Poverty in U.S

Poverty in U.S

Background Information

Poverty is an unescapable human condition of not being in a position provide or obtain an average level of basic things in life such as food, water, and shelter. The condition is unlikely to disappear anytime soon. It also exists in varying degrees in different countries, states, or counties. Millions of people live in poverty in the United States, a country perceived to be the richest in the world. Poverty is measured in two different ways: relative poverty and absolute poverty. Relative poverty measures the disparities of wealth among income groups, and does not measure material or hardship deprivation. Relative poverty measures income inequality within a social context. On the other hand, absolute poverty measures minimal necessities essential to afford minimal standards of life-sustaining rudiments such as, access to health care, education, sanitation, clean water, shelter, clothing, and food, among others. Being poor is not defined by a lack of income but rather an accumulation of many aspects. The paper expressly discusses poverty in the United States, and more specifically in Philadelphia and how to mitigate the problem.

Poverty in U.S

Poverty is relative and may have different meanings in different parts of the world. Kayla, Semega, and Kollar argue that poverty is the most persistent of problems, with consequences that loom in the mind of families and individuals living at the edge of poverty, can be transferred across generations, and span a lifetime (21). The problem of poverty in the United States worsened after the great recession. Americans lost jobs and were forced to live a life they were unable to afford a minimum standard of living. Although the country has experienced economic boom in recent years, the problem of poverty has worsened during the recovery since many jobs created after the recession are not the same jobs that were lost. The United States Census Bureau estimated that about 42 million Americans, approximately 13.4 percent lived below the poverty line in 2017(Kayla, Semega, and Kollar 11). Americans are far less, or far more likely to live in poverty, depending on an individual’s race, social status, occupation, and gender. Poverty in the U.S is caused by either structural pressures or personal responsibility. However, Chaudry et al record that other factors outside the control of a person- including being a disabled person, a child, Hispanic, being black, or a woman is an indicator that the individual is more likely to live in poverty. Poverty in the U.S is associated with the failure to work on a full-time time basis. Despite their lack of education, many immigrants and their families do well in the U.S because they tend to work harder and form stable families than many destitute native citizens. Apart from economic stresses, other factors such as aspects of American culture contribute to poverty in the country.

Poverty in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is on an upswing by many measures, with rising household incomes, an influx of new investment, growing population. However, a significant percentage of the residents are struggling to provide a minimum standard of basic living. 26 percent of the city population, approximately 400,000 Philadelphia residents lived below the poverty line in 2017 (Murphy 15). Even as the national rates have fallen in recent years, the percentage of people living below poverty line in the city of Philadelphia remains high (Murphy 25). That percentage is among the highest for any American city. The poverty level in the city is about more than money since it affects access to quality schools, exposure to crime, employment prospects, and the overall health outcome of people living in the city. The high poverty rate in Philadelphia has spanned generations, painting a clear picture of the society’s structural and historic racism, as well as decades of job losses. The city’s budget should entirely be focused on cuts in domestic discretionary spending on things like job training, job creation programs, federal housing, health care, and childcare, among others despite the current widespread economic hardship.

Mitigating Poverty in the U.S and Philadelphia

The United States produces more per capita than any other developed nation in the world. In recent years, the federal and state governments have spent billions of dollars at various levels on programs serving low-income families. Despite the efforts put in place by the governments, the incidence of poverty in the U.S is at it was in 1973, at 11.2% (Kayla, Semega, and Kollar 16). In addition, the prevalence of measured poverty in the United States is more than in most of the rest of the developed countries. While the rates of poverty have declined in all regions, progress has been uneven across the United States. Joblessness is the source of most of the behavioral problems encountered in inner-city areas. The inability of inner-city schools to prepare children for well-paying jobs in the booming economy and the decline in well-paying jobs for unskilled workers have devastating effects to people’s standard of living. Some cultural underpinnings of poverty should not be ignored when addressing the poverty problem in American societies. The best way to mitigate the poverty problem in the U.S and Philadelphia is by focusing on children.

Poor families are in the lowest income bracket, they are poorly nourished, high maternal mortality rates, a higher incidence of other health problems, and lower rates of life expectancy. Investing in children through quality health care services and education will play a significant role in eradicating poverty. Investing in children through education prevents the transmission of poverty between generations. Education that targets children from low income families and populations bring change to many of the systemic factors that contribute to the delay of development in poor communities. Education has an effect on environmental protection, economic development, nutrition, and health in general. The targeted social work policy curriculum has a great influence on the attitude of students about poverty (Frank, and Rice 395).

Investing in children through provision of quality education will eliminate the culture of poverty and hooliganism in ghetto areas and poor neighborhoods. Children represent 30 percent of the world’s population and more than half of the world’s poorest individuals are children (Kayla, Semega, and Kollar 18). Murphy also avers that 34 percent of children in Philadelphia live in poverty (22).Families with modest income are at risk of falling into poverty as the families grow since children are a consequence and cause of poverty. Investing in human capital and ensuring every child has the necessary skills to succeed in the changing nature of global economy, driven by globalization and technological advancements will reduce the prevalence of poverty in the U.S. After the 2008 economic recession, the United States government has been trying to create new jobs to reduce the rate of unemployment. However, the new jobs created in the economy edge out or rather lock out unskilled workers from being employed. Therefore, investing in children through education will promote economic growth, reduce economic inequalities in the United States, increase individual earnings, and reduce poverty