Poverty is an issue which affects people in all countries. However, poverty is a relative concept. Clearly, the experience of poverty in developed nations of the West is likely to differ from the kind of poverty experienced in developing countries. For instance, whether rich or poor, children in the West have access to education. Although there are different types of the educational system, schooling is compulsory for children up to a certain age. This is not always the case in the developing world, as there isn’t the infrastructure to ensure that every child has access to education.
Education is key to get out of poverty
Unfortunately, education is the best route out of poverty. Self-help was a popular notion in the nineteenth century, a time when there was a great deal of social upheaval. Even though there were sharp class differences, those at the lower end of the social scale believed that it was possible for them to improve their circumstances. Thus, even without any formal education, there were many individuals that were self-taught. This improved their ability to get on in the world. It was in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that governments began to recognize the importance of an educated population.
Starting work early in life
Being born into poverty can affect a child’s life chances. Even in societies where education is free, lack of resources can impact their ability to succeed. Children from poorer backgrounds may not have as much encouragement to continue with their education, as they may have to contribute to the family’s finances earlier on. Plus, children living in poverty may have parents who are not very well educated themselves, and so they can’t give them the support they need to get ahead in their studies. Children who live in poverty are more likely to leave school at a younger age and without any qualifications.
Gap widening between the rich and poor
Thus, the poverty cycle can be extremely difficult to break. Despite the idea that anyone can succeed in America, there is actually a significant gap between the wealthiest and poorest society. Consequently, this has an effect on the quality of life experienced by those living in poverty. Often those in the poorest neighborhoods and communities are from ethnic minorities. These individuals frequently face discrimination in the education system and in the workplace and it is much harder to escape poverty than for other groups in society.
Government’s role
In an ideal world, there would be no such thing as poverty, but clearly, capitalism makes this impossible. Inequality is a feature of the capitalist system and only the government can do anything to alleviate the worst extremes of the system. It is for this reason that the welfare system was created and continues to exist, despite the hostility which exists towards this system and its effectiveness. Hopefully, you have found some of these facts to be interesting.
More Facts
- A quarter of humanity, 1.6 billion people, lives without electricity.
- One frappuccino at Starbucks costs more than the median income for people in the developing world ($3 a day).
- Some 54 percent of Americans are considered to be living below the poverty line.
- Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
- Millions of women spending several hours a day collecting water.
In almost every country in the world, children are more likely to live in poverty than adults
Whether using the extreme poverty line, or the Multidimensional Poverty Index, data tells us children are more likely to live in poverty than other groups. Ending child poverty is a challenge in many countries around the world and one of the world’s most urgent tasks.
