Jenniffer Ochoa
Professor Broadous
PAS 113B
22 March 2012
Disadvantages of
Poverty
“More than one
billion people in the world live on less than one dollar a day. Another 2.7
billion struggle to survive on less than two dollars per day. Poverty in the
developing world, however, goes far beyond income poverty.” (One United Nations
Plaza)
As time unfolds poverty in the U.S
has been proliferating through decades causing an arduous impact in today’s
economy. Every year more people are found above or below the poverty line
trying to seek a way out of it. And as far as poverty maintains existing, food
insecurity is sure to exist as well. Living in poverty has brought many
negative outcomes, making people choose form one possible choice after another.
Poverty is affecting individuals economically, socially, and by not assuring
them a bright future, because even people with a degree can be found in
poverty.
The Place I went to analyze was a
place called Women in Deed located in Pasadena, which made me realize what many
women and people in general are going through. Approximate 18 women were in the
facility getting provided with food, clothes, shower, a bed, and as they are
being helped there, they seemed optimistic that they will find a home and a
job. Another thing that caught my attention is how their new space changes who
they are our now. A couple of women did not feel comfortable in socializing
with me while a women opened up and told me life is not easy, even though she a
bit seemed ashamed were she stands now. She explained me on how she obtains a
degree in Public Relations and is found homeless, but is positive that she will
get back in her feet.
People living below the poverty
line have experienced, “One of four major hardships…very low food security,
overcrowded housing, late rent or mortgage.” (Cohen, Philip) The majority of
people, being families of low incomes are becoming more relevant in today’s
society causing them to have vulnerable results, such as job changes,
unemployment, public assistance, and variations in family needs. In order for
an individual or parent to do well economically they need to have a good and
stable job that will prevent them from falling down and being categorize as
homeless. But as statistics show, the official poverty rate in 2011 in the
United States was, “15 percent, representing 46.2 million people…largest number
ever recorded and still rising.”(Cohen) As people become to hit the poverty
line, they have to consider on taking wise choices with the money they spend in
necessities. For example, during periods of cold weather, poor families and
elderly individuals are far more likely to experience food insecurity as they
have to choose between spending their money on heat or food.
However, people tend to presume
that hunger is occurring through scarcity of food and having less amount of
food being produce. There is more than enough food for every individual and
trucking industry ready to import food wherever it needs to go. What the
problem has been for the past decades is customers not having money in their
pockets. Poverty has been as essential highlight in the U.S causing, “Ups and
downs in food insecurity living up closely with the changes in poverty.”
(Isserman, Maurice) Poverty spoils every meal making it uneasy for every family
to survive, but even tougher for elderly people.
Hunger is a simple issue to family
who qualifies for Food Stamp programs, (WIC), and easier for children who
receive free school lunch. When it comes to elderly people, Philip Cohen
concludes that, “Many families of poor children have benefit for food stamps,
which pulled 2% of children above the poverty line…and in addition to people of
the age 65+ are found below poverty line.” Seniors are found in a stressful
situation that leaves them to poverty due to medical costs. Many programs have
been offered to low income workers with children, as seniors are neglected more
and getting harmed by healthcare costs. Furthermore, as families and
individuals try hard to overcome poverty it has gotten arduous as they begin to
get tied with money and eventually lose their home.
The majority of poor people in
America experience real lack of basic material necessities. At times families
are unable to purchase adequate food or healthy living for the entire household
due to insufficient money, causing stress and anxiety with living so close of
falling short. Stress that affiliates families is causing long term effects on
their everyday life. It has been portrayed that, “Economic insecurity is the
number on predictor of overall health problems, depression, sleep difficulties,
and stress among everyday workers.” (Sethi, Arjun) On the other hand, not only
does it affect parents, but children as well. Children who experience crowded
housing conditions or multiple residential moves, display health and
developmental problems.
Children have been struggling more
at school for the purpose they want to quit school to get a job and help out
their parents out. Children experiencing parents unemployment has, “Increased a
child education to be held back by 15 percent.” (Isserman) Many people neglect
how bad poverty can affect a person social life. Many poor people that are
found in poverty are ashamed on the situation they are found, that they do not
like to socialize among others and eventually they begin to isolate themselves.
In Maria LaGanga’s article “Tent city USA” explains how a man living in
Sacramento who had held a job and an apartment, and now he struggles to stay
clean and fed. He shares that, “The only work I have found is holding an advertisement
sign on a street corner.” (LaGanga, Maria)
Many economic changes are sprawling
every day; people holding a second shift, wage earners getting laid off, ad
millions of people moving from middle class to near the poverty line. It has
been estimated, “40% of people being unsheltered” making things harsh to see
people become homeless every day and not being offered enough help. The poor
are the ones that are getting sick more often than anyone else in the society.
Despite that they get decent medical care, they have a higher rate of getting
sick because of the slums they live on, being jammed together in unsanitary
conditions, and having inadequate diets.
In order for homeless people to be
heard it is up to people with a stable life to acknowledge what they are going
through. Poor people are, “Not simply neglected or forgotten...what is much
worse, they are not seen.” (Isserman) Many people in poverty cannot be heard if
they do not have an address of their own when it comes to voting or applying
for a job. Poverty is an arduous condition to shed. Even people that continue
on their career are not guaranteed a successful future. Many students continue
on going to school being optimistic they might obtain a stable job, but is all
depends to the characteristics they bring to work and the field they hold a
degree on. “Education alone is much less successful in raising employment and
earnings prospects, than education combined with a strategy of focused job
training.” (Bernstein, Jared) What this quote implies is that in order for a
person to pursue their ambitions in their career they need to maintain good job
training to be above the poverty line. Education has only been a partial cure
for poverty, because of all the other recent changes in the labor market. Many
labor markets are paying the minimum wage to the majority of the workers,
making them struggle more and considering on them obtaining a second job.
Poverty has ridiculously increased,
and there needs to be positive changes before everybody is near the poverty
line. Without anyone standing up to make changes poverty will always be
neglected. Even if education improves the quality of workers, it does not
improve the quality or quantity of jobs. Many people have hit the poverty line
as economy has gotten tougher, causing a great impact on their social life.
Work Cited
Bernstein, Jared. "The
American Prospect."
Http://prospect.org/article/article/education-cure-provety. 22 Apr. 2010. Web.
"Causes of Hunger in the
U.S." - Bread for the World: Have Faith. End Hunger. Sept. 2010. Web. 22
Mar. 2012. http://www.bread.org/hunger/us/causes.html
LaGanga, Maria. "Tent City,
USA." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2009. Web. 22 Mar.
2012. http://www.latimes.com.
Cohen, Philip N. "Poverty,
Hardship, and Families: How Many People Are Poor, and What Does Poor in America
Really Mean?" Welcome to the Child Trends DataBank. 5 Dec. 2011. Web. 22
Mar. 2012. http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/alphalist
Sethi, Arjun. "Homelessness
Treated as Criminals in America." Web.ebscohost.com. Aug. 2011. Web.
Isserman, Maurice. "50 Years
Later: Poverty and the Other America." Winter 2012. Web. Mar. 2012.
