Ch.7POVERTY IN AMERICA

Poverty status is determined by comparing annual income to a set of dollar values called

__________________ that vary by family size, number of children, and

age of householder. If a family’s before-tax money income is less than the dollar value of their threshold, then that family and every individual in it are considered to be in poverty.

For people not living in families, poverty status is determined by comparing the individual’s income to his or her poverty threshold.

http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/acsbr10-01.pdf

HOW POVERTY IS MEASURED

About 16% of the nation’s poor are the elderly age 65 or older (this is up from 9% in 2009).

About 18% of the nation’s poor are youth under the age of 18 (with food stamps taken into account).

More than 70% of poor children live in a family in________________________________ .Although the majority of poor people are white, there

is a big diff erence in the poverty rate within racial gorups: about 1/12 of white people are poor, about 1/4 of African Americans, and about 1/5 of Latin/Hispanic Americans.

http://art icles.phi l ly.com/2011-11-08/news/30373759_1_poverty-rate-national-poverty-center-poverty-experts, Living Just ice and Peace

POVERTY IN THE U.S.

• Nationally, the poverty rate increased from 14.3 percent in the 2009 ACS to 15.3 percent in the 2010 ACS. The number of people in poverty increased from 42.9 million to 46.2 million during the same time period.

• Thirty-two states experienced an increase in the number and percentage of people in poverty between 2009 and 2010. For 20 states, this was the second consecutive annual increase.

• No state had a statistically significant decline in either the number of people in poverty or the poverty rate between 2009 and 2010.

http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/acsbr10-01.pdf

HI-LIGHTS: US CENSUS BUREAU 2009-2010

Poverty rates for the 50 states and the District of Columbia ranged from a low of ____ percent in New Hampshire to a high of _____percent in Mississippi, according to the 2010 ACS.

Poverty rates for Alaska (9.9 percent), Maryland (9.9 percent), Connecticut (10.1 percent), and New Jersey (10.3 percent) were among the lowest in the nation.

Poverty rates for Mississippi (22.4 percent) and New Mexico (20.4 percent) were higher than all other states . See Figure 1 http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/acsbr10-01.pd

POVERTY RATES AMONG THE STATES

Nearness of DeathFor the poorest people in the U.S. there is a greater risk of death due to chronic hunger, health problems,

__________________

Marginalization Inability to fully participate in the economic,

social, and political life of society

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF POVERTY?

‘Living on the edge’ It doesn’t take much for people to fall into debt ; for example, a car breakdown or illness

Cycle of PovertyLack of basic resources create barriers from obtaining other resources, continuing the cycle of poverty. For example, without a car, it’s hard to keep a job, and vice versa. Homelessness/hunger lead to

________________________________________

CHARACTERISTICS OF POVERTY, CONT’D

Those whose housing costs consume too much of their income—they are likely to go hungry or lose housing completely.

Those who live in inadequate housing— it is broken down.

Those who live in others’ housing—they double up in crowded apartments.

Those who live in unsafe homes—violence, crime, and substance abuse prevent homes from being nurturing.

SOME PEOPLES’ POVERTY PREVENTS THEM FROM LIVING IN DECENT HOMES. THEY INCLUDE:

For a variety of reasons, children who live in poverty lag behind peers when it comes to academic achievement. Reasons include:

_________________in ‘poor’ areas____________: parents moving to where jobs

are available________________of food and security not being

met

EDUCATION

A better lifestyle seems impossible (and is more challenging to achieve) when you grow up in a community where everyone you know is poor.

People who live in poverty are denied the resources necessary for their full development. This is supported by Dr. Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. According to Maslow, individuals seek to fi ll basic needs first, and then can move on to fi ll higher-level needs of safety, love, self-esteem, and self-actualization.

BARRIERS TO FULL DEVELOPMENT

So…what is Maslow’s basic premise?

Which of these needs do you hope to fulfill in your life right now?

The federal government spent about 9% of its annual budget on aid to individuals and families facing hardships.

For many families, this assistance is a lifeline during a rough period.

GOVERNMENT AID