Poverty, What Makes People Poor

The rich, the middle class, and the poor; are described by the way we live and the amount of money one has. There are many different ways of describing what poverty is, whether it is by how you live, how much money you have, or in statistical terms. Poverty isnt always a bad thing it is just another way of living, another way of life. There are different kinds of poverty that you can measure. There is relative poverty that can be measured to the rest of the population. Relative poverty is measuring less than fifty percent than the average income or wealth that a person has. That means that if you make less than half of what the average person makes you are poor. Relative poverty still means that you are able to survive, but not to the standard that most are at. There is also absolute poverty. This means that you are unable to provide the necessary things that you need to survive in your daily life. Things like food shelter and medical attention. This is the measure that has set The Poverty Line developed by the Social Security Administration. The current poverty line is measured at $16,588 for a family of four. The poverty line is measured by the emergency food budget times three. This means that the food that a family needs to survive multiply by three. You must think that the family must pay for their bills, mortgage, and their food with this money. Seventy percent of a families income goes to house them. According to the United States Census Service there are 34.5 million Americans that are poor. This consists of 12.7 percent of the United States population. This is an under estimate of the real poverty rate because the poverty line is very conservative. About eleven million people are just above the poverty line. United States has the highest poverty rate of the worlds industrialize countries. Some people have it worse than other people. For instance women make up two-thirds of the adult poor population. This could be the cause of many things like divorce, and poor job opportunities. Even though the men and the women get divorced the men income still tend to rise. The single parent household that is headed, by a women tend to have a high poverty rate. Twenty nine and nine tenth percent of single parent families are headed by females. African American females are three time to be poor. Black female head 40.8 percent of black households. Women earnings are seventy cents to the dollar to a male worker. Children are also affected by the single parent families and are the cause of high poverty rate. Children make up 26 percent of the United States population. But they make up forty percent of the poor population. This means that 18.9 percent of all children are poor. Fifty five percent of these children are under six years old. The infantalization of poverty is the fastest growing group in poverty. This can be caused by divorce, wedlock, or a death of a parent. Children out of wedlock are more likely to be poor than any other children. There are many myths about poverty that may lead some people on. One myth is that many people think that the poor do not want to work. In reality, 41 percent of the poor worked and 13 percent of the poor work full time. Even though some people can work forty hours a week they still cant make the poverty line. The minimum wage does not keep up with the inflation of the dollar. Only about 3.5 percent of the poor population, can work, but dont. The two earner families are also the fastest growing group in poverty. Another myth is that most people on welfare are cheating the system. This however is not the case, only about five percent actually cheat the system. This is no more than another government program. The United States is not as generous on the welfare system as it is. The fact is that the United States are very stingy about their welfare system compared to other industrialize nations. Another myth is that people live off the welfare system and doesnt want to get off of it. Most people go off of the welfare within the first two years. They dont want to be on welfare, circumstances put them on it. Like lost job, death of spouse, illness, disability, or a child at home. Some people blame the poverty on the person that is poor. Things they may say would be like, they are too lazy to work or they are taking advantage of the system. These people believe in the person blame approach. The person blame approach focuses on social problems stem from pathological defects in an individual. This approach requires a person to be repaired psychologically in order to fix the social problem. The problem with this is that there is no blame on the persons environment and the social system of society. It is very hard to isolate what has happen in a persons life that caused the problem. It is even harder to fix a persons problem. This would require too many more doctors, institutions, and medical facilities To blame the social system is to take the system blame approach. This means that you are blaming the social problems on a government, a society, and anything else that might act on an individual. System blame stems from situations in which individuals are involved. The problem with system blame is that it leaves off all the blame from the individual, saying that they have no agency, or the ability to act on ones own, no free will. The question that no one ever thinks to ask is: If we had no poverty would we still have the same kind of life. The answer is no. Poverty is a necessary form of the economic and social structure. Without poverty our society would most likely break down and inflation would sky rocket. Think if everybody had a job, money and a good standard of living. Wouldnt that make it harder to find and provide jobs. Employers would have to pay outrageous sums of money so the corporation can hire the employee. This would be a disaster because no one would need to stay at their job if there is no competition for it. The will and hard work of the citizens of this country has work to hard to throw it all away. Poverty effects not only the people who have it, but those who dont want it. In conclusion a poor person is not a diseases, not something that is contagious, but a living thing that everybody should think about. Most poor people are not a bad person, but a person that may have ran into some tough times in their life.

Does Government secure or inhibit liberty Essay

Does Government secure or inhibit liberty - Essay Example Liberty looks at the right of the mother who exercised her right to abortion but did not take into consideration the baby’s right to life. The utilitarian approach looks at non-abortion as not being cost-effective on the part of the State and taxpayers in general, by the provision of health care and being wards of the State, respectively for the mother and would be child. Richard Garlikov, in his article â€Å"the Abortion Debate† stated that â€Å"Many states allow abortion in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the life or health of the pregnant woman. Normally no rationale is given for that because, apparently many people think none is needed or that the rationales are obvious.   I prefer to spell out the rationales in those cases, however, because I think they are important to understand in their own right, and because I think they also have consequences for other cases†. In 1973 the Roe v. Wade decision proved this by recognizing abortion as a fundamental constitutional right and made it legal in all states. The law now permits abortion at the request of the women without any restrictions in the first trimester and some restrictions in the second trimester to protect women's health. ... How can we allow people the right to do everything that leads to contraception, but not allow abortion? Accidents do happen. Most cases of abortions are due to unplanned pregnancies. In the case of rape, women most likely do not want the child. Banning abortion would force these women to live with burden of an unwanted child. Even if one were to pose the argument that the child could be put up for adoption, there is still the state of mind of the mother to consider. The mother will most likely live with a guilty conscious and the memory of bearing a bastard child. Simply, because she was denied the liberty of ridding herself of an unborn entity. Also, in exploring cases of teenagers, young adults are now having sex with no serious thinking into the consequences of them becoming pregnant. Denying her the right to abortion the child's life may inexplicably ruin her future. She    most likely will have a traumatic pregnancy simply because she is too young to have a rational notion of parenthood as well as the possibility of her not having a higher education. Women should have the right to their bodies, and they should have a choice whether or not to have an abortion. Garlikov also posited that â€Å"each embryo is a particular individual that has the potential to become, in a relatively short time, a particular person. Conception is a rather miraculous, complex event and it seems that, at the very least, unnecessary, unjustified abortion is in some sense insensitively wasteful, and unappreciative of the event and of the value of each particular individual character that is already, by virtue of conception, partly along the path to becoming a particular person. Life, because it can be good, is not

Benefits of Waiting to Go To College after High School Research Paper

Benefits of Waiting to Go To College after High School - Research Paper Example Individuals with quality basic education are capable of managing themselves and their families. Basic education can be regarded as education up to the completion of high school level. After completing high school education, one has two options from which to make a decision. The individual can opt to take on employment opportunities for the high school graduates. Similarly, the individual can opt to proceed to college to pursue a four-year degree course. The college education adds value to the skills and expertise of the individual and it is apparent that after college, the individual is likely to earn far much more than high school graduates do. College education gives a student competitive advantage over the high school graduates (University of North Texas, para.2). However, this is only to the extent that the student has adequate financial and psychological preparation for the college study. Having chosen to proceed to college, an individual is again faced with two options. The stu dent can proceed to the college immediately after high school. Traditionally, it is expected that students should proceed with their college education immediately after high school. ... Rather, the student is, in several occasions, compelled to take a break before joining college in order to make some financial preparation. The two options of joining college immediately after high school or waiting for some time before joining college each has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of one translate into the disadvantages of the other option. However, it will be apparent that given the sound grounds upon which a students waits for some time before joining college, this can be a good option. This paper holds that in as much as it has been traditionally adopted that students should proceed to college immediately after high school, it may not be appropriate to do this on weak financial grounds. Taking on employment first would be better. Thesis Although tradition expects students to go to college directly after high school, it does not make financial sense given today’s economic climate. Benefits of waiting to join college after High School It has been observed that after completing high school education, a student may wait for some time before joining college for undergraduate studies. This waiting has a number of advantages to the student and the responsible members of the family (parents, guardians, or sponsors). Firstly, college education is increasingly becoming expensive. The tuition fee and other expenses in these institutions are far much higher than the expenses in high school education. After struggling to finance the child’s education right from Kindergarten all the way to the high school, and given the harsh financial climate that currently rocks the globe, it may be cumbersome to have the child proceed to college education. If the

The strategic position of Thorntons PLC in 2003 Essay

The strategic position of Thorntons PLC in 2003 - Essay Example The internal performance of Thorntons Plc is multi-faceted, consisting of various aspects which are inherent in its operations. An internal analysis considers the company's culture, image, organizational culture, key staff, access to natural resources, position on the experience curve, operational efficiency, operational capacity, brand awareness, market share, financial resources, exclusive contracts, and patents and trade secrets. Simplifying all these generates three main considerations-resources, capabilities, and core competencies. Thus, for decision makers inside a firm, the main challenge is the identification, development, deployment, and protection of resources, capabilities, and core competencies (What Tools Are Useful in Assessing the Internal Environment n.d.). In business terms, resources refers to the inputs that goes into the firms production process such as capital equipment, skill, individual employees, patents, finance and talented managers (Dess, Taylor & Lumpkin 2005). Resource can be classified as tangible, intangible, or organization capabilities. The resource-based view of a firm emphasizes that a "firm can earn sustainable supra-normal returns if and only if they have superior resources and those resources are protected by some form of isolating mechanisms preventing their diffusion in the whole industry" (Resource-Based View of a Firm 2007). Furthermore, these supra-normal returns are possible only if resources are valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable, and non-substitutable (Dess, Lumpkin, and Taylor 2005). Tangible resources are relatively easy to identify. This category typically includes the physical and financial assets used to create value for the customer. In order to fully identify the tangible resources of Thorntons Plc, this report will divide them into financial, physical, technological, and organizational resources. 1. Physical Maintaining its reputation as one of the classic makers of indulgent confectionery, Thorntons Plc continues to use a larger proportion of manual processes in its production system. In the industry where almost all the manufacturing processes are mechanized, Thorntons take charge of the quality of its products by being fully different from its competitors. In terms of physical resource, the company becomes remarkable because of its minimal automated processes (Jennings 2003). Thorntons business is also highly dependent on its distribution channels specially its own stores. It should be noted that the company is recognized because of the number of its outlets in the whole United Kingdom (Jennings 2003). These stores have become instrumental in consistency of the services received by each customer. 2. Financial During 2003, Thorntons Plc reports total assets of 114.108 million, 27% of which is in liquid assets. Cash comprises a meager 14% of the current assets or 4.5% of the total resources. In terms of capital structure, debt finances 62.30% of its total resources while equity financing accounts for the remaining 37.7% (Thorntons Plc Annual Report 2003). It should

Self Values and Listening Habits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Self Values and Listening Habits - Essay Example It gave me huge opportunity to reflect on my non verbal communication that significantly impact on relationship building. Eye contact shows that person would be honest in his communication and upright posture would indicate that one is confident that one would be given leverage to give his or point of view of the situation. Listening intently would reassure speaker that I understand viewpoint. Hence rather than looking at pictures and elsewhere, I must make eye contact with people and nod occasionally. A feedback at the end would help to convey my proactive participation in the interaction. I believe that improving non verbal communication would significantly promote relationship building. As a manager, it helped me communicate effectively with the workforce and inculcate an environment of trust and mutual respect. It has given me huge opportunity to improve both as an individual as well as a manager. I am more confident and am better able to exploit the potential of my workers. (246 ) Self values We are all driven by the long term goals and larger mission in our life. It generally comprises of achieving socio-economic security for oneself and one’s family, happiness, a comfortable life and sense of achievement. Our value system helps us in meeting our personal and professional goals and objectives. The three most important values for me are: accountability of action; commitment to people and work; and lastly positive attitude. The self values are critical elements that play vital role in my interaction with the people in the work place. These values have been greatly influenced by my family and highlight integrity, power and authority tempered with empowerment of individuals. I have imbibed them through my association with my family and peers and know that commitment towards other people not only promotes trust but is also key to happiness. Happiness is important as it greatly contributes towards improved productivity. My priorities in life are to become financial secure, have a large family and use my authority for the wider welfare of the people. I try to fulfill the priorities by correlating my values within the broader framework of my professional life as a manager. As a manager, I have achieved financial security for myself. Though I have not yet my own family (meaning children), I believe that as a manager, I have judiciously used my power and authority. Indeed, commitment to organizational goals and welfare of people, have been intrinsic parts of my managerial leadership initiatives. I have developed effective communication skills and positive attitude that helps to motivate workers to be creative and highly productive. Time management has been other key factor which had adversely impacted my performance. I realized that there were three major aspects of work which must be addressed. Minor tasks were ignored, I lacked motivation at the beginning of the work and lastly I used to forget important assignments or meetings. These were very crucial issues which were hindering not only my professional development but also undermining my authority and power as an effective manager. Hence, the thing that I did was to keep a diary where I could jot down all the work that needed to be done. It was a great help because it helped me to streamline my work and significantly reduced mental tension and worry. The diary also helped me to plan my work and schedule work so that I could address all the work/ projects and workplace

Oil prices and its effect on the global market Term Paper

Oil prices and its effect on the global market - Term Paper Example The developing countries are heavily dependent on oil exporting countries for their import of petroleum products. So if there is a rise in oil prices only the oil exporting countries benefit while bringing a destructive effect on the developing nations. What really affects the oil prices is the demand and supply of oil which we are going to look into detail later. The global market saw a recent surge in oil prices since the last two years with the most recent rate of today being $124 per barrel (forex.com). It was predicted that the production of crude oil must be increased by the oil producing countries to bring the prices down. The Arab oil exporters held a meeting in early 2011 in Cairo to discuss this issue but refused to increase oil production as they believe that the supply is sufficient in the market. The oil prices rose to $ 94.74 per barrel this year since October 2008 when oil prices were record breaking high. The forecasted trend is an increase in oil prices in the coming weeks touching up to $ 100 a barrel. After the financial crisis of 2008, OPEC or Oil Producing and Exporting Countries decreased their level of output in order to deliberately create a shortage so that prices go up. In 2010, the demand for oil increased and is expected to increase more in 2011. OPEC must release some of their stock and raise the supply of oil or else the prices can rise to unprecedented level of $ 150 per barrel. These unfavorable conditions can lead the world into another crisis. Body: The trading of oil is one of the most significant trading done in the world. Crude oil is a primary ingredient in many energy manufacturing and services industries. I certainly believe that oil should not be treated on the commodity exchange because it can have significant impact on the world economy. So if there is a fluctuation in oil prices it affects oil producers and exporters both. The market price for any product is determined by the demand and supply of it in the market. The desire to want something is defined as demand or when you realize that you want a product, can afford it, and have made a definite plan to buy it. The law of demand means that other things remaining the same, the higher the price of the good, the smaller is the quantity demanded The higher price of any product will reduce the quantity demanded for two reasons. A notable economist, Kotler has found that one of the reason is the substitution effect, that is, when the price of a product rises, other things remaining the same, its opportunity cost rises. Although each good is unique but has its substitutes, for example the substitute of oil in an energy producing plant could be water or solar energy to produce electricity. As the opportunity cost of a product rises, people have a tendency to buy less of that and more of its substitute. Another reason for change in quantity demanded is the income effect. When a price changes and all other influences on buying plans remaining the same, t he price rises relative to people’s incomes. So faces with a higher price and an unchanged income, people cannot afford all the things they previously bought. Subsequently, the demanded quantity reduces. Price has an inverse relationship with demand (Kotler, 2006). A supply is more than just having the resources and the technology to produce something but the

Characters in Animal Farm Essay Example for Free

Characters in Animal Farm Essay The over worked and malnourished animals over throw the humans in charge and took power; only to find that the obligation of freedom maybe more dangerous. Out of all the animals, however, one is sure to stand out. That animal is Boxer, the farm’s hardest and strongest worker. George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, is an allegory that reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917, and then on into the Stalinist Era in the Soviet Union. Through a depiction of Boxer, George Orwell allows the reader to make a discernment of the Russian proletariat’s loyalty and hardworking skills, by presenting him as an allegiant, reputable, diligent worker. From the beginning to the end, Boxer remains a diligent worker despite the abundance of toil. After the Rebellion, â€Å"Boxer [seems] more like three horses than one; [and] there [are] days when the entire work of the farm seems to rest on his mighty shoulders.† (46) Therefore, Boxer is precisely the hardest worker on the farm for the reason that he agrees to do the majority of the labor on the farm. In comparison to Mollie and Moses, who depart from the farm without doing any work, Boxer agrees to do additional tasks. Furthermore, after Boxer’s severe depravity, â€Å"Boxer [refuses] to take even a day off work, and [makes] it a point of honor not to let it be seen that he [is] in pain.† (114) Thus, Boxer is an eager worker for the reason that he never renounces his job. On the contrary, Mollie â€Å"[is] late for work every morning and [excuses] herself by saying that she [has] overslept.† This proves that Boxer loves to work. When the going gets bad he sees working as the solution. Boxer is truly the farm’s hero because of his hard work. In addition to his resolution to work harder, Boxer demonstrates fidelity. After Snowball’s expulsion, Boxer is worried about the farm, but he is not smart enough to figure things out on his own. Rather than thinking for himself, Boxer forces himself to believe others. Boxer tries to think things  over for himself, but all he can come up with is, â€Å"If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right,† and he takes up a new personal motto: â€Å"I will work harder.† (70) For this reason, Boxer illustrates allegiance for coinciding with authority. Furthermore, when Napoleon begins executing other animals, Boxer can only say, â€Å"I would not have believed that such things could happen on our farm. It must be due to some fault in ourselves. The solution, as I see it, is to work harder.† (94) Therefore, Boxer is devoted considering that he always falls back on his personal motto: Napoleon is always right. Boxer is loyal to the farm animals and allegiance is w hat makes a worker a good worker. Throughout the most troublesome times on Animal Farm, Boxer is praised by the animals. As time goes on, the animals are much inspired by Boxer’s work ethic than by Squealer’s clever speeches. â€Å"With his tremendous muscles [Boxer] always [pulls] them through. Boxer [is] the admiration of everybody.† (46) Hence, Boxer is admired by the other animals for the reason that he is an inspiration for them. Unlike the pigs who are considered the most intelligent, it is Boxer, who commands the animals simply because of his work ethic. Moreover, during the winter, little progress is made; the animals can not feel so impelled about it as they felt before. However Boxer never loses heart, â€Å"the other animals [find] more inspiration in Boxer’s strength and his never-failing cry of ‘I will work harder!’† (85) Ultimately, Boxer is honored by the other animals as a result of the animals being propelled by Boxer. In comparison to Squealer’s adroit speeches, the other animals find more inspiration in Boxer. This clearly identifies that Boxer’s role and personality is highly respected by the animals. These are just some of the examples that prove why Boxer is am allegiant, reputable, diligent worker. These three traits are what make Boxer unique. Unfortunately, his loyalty makes him easy to manipulate. Boxer is a very important character and without him Animal Farm would not exist. Boxer is the one who gives everyone hope and a reason to work harder. For these reasons Boxer is the farm’s hero and is one of the most beloved characters in Animal Farm.