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Week2_PovertyandSocialClass.pptxPoverty and Social Class
Week 2
Definitions
Poverty:
Common definition: The state of being extremely poor
Sociological definition: Lacking the material and social resources an individual requires to live a healthy life
Social class:
Common definition: A division of society based on social and economic status (mainly income, wealth, education, and occupation)
Sociological definition: A collection of individuals sharing similar social and economic (i.e., socioeconomic) circumstances
Official Poverty Measurement
The Poverty Line (1963)
Minimal diet multiplied by 3
Has not changed since
Problems
Does not account for cost of living
Other expenses aside from food
Does not account for noncash income
Adjusted for inflation annually, and is based on the number of people in a family
Many families who are near poverty, but not below the official line, still have significant trouble making ends meet
Extent of Poverty
According to the official measure, as of 2020, 11.4% of the population (37.2 million people), lived in official poverty
Supplemental poverty measure created to take additional expenses, noncash income, and geography into account
This newer measure indicates there are more people living in poverty in the US than originally calculated with the 1963 measure
Group Activity
Estimate what a family of four (two parents, two young children) in Clark County would have to pay annually for food, clothing, shelter, energy, and other necessities of life.
What figure do you end up with?
How does this sum of money compare with the official 2022 poverty line of $26,500 in annual income, for a family of four?
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Poverty
Most poor people in the United States are which race or ethnicity?
Black/African American
Latino
Native American
Asian
White
According to 2018 Census Data
25.4 percent of Native Americans live in poverty
20.8 percent of Black individuals
17.6 percent of Hispanic individuals of any race
10.1 percent of non-Hispanic whites
10.1 percent of Asians
There is a disproportionality of poverty across racial and ethnic categories, compared to the white population
Gender and Age
Women are more likely than men to be poor
12.9% of females, and 10.6% of males in the US live in poverty
“The feminization of poverty”
16.2% of children under 18 live in poverty
39% of Black/African-American children in 2010, 26% in 2019
35% of Latino children in 2010, 21% in 2019
Among Asian children: 14.4% in 2010, 7% in 2019
Among white children: 12.3% in 2010, 8% in 2019
The US poverty rate among children is the highest of all wealthy democracies in the world
9.7% of older adults live in poverty (this rises to 14.1% using the supplemental poverty measure)
Labor Force Participation
The belief that poor people lack motivation and are lazy is a myth
Most poor people are either working, unemployed but looking for work, or cannot work because of their age and/or health
| Total number of people living in poverty | 37,247,000 |
| Number of poor people under age 18 | 11,607,000 |
| Number of poor people ages 65 & older | 5,000,000 |
| Number of poor people ages 18-64 | 20,640,000 |
| Number of poor people ages 18-64 who were: | |
| Working full- or part-time | 7,593,000 |
| Unemployed but looking for work | 1,382,880 |
| Disabled | 3,643,000 |
| In the armed forces | 103,200 |
| Able-bodied but not in the labor force | 6,790,560 |
Theoretical Explanations
| Theoretical Perspective | Major assumptions |
| Functionalism | Stratification is necessary to induce people with special intelligence, knowledge, and skills to enter the most important occupations. For this reason, stratification is necessary and inevitable. |
| Conflict theory | Stratification results from lack of opportunity and from discrimination and prejudice against the poor, women, and people of color/ It is neither necessary nor inevitable. |
| Symbolic interactionism | Stratification affects people’s beliefs, lifestyles, daily interaction, and conceptions of themselves. |
Individual Vs. Structural Explanations
| Explanation | Major assumptions |
| Individualistic | Poverty results from the fact that poor people lack the motivation to work and have certain beliefs and values that contribute to their poverty. |
| Structural | Poverty results from problems in society that lead to a lack of opportunity and a lack of jobs. |
Consequences of Poverty
Poor children are more likely to grow up to be poor themselves
Poor children and families are more likely to have health problems, many of which they cannot afford to treat
Poor children are more likely to commit street crime
Poor children, and adults, and more likely to have lower levels of formal education
How might we go about reducing Poverty in the US?
Think-Pair-Share
