation. Any family that falls below the poverty line is recognized as impoverished. As of 2012, the poverty line in the continental U.S. was set at $11,170 for a one-person household.
The use of the poverty line is controversial, as it does not take into account a number of factors, such as regional differences in the cost of living, benefits such as food stamps and school lunches, and more. It also lumps together those who have almost nothing with those who are struggling but managing to get by.
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Regardless, the poverty line does give us a way to identify those most in need. Most that fall below it suffer from absolute poverty, which is when people do not have enough money to purchase what is needed for survival. Where relative poverty sees inequality of income, absolute poverty sees families go hungry, live in inadequate housing, suffer from lack of health care, and possibly not have access to safe drinking water.
It is estimated that nearly 50 million Americans - that's more than 16% of our entire population - live in absolute poverty as of 2012. These individuals have great difficulty improving their living situation, as poverty can be a self-perpetuating cycle. Children in impoverished families are at an extreme disadvantage when seeking employment; in turn, the lack of stable employment ensures continued poverty.
Although no single definition of poverty fits all poor people, certain categories of people in America are more likely to experience poverty than others. First, children are the most likely age group to live in poverty. It's common for impoverished households to have multiple children, so resources must be divided between them. And again, these children are likely to grow up and remain poor, having children of their own and restarting the cycle.
Just a generation ago, the elderly were the most likely to suffer from poverty. However, the elderly have benefited greatly from retirement programs, social security, and Medicare. Besides age groups, there are also race and ethnicity groups that are more likely to experience poverty. African Americans top the list, closely followed by Hispanics. African Americans are almost three times as likely as non-Hispanic whites to live in poverty.
Poverty rates are also highest among families headed by single mothers. In fact, the feminization of poverty continues to be experienced in the U.S. and refers to the tendency of women to increasingly make up a larger proportion of the poor. In the last thirty years or so, the proportion of families living in poverty that are headed by women has grown to more than fifty percent. And the majority of these women are also African-American women.
In summary, poverty is a significant part of our society. Relative poverty is when people are poor relative to those around them. For the most part, poverty is relative and socially defined. Because of this, and in order to develop a clearer picture of poverty in the U.S., the government has calculated an official poverty line, which is adjusted each year for inflation. Most that fall below it suffer from absolute poverty, which is when people do not have enough money to purchase what is needed for survival. Although no single definition of poverty fits all poor people, certain categories of people in America are more likely to experience poverty than others, including children, African-Americans, and women.
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