Question

Consequences of Poverty in the United States

The consequences of poverty are far reaching and multifaceted. Sociologists often try to understand the complex and interrelated ways that poverty adversely affects people’s lives along a number of dimensions. Reflect on what you have learned about the impact of poverty as you watch the following video.

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Video supplied by BBC Motion Gallery.

One problem addressed by the video is a lack of food, clothing, and medical care among the students at Whitney Elementary. With the help ofincreased government assistance   , the principal created programs to help poor and homeless students get the basic supplies they needed. In her view, many of these problems have been worsened by   .

Research shows that children enduring poverty, like those at Whitney Elementary, are more likely to:

Encounter stressful family environments and health problems that can hinder academic performance

Excel in school due to higher levels of motivation to escape poverty

If Charlie grows up to remain poor as an adult, her experience would be illustrative of intergenerational poverty. This problem draws the attention of sociologists because it can lead to an underclass of people who are:

Persistently poor and disadvantaged along many social dimensions

Poor for only a short time but require a great deal of government aid

Another consequence of poverty is a lack of political power among the poor. Studies show that they are much less likely to vote than the wealthy, in part because of political alienation that:

Makes them feel powerless and estranged from government

Allows them to trust the free market to solve their economic problems

Answer 1

From the video I have understood that poverty is a multidimensional concept and it affects all the major areas of the individuals . An approach which is multidimensional in nature is needed to address poverty . We can take an example of an individual who gets affected by poverty . Poverty is not monetary in nature as it comes in many ways . Lack of financial resources , Lack of access to health infrastructure , Lack of education . lack of political power etcThese are some of the dimensions of poverty .All the discussed dimensions are interdependent and interrelated to each other .For example a child who has no financial security and is living below poverty line is often socially and economically excluded from society . As he or she has no longer access to education because of lack of funds .This further leads to restricted access to job and employment opportunities .Lack of finances restrict the access to health services which also hampers the health conditions leading to poor health among the poor populations . Social exclusion also affects the mental health of individuals . Similar poverty leads to political exclusion also because individuals lost their decision making voice . Poverty is a broad concept which needs intervention on a multiple level and requires an inclusive comprehensive approach . For example a policy should provide financial support as well as cheap health and education services as individuals drain their financials when they want to have access to health and education services .