While poverty is a universal concept, the circumstances under which they occur differ globally
Poverty is the term coined for a person’s state of living wherein they are unable to obtain basic resources and essentials. Their standard of living is not at par with the bare minimum due to their position below the poverty line. Multiple factors, differing in each country across the world, influence a person's position in relation to the poverty line. First and foremost, each country’s placing of the poverty line varies almost drastically from the other. Furthermore, the very basis of each country’s economy varies according to the different currencies and their consequent values, source and level of income, consumption patterns, price of goods and services, spending patterns and the family demographic.
Out of the 7.96 billion global residents, 9.2% continue to live in extreme poverty. Inequality and marginalization is perhaps the most common cause of poverty in a country. The long-standing belief is that a person’s identity is crucial in determining their worth in the working industry, used either as a weapon or a crutch. Most marginalized communities are subjected to economic inequalities due to their social position. In most western countries, the white male is the vast and dominant demographic and a difference in a person’s race and gender from the “norm” is detrimental to their future in their respective job opportunities. Similarly, social dynamics of a particular country would affect the economic inequality that a person faces, a fundamental cause of poverty in said country. Further instances would be the lack of job opportunities for transgender people, people from lower castes, people from lower economic or educational backgrounds, etc. The plight of “double-minorities,” those who fall under more than one marginalized community, is far worse.
The effects and the causes of poverty may seem interchangeable due to the existence of the “poverty cycle.” What may seem like the result of the grave situations poverty creates, hunger and malnutrition for instance, is in fact just as much of a cause as well as a “maintainer” of this condition. Under the poverty cycle, the inadequate intake of food for the poor population results in the inability to work and the consequent loss of job opportunities.
In relation to poor health is the utter lack of acceptable healthcare systems set in place. Poverty and poor healthcare is often imagined in the same space because of its common occurrence in the same space. Not only is there a lack of healthcare facilities, particularly in countries prone to diseases and ailments, but the healthcare system is primarily biased. One’s economic and social standing heavily influences the kind, or even the complete lack, of healthcare they receive which is extremely destructive to a person’s manner of living.
Along the lines of health lies another significant cause (and result for that matter) of poverty, hygiene. More than 2.1 billion people worldwide have no access to clean water. Water is no longer a basic necessity but a commodity that they must work hard to acquire and yet face economic and social inequalities in.
While a person’s education is not a complete determinant of a person’s capability to work, it is still a factor that results in lesser job opportunities for those who have an inadequate educational background. Poverty cycle continues to play its significant role, since lack of education is a cause of poverty and yet it is often restricted to people who can completely afford it. The degrees of education as well, a privilege reserved for the elite to navigate within, form an additional barrier for the people struggling with poverty who also do not have access to proper education.
Not only does poverty cause poor living conditions for fellow human beings, but it also leads them to resort to drastic measures to coexist in a society with people who can afford basic necessities. A society where there are two extremes, the rich and the poor, is not an equal one. The elite continue to use the privilege of their economic and social standing for their benefit at the expense of some person’s livelihood. A balance in resources, within the economy as well as society, will result in further decreasing numbers of poverty worldwide.
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