Impacts of Poverty and Possible Solutions

Impacts Of Poverty and Possible Solutions
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Impacts Of Poverty and Possible Solutions
Detail your social problem, proving why it is a social problem with supporting evidence.
Poverty, defined by the UN as the "inability of people to meet basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter," remains one of the most pervasive social problems worldwide (Morris, et al., 2018). This global issue affects millions across developed and developing countries for many reasons. For one, poverty tends to be cyclical, with the lack of resources and opportunities making it difficult for individuals to break free from its effects (Brady, 2019). Deprivation is intrinsically linked to other social problems, such as crime, violence, and poor health, which can further compound its negative consequences. Inequality is also inextricably linked to poverty, with specific demographics--including people of color, women, children, and people with disabilities--at a higher risk of experiencing it. This disproportionate impact of poverty on certain groups only further entrenches the cycle of inequality. The magnitude of this problem is apparent: according to the World Bank, over 734 million people were living in extreme poverty in 2018 (Morris, et al., 2018). While the global poverty rate has decreased over the past few decades, it remains a significant issue that warrants further exploration and intervention to improve the quality of life for millions of people worldwide.
Impact analysis from macro and micro perspectives.
Multiple social phenomena contribute to the persistence of poverty, and social inequality and social deviance are two key examples. From a macro perspective, social inequality tends to generate poverty by concentrating wealth in the hands of a few, creating vast disparities in quality of life (Lin, et al., 2021) For individuals living in poverty, a lack of resources limits their access to education, health care, and job opportunities, which can perpetuate a cycle of poverty. Social deviance, such as crime and drug use, also contributes to poverty, as the disenfranchised and desperate are more likely to engage in such behaviors. Additionally, growing up in an environment where these behaviors are normalized can lead to socialization into deviant behavior. From a micro perspective, social inequality and deviance can also create internal psychological barriers, such as a sense of hopelessness, that prevent individuals from breaking free from poverty (Li, et al., 2022). Thus, these two social phenomena work together to create and perpetuate a cycle of poverty that is difficult to escape.
Explain which theoretical perspective best aligns with your selected social problem (conflict, functionalism, and symbolic interactionism)
Various theoretical perspectives could help explain this social problem, and each view has strengths and weaknesses. For this article, I argue that the conflict perspective best aligns with the social situation of poverty. The conflict perspective posits that society comprises different groups competing for limited resources. According to this perspective, group inequalities arise from this competition, leading to conflict (Cimadamore, 2021). The conflict perspective sees poverty as a result of the unequal distribution of resources and opportunities. This perspective argues that wealth is concentrated in a few's hands while most people struggle to make ends meet. One key strength of the conflict perspective is that it can explain why poverty is a persistent social problem. According to this perspective, those in power benefit from keeping most people in poverty because it keeps them dependent on the wealthy. This dependency ensures that the rich remain in power and accumulate resources. In this way, the conflict perspective argues that poverty is not an accident or an unfortunate circumstance but rather an intentional result of an unequal social system. While the functionalist and symbolic interactionist perspectives can offer some insights into the social problem of poverty, they need to catch up in several ways (Ismail, et al., 2022). The functionalist perspective, for example, argues that poverty is necessary for society to function, as it ensures that people will be motivated to work to escape poverty (Ismail, et al., 2022). However, this perspective does not account for the structural barriers preventing people from escaping poverty, even when inspired to do so.
Similarly, the symbolic interactionist perspective may offer insights into how people make meaning out of their poverty. Still, it fails to explain why poverty is a persistent and widespread social problem. Overall, the conflict perspective offers the most comprehensive explanation for the social situation of poverty (Ismail, et al., 2022). By focusing on the unequal distribution of resources and opportunities, this perspective helps to highlight the structural causes of poverty and how those in power perpetuate it.
Identify a social movement in response to your identified social ...