Belk 1

BrantleyBelk
Ms.Caruso
UWRT1103
1March2016
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IfsomeoneweretoapproachanyAmericantheywouldmostlikelyhavean
understandingaboutwhatpovertyis.Therealquestionis:Whatexactlyispovertyand
howdoesitimpactpeople,inparticularchildrenthatarebelowandaroundthepoverty
line?
Povertyisnotdefinedsimplyasonesingledefinitionbecausetherearetwo
subcategoriesthatmakeuppoverty.Thesecategoriesareabsolutepoverty,whichisthe
basiclackofnecessitiesneededtosurvive(EAPN2),andrelativepoverty,whichiswhen
apersonorfamilysincomeisconsiderablyworsethanthegeneralstandardofliving
(EAPN2).Thepovertylineisfoundbyaddingupallexpensesforneededresourcesfor
theaverageadulthumanbeing(Wikipedia).Apioneerofpovertystudies,Seebhom
Rowntreedefinesabsolutepovertyas,Theconditionunderwhichonecannotaffordthe
minimumprovisionneededtomaintainhealthandworkingefficiency.Rowntree
decidesthisisthepovertylinebasedonthebasisofnutritionapersongetsfromhisor
herdiet.ThisisavalidpointmadebyRowntreebecausefoodandshelteraretwomain
necessitiesofliving.
Manypeoplebelievethatthepovertylineisnotawaytomeasurepoverty
becausemanypeopleabovethislinearestillconsideredimpoverished.TheUnited

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StatesCensusBureaudefinesthepovertylineforafamilyoffourasmaking$23,050or
less(Midgett,TheLine).Thisisastrictlinemeaningthatafamilymakingslightly
morewouldnotbeconsideredpoororeligibleforgovernmentassistance.Asingle
motherin1999sentanemailtoHealthandHumanServices(responsibleforcalculating
thefederalpovertyline).Inthisemailshestatedthatsheworkstwojobs,whichtotals
about$18,000peryear,andthepovertylineis$11,060.Shecanbarelyaffordherbills
andexpenses,andsheconcludesaskinghowpeoplearesupposedtoliveunder$20,000a
year(Light,WhyIstheFederalPovertyLineSoFarOff?).Todaythepovertylinefor
afamilyoftwois$15,510,whichisstilllessthanwhatthewomanisstrugglingtolive
on.
Povertydoesnotjustimpactadultsandtheirabilitytopaybillsortakecareof
families.Ithasahugeeffectonchildrensuchas:academicachievement,psychosocial
andphysicalhealth(EffectsofPoverty,HungerandHomelessnessonChildrenand
Youth).InCleveland,Ohiocensusdataprovedthat54percentofthechildrenlivein
poverty,andnotjustrelativepovertybutoverwhelminglypoor.LauraSpeeristhe
associatedirectorofpolicyreformandsheclaimsthatitisnosecrethowpoorkidsare
morelikelytobethesickkids.(Putinfoaboutquotehere)Speeralsosays,
Childrenwhogrowupineconomicallydisadvantagedhouseholds,especially
foralongperiodoftimeoriftheylivebelowthepovertylinewhenthey'revery
younggenerallyspeakinghavenegativeoutcomesonlotsofthingsthatmatter
forchilddevelopment(Zeltner,MorethanHalfofClevelandKidsLivein
Poverty)

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