Poverty in Canada. Health, Medicine, Nursing Term Paper

Poverty in Canada
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Poverty in Canada
Introduction
Poverty refers to the inability of certain individuals in a society to afford basic amenities viewed as customary due to their inability to participate in economic physical and social activities. Consequently, such individuals become excluded from society and forced to live under poor conditions.
Individuals likely to experience poverty in Canada
Firstly, recent immigrants to Canada may likely face poverty at a point in their life due to significant differences in their income as compared to locals. This indicates that the level of wages increases for citizens while that of immigrants has proportionally declined over the years (Raphael, Who is Poor in Canada? 2011, p.79). Despite their educational status, immigrants face low incomes, thus creating situations where they cannot earn the same wages as their counterparts at the same level of work. This is the same case for Aboriginal Canadians who also face lower wages and less exposure to full-time employment opportunities (Raphael, Who is Poor in Canada? 2011, p.77). With lower average incomes for this community, more individuals face poverty since they cannot improve their living standards to compete with others earning more.
Apart from that, the exclusion of individuals from economic and social resources to enable them to participate adequately in activities likely to earn valuable income may likely force them into poverty. For instance, people of color have a higher likelihood of becoming poor due to racism that limits their participation in economic and social activities to improve their living standards (Raphael, Who is Poor in Canada? 2011, p.79). Therefore, the lack of adequate support from the society forms the basis for such individuals' failures since they cannot get adequate services to build their lives. In such cases, low wages, lack of employment and proper education form part of government responsibilities, hence such individuals may experience poverty. While some individuals may be employed, their income levels may be so low, making it challenging to cover their basic amenities.
Additionally, women also form part of individuals likely to experience poverty due to the paratracheal tendencies in Canada. Thus, women become exposed to fewer opportunities for employment, wealth, and power, hence condemning them to live in poverty. Their primary responsibility of child-rearing may not be recognized by society, limiting their ability to engage in economic activities (Raphael, Who is Poor in Canada? 2011, p.82). Therefore, women become less likely to receive benefits from their work due to such limitations while also receiving less social assistance, especially if they are sole providers.
Public policies encouraging increasing poverty levels in Canada
In Canada, the lack of adequate minimum wage and low social assistance benefits for individuals living in poverty brings about problems. The public policies in Canada provide lower social benefits, putting the vulnerable in worse positions since they cannot afford to access essential services such as proper housing or balanced food diets (Raphael, Who is Poor in Canada? 2011, p.83). More so, the minimum working wage in the country is significantly lower than in other countries. The government thus cannot ensure that families with children benefit from such initiatives since they fail to assist the families in improving their health and physical health being. With proper wages, low-income families can slowly develop hence get access to better opportunities for further development.
Furthermore, the lack of job security and low-paying jobs drive more individuals into poverty in Canada. Therefore, the policies in Canada regarding labor relations fail to address these matters would improve the working conditions for employees while providing adequate income that would enable them to live comfortably (Raphael, Who is Poor in Canada? 2011, p.84). Therefore, people living in poverty get opportunities to work under poor conditions with very little pay, thus increasing their decline into poverty. Thus, workers can improve their conditions through government regulation that supports their wellbeing through policies that support their greater involvement in decision making.
Apart from that, the government's withdrawal from the housing program means that more people cannot afford basic housing amenities. Affordable housing solutions provide needy families with options to access a home through schemes that offer social housing. However, Canada's decision to withdraw from affordable housing makes more people unable to afford housing, especially with the rising costs. Consequently, more people are thus likely to become homeless as a result of such government decisions.
Canada’s identity as a liberal welfare state means that the country depends on market forces in the distribution of resources and goods within its population. Therefore, its strategies towards low-income groups tend to show little effort to improve their living standards. Consequently, there exists a lack of regard for labor unions since they lack proper bargaining power to fight for better working conditions and wages for their members. Social programs by the government receive modest funds, hence little focus put on universal benefits for all citizens in the country (Raphael, Poverty and the Modern Welfare State, 2011, p.18). This, in turn, forms a negative attitude and perception towards needy individuals since it views their circumstances as personal failures, hence society cannot adequately assist in improving their lives.
Effects of poverty on health and quality of life
People living in poverty have little to no funds available to seek adequate medical assistance. Therefore, from a young age, children develop without proper medical care, which ultimately affects them as they grow up since they become prone to succumb to treatable diseases (Raphael D., Poverty and Health, 2011, p.226). Consequently, mortality rates in communities living in poverty are significantly lower than others living in well off communities. The comparison done using basic health attributes shows that children brought up in low-income families tend to have poor functional health.
Furthermore, individuals from poor communities have higher chances of contracting chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS. The high prevalence of such diseases in people living in poverty shows a significant trend with more incidence and deaths caused by them. This may be due to the lack of specialized care involving cardiac diseases and cancer for poor individuals. Furthermore, the waiting times for assistance in hospitals show disparities meaning that poor people have to wait longer to get life-saving treatments, thus causing continued health deterioration (Raphael D., Poverty and Health, 2011, p.233). More so, the poor health of victims living in poverty is expounded by their living conditions that make it impossible for them to have proper diets, adequate medicine and proper housing. The lack of basic amenities thus playa a significant role in worsening their conditions, thus ultimately leading to higher mortality rates.
On the other hand, quality of life is impacted significantly by poverty since these individuals cannot afford basic amenities to make their lives comfortable. Social and material deprivation in both children and adults causes a range of problems that affect their emotional, physical and social development (Raphael D., Poverty and Quality of Life, 2011, p.298). Therefore, such individuals grow up facing challenges in their communities and on personal levels due to a lack of resources that deprive them of basic amenities. Their exposure to difficulties also shapes their outcomes since they are unable to experience better childhoods as compared to other children in better neighborhoods. This may affect their cognitive a...