Erika Camacho

PAS 113B

D.A. Broadous

March 21, 2012          

                                                     Poverty: An Unwinnable Struggle

     

The United States of America has always been known as the “land of opportunity,” a country in which hard work and innovations have always been rewarded. In this country every individual believed that they had the ability to acquire the American dream, due to the fact that the United States was full of prosperity and security. Many people have viewed the United States for its economic freedom to optimism in business knowledge that has allowed them to stay on top of every other nation in the world. The Unites States has been the world’s largest national economy for many centuries. Now, emerging countries across the world such as China have caught up to the United States economic power.  Other nations across the world have never experienced the economic disasters that the United States is facing today. This can be attributed to the severe global economic crisis known as The Great Recession. This crisis has affected the entire world economy and the majority of the American population.  According to Thomas Heffner, most American people are unaware of the easily observable signs of the economic crisis that has led the entire nation into poverty. (Thomas Heffner) Many people conceived the United States as a superpower nation; unfortunately, we have become a second-class country in many respects due to the Great Recession in 2008. The national issue on indigence has thrown the lives of many people who have always been hard-working. Poverty has also thrown away all the opportunities for many Americans to follow the American dream of attaining a successful life. Penury affects all aspects of life in an individual including the space that shapes the conception of others, self, and the new world living in poverty. It is hard to imagine the challenges of indigence, the daily fears and frustration of not being able to provide for your family. It allows you to realize the space you live in and the space that surrounds the perception of this country.

            Poverty has become a serious issue that has occurred in previous times in the United States, but never have the American people seen it this dreadful. Impoverishment is acknowledged as the deprivation in well-being that encompasses many dimensions of living. Indigence includes being low income and the inability to obtain the basic goods and necessities needed to survive in modern society.  Many times the issue of poverty tends to throw away people in the form that an individual lacks a voice and the opportunity to better one’s life. People living in poverty may often be deprived from the key capabilities; they may have an inadequate income or education, be unhealthy, feel powerless and sometimes lack the political freedom to fight this scarcity. According to author and activist Barbara Ehrenreich, “Poverty is not a character flaw; rather poverty is shortage of money.”

There is no doubt in mind that people cannot become aware of the massive phenomenal of poverty and its obvious signs that are being dealt with in this nation. The following facts and statistics provided by the U.S. government prove that indigence is a major issue in America.  In 2010, 46.9 million people were in poverty, up from 37.3 million in 2007 the four consecutive annual increase in the number of people in poverty. “This has been the largest number in fifty-two years,” states DeNavas-Walt. (DeNavas-Walt 2011)  Still, impoverishment in America continues to grow drastically due to the economic issues. Unemployment is one of the many results that contribute to poverty. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2012 it shows that the unemployment rate is 8.3 percent as of January 2012. (American Psychological Association) There has been a great decrease in the numbers of jobs in America today.  It seems to be that there are fewer payroll jobs in the U.S. today than other previous years. Also, half of all poor working Americans workers earn $505 per week to support their families. (The Economic Collapse) Not having a stable job has led many poor families to go hungry and has led them to seek government anti-poverty programs. In 2010, the poverty threshold, or poverty line is $22,314 for a family of four. (American Psychological Association)

 Impoverishment tends to target specific ethnic groups and vulnerable people in our society. According to president of the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, Robert Clay states, “that poverty in our society has become color coded.”(Robert Clay)  Statistics show the poverty rate of the following ethnic groups. The poverty rate in America of African- Americans is 38.2 percent, 32.3 percent for Hispanics, 17 percent White, and 13 percent Asian. (American Psychological Association) This demonstrates the specific ethnic group that indigence hits the most in America. However, the most vulnerable group in any American population in children. Kids are hit the hardest with the issue on poverty. According to the Economic Collapse, “More than 20 million U.S. children rely on school meal programs to keep them from going hungry.” (The Economic Collapse) Without food it is harder for children to concentrate in school and do fairly well in tests. Many children may currently be homeless in the U.S. According to U.S. Census Bureau about 314 counties in the U.S. at least 30 percent of children are facing food insecurity. (The Economic Collapse)  Child poverty can lead to spend more than thousands of dollars a year to the U.S. economy.  No child should have to suffer from hunger and the downturns that destitution has brought to our country.

There are several effects due to poverty such as physiological and sociological impacts faced by many Americans. These effects have led people to understand their space surrounding them that has led them to shape a new perception of the world living in poverty. Both children and parents deal with the drastic psychological and social changes that penury brings to a home.  The psychological impact of poverty is that many people living in lower economic class tend to face greater psychological stress then those of higher socioeconomic status. This is due to the fact that they must worry about where they will their next meal or whether they can continue to live under their roof. Mental Health is one of the areas that have been impacted when growing up or living in indigence. According to Dana Hinders, “The stressful situations that often accompany poverty, such as divorce, death, job loss, or drug addiction.” (Dana Hinders) All of the psychological stress that an individual faces can lead people at risk of having long term health problems. Not only can stress lead to health problems, but it can also lead children to have mental disabilities before they even start school. Impoverishment affects the education of every teenager and child living in poverty. 

There is also sufficient evidence that the state of financial instability can also lead lifelong sociological effects. Children and families who live in property are most likely to be socially isolated and or painfully aware of the shame of poverty. (Net Industries) This is because the majority of the parents and children become deprived from the rest of the society surrounding them. Some people including children see indigence as a shame or something they must hide from others to fit in with society.  According to Shirley Gatenio Gabel, “Children standard of living is measured by using deprivation indicators reflecting on the different aspects of living standards, including personal, physical, and mental conditions, local and environmental facilities, social activities, and customs.” (Shirley Gatenio Gabel) Many people tend to have different living standards then others such as many poor people tend to lack a social life. People living in poverty tend to isolate themselves from the rest of their community because they feel as they don’t exist in society due to their socioeconomic status. In many cases these people are being discriminated against. They tend to be alone and have their own space that allows them to shape their own perception of the world. Both the psychological and sociological effects can bring many new perspectives and values of how people view living in impoverishment.

The concept of space has allowed many people to see the world from different outlooks. However, space can be defined as urban, community, institutional, and personal. One way in which space shapes one’s perception is by simply volunteering at a food bank that is located at a place where everyone is affected by poverty. People can learn to observe their space and how that makes them feel about their new perspectives of life. Going to a food bank for the first time can be very exciting but nerve-racking as to what you will do and observe at that particular space.

As you enter the boundless building you might realize the aisles of fruits, vegetables, drinks, and delicious treats. Many people who volunteer know that the food will be distributed to those who are in need of it. This may fill them with joy knowing that they and other volunteers are making a difference in people’s lives. The more time you spend in this certain space will enhance your understanding of indigence in society. Many of the directions from the volunteer manager are likely to be straight forward. He or she could direct you towards stacks of boxes filled with fruits and vegetables to check for damaged and outdated produce. While performing the task you might realize that the majority of produce is covered in fungus and all types of bacteria.  In your head you may think that the produce should be thrown away, but for others it could be a perfect peach or guava to provide for their family. As you continue, you realize that people living in poverty tend to appreciate everything and they eventually settle for less to survive in these harsh times. You and others might think that distributing moldy food is disgusting but overall this community service allows you to learn that you can’t take life for granted. This rewarding experience will contribute to see your space and other peoples space in many perspectives.

In conclusion, poverty has thrown away many innocent lives including that of children and families. It has become an obvious national issue for many Americans suffering through the economic crisis. Indigence has also become an issue that affects all aspects of life in an individual. With the great psychological and sociological impacts many unfortunate people face tends to lead them to live a stressful and abnormal life that differs from everyone else in society.  It also tends to change the values and perspectives when people become impacted by poverty. With impoverishment comes different changes such as the space that shapes the new perception our world and the people being thrown away with the depths of penury.

Works Cited Page

1)      American Psychological Association. "Effects of Poverty, Hunger, and Homelessness on Children and Youth." American Psychological Association (APA). 2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. <http://www.apa.org/pi/families/poverty.aspx>.

2)      Gatenio Gabel, Shirley. "Social Protection and Children in Developing Countries." Children and Youth Services Review (2011). Print.

3)      Heffner, Thomas. "Major Economic Problems Facing the United States." Economy In Crisis. 4 Feb. 2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. <http://economyincrisis.org/content/major-economic-problems-facing-united-states>.

4)      Hinders, Dana, and Bronwyn Harris. "What Are the Long Term Effects of Poverty?"   WiseGeek. Conjecture, 02 Sept. 2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-long-term-effects-of-poverty.htm>.

5)      Net Industries. "Poverty- Consequences of Poverty." Net Industries, 2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. <http://social.jrank.org/pages/500/Poverty-Consequences-Poverty.html>.

6)      "Poverty In America: A Special Report." The Economic Collapse. 14 Sept. 2011. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. <http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/poverty-in-america-a-special-report>.

7)      Walt, DeNavas. "Hunger in America: 2012 United States Hunger and Poverty Facts." World Hunger Notes Homepage. 2011. Web. 19 Mar. 2012. <http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/us_hunger_facts.htm>.