Verified Document

Poverty In America Essay

Poverty in America With the growing divide between the rich and the poor in a generally wealthy nation, it becomes interesting to know just what exactly entails poverty within the United States of America. For some, poverty runs along the lines of unsustainability, one in which an individual or groups thereof are incapable of providing necessities that sustain life. This is an absolute extreme of poverty. However, Duncan Lindsey and John Iceland further purport this definition of poverty, indicating that those who live in poverty might be much more than just the "ultimately poor." In their cases, there is an inequality that takes effect, which is the major cause of relative poverty in the United States.

In Iceland's case, poverty is "economic, or income, deprivation resulting in one's inability to sustain oneself." For the most part, this is true. However, there is a distinct division between "absolute poverty" and "relative poverty," two types of measurements of the poor that Iceland further discusses...

It is the relative poverty line that becomes controversial to toe, as it is defined differently according to geography as well as time. "Views of poverty vary over time and place. What it meant to be poor in the early twentieth century is not the same today. Nor is the standard of what constitutes poverty in the United States the same as that in the developing world" (Iceland). At the present time, the causes of poverty are mostly due -- not so much through a failing in the economic system -- man-made barriers.
This argument is further solidified in Lindsey's arguments about poverty in his book Child Poverty and Inequality: Securing a Better Future for America's Children, which details an inequality affecting children who grow up in poverty. Lindsey's main concern is the fact that the United States speaks highly of a promise to cultivate children to achieve a comfortable standard of living. This achievement, however, seems to be unattainable for the…

Sources used in this document:
Resources

Iceland, John. Poverty in America: a Handbook. Berkeley: University of California, 2006. Print.

Lindsey, Duncan. Child Poverty and Inequality: Securing a Better Future for America's Children. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. Print.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Poverty and Children in the U.S. Poverty
Words: 2090 Length: 7 Document Type: Essay

Poverty and Children in the U.S. Poverty Stricken Children in the United States of America It is unfortunate to state that sociological ills have preserved their place in almost every society, civilization and empire. Be it slavery, illiteracy, disease or poverty; one vice or the other has invaded communities throughout history and wreaked destruction upon the inhabitants. Despite the revolutions in the information technology and communication sector, countries are still experiencing a

Poverty a Recent Study on Demographics Found
Words: 1211 Length: 3 Document Type: Research Paper

Poverty A recent study on demographics found that white Americans, currently about 63% of the U.S. population, will peak in 2024 and drop below 50% of the U.S. population by 2043. In fact, since the Immigration Reform Act of 1965, about 650,000 new immigrants a year come from Latin America and Asia, which outnumbers the mass European Immigration from 1920-1920 (Lee, 2013). African-Americans, as of the 2012 census update, comprise about

Poverty in Haiti -- Case Study Causes
Words: 1001 Length: 3 Document Type: Case Study

Poverty in Haiti -- Case Study CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS Poverty in Haiti Key Problem: Haiti remains among the poorest in the world despite strong interventions. a broad-spectrum approach under a proper leadership will address Haiti's multiple problems synergistically. Haiti overcame French colonial control and slavery in a series of wars in the early 19th century to become the world's first black-led Republic and the first independent Caribbean State (BBC, 2012). Its largely mountainous terrain and

Poverty Over the Years, the
Words: 1103 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

This can take shape with the person having fewer educational resources and support. While at the same time, they are exposed to a host of illegal activities that are committed right in front of them (i.e. The distribution of illegal drugs or the sale of guns). These factors will help the person to think that this is socially acceptable. ("Causes and Effects of Poverty," 2012) When this happens, they will

Poverty Education Problems at Present, an African
Words: 2163 Length: 7 Document Type: Research Paper

Poverty Education Problems At present, an African child born in poverty is more anticipated to be undernourished than attending primary school education and is as likely to pass away ahead of age 5 as to attend secondary education. As mentioned by Tilak, J. (2009) these harsh realities are representatative of the interlinked state of poverty and education with regard to a child's chances of survival in Africa. Statistical assessment of sub-Saharan

Poverty and Obesity Povery and Obesity the
Words: 2424 Length: 7 Document Type: Research Paper

Poverty and Obesity POVERY AND OBESITY The Connection Between Poverty and Obesity Michelle Spezio English Composition Fall Session A The Connection between Poverty and Obesity The argument that obesity is correlated with poverty is one that is quite persistent in the popular literature and also the in the scientific research (e.g., Drewnowski, 2004; Pollan, 2006). To say that one thing is correlated with another should not be interpreted as meaning that one thing leads to another or

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now