Features of poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Features of poverty - Essay Example It could be more effectively defined by looking at its cause and effect and association to other related aspects. Rather than just simply looking at the insufficiency of resources, we must focus on the efforts exerted and the conditions that brought about the insufficiency. There is also truth in saying that poverty should not be measured by money alone. Two people could obtain the same amount of money but one could be deemed poor in possessions because of misallocation. This also deals with how money is spent. In a study by Christophe Muller, he posed the question whether poverty measures are a real economic phenomena or only hidden consequences of methodological choices. He also stated that there is a difference between being poor in a poor community and being poor in a wealthy environment. Thus, it could be established that defining poverty lines is such a tall order. We cannot just simply apply the same measure everywhere and all the time. (3) One would be shocked at how many factors affect not only poverty but also our understanding of poverty. Technically, other factors such as inequality, taxation, and income distribution should also be considered in evaluating economic conditions. In his paper, Defining Poverty Lines and Identifying the Poor, Peter Sanders purports that the government has a stake on the people's welfare particularly in its policies on wages and social benefits. In reality, the government should not take on the burden of ensuring the people's financial welfare but the most that it could do is formulate sound policies to ensure equality and economic security. (5) Then, there is the question if poverty could be accurately gauged by a certain measure or statistics alone. Definitely, this is not so true since poverty could not be defined as something quantitative but more so qualitative. Poverty is also suggestive of the quality of life or living conditions. (6) Sanders further claims that in a so-called outcome-oriented perspective, poverty is not measured but rather experienced by those who fall to it. Poverty does not become potent when it is gauge but rather when it felt. History tells us that it is not only the poor who complain about life becoming more and more difficult but also those who are well off. The worst kind of poverty happens when the people and government could not afford to have or provide themselves good education. It could also be said that poverty in a nation is also indicative of its social and political system and the stability of its laws and policies. People really do have different notions of poverty and this is most times subjective. This is further elucidated in the study done on DSS clients. This further makes the idea of solving this social condition impossible especially if those stricken by poverty do not realize or recognize that they are poor. In addition, this disparity could happen on the other extreme, when the wealthy think that they are poor. A nation would have to be clear at establishing the poverty line or define the standards of living before it could effectively define poverty. Destitution does not just concern our needs and wants but also how we manage our resources or income. It was also discussed how poverty per se is not a single entity but something that could take different forms and just like every social issues, it has evolved. Now, in a paper entitled GLOBALIZATION AND POVERTY,

Discussion 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Discussion 2 - Assignment Example rty four presidents who have been elected and only one president has been a minority of mixed race descent .Preliminary reports indicate that a majority of Americans are going to vote for a white president in the next coming elections since they view the incumbent as being ineffective and incapable of handling the requirements of the office (Watkins 57). The entertainment industry is also another sector where racism is still prevalent. A very high percentage of the leading men and women in Hollywood blockbuster films are Caucasian, while the other positions are left to the ever growing population of minorities. In those instances where minorities are starring, the roles are tailored in such a way that they are specifically for minorities and the majority of the cast is comprised of fellow minority actors. It is very rare that a minority is able to acquire a role based on his/her acting prowess regardless of whether they fit the Hollywood stereotype of leading men and women possessing physical attributes that are associated with Caucasians such as, blue eyes, white complexion and free flowing hair which out rightly prevents minority actors from getting such roles. Additionally, black actors for instance, are mostly drafted in roles depicting drug dealers, gang members while actors of Latin descent are drafted to roles depicting them as drug cartel members and drug lords. This points to a deep rooted thinking, where the majority of the Caucasian population perceives the minorities as being the antagonists while they consider themselves as being the protagonists and heroes (Watkins 63). The film ‘Do the Right Thing’ by Spike Lee, released in 1989, aimed to show the deep rooted and unassuming racial undertones that are still prevalent in modern day America. The movie showed how the average African American is subjected to daily racism, which has led to the majority of the young African American male youth towards a life of drugs and gang violence in order to