Being in a condition of scarcity, or not having enough possessions, is what is meant by the complex concept of poverty. Most often, poverty in a particular area is defined as a condition in which people make less than $2 per day. For instance, the Census Bureau's 2017 estimates for the United States' poverty percentage put it at 13.5%. The Census Bureau's estimates show that 43.1 million Americans are believed to live in poverty. In the US, unemployment is the main factor contributing to destitution. Other causes of poverty include lack of education, unequal distribution of resources by the central government and the local governments, physical disability, high levels of corruption and war and political instability. The governments and other necessary stakeholders need to come up with the necessary measures that can help in dealing with the issue. This paper primarily focuses on poverty, its causes and some of the strategies that can be implemented to help in dealing with the vice.
Discussion
Causes of poverty
High unemployment rates
One of the main causes of poverty across the globe is the high unemployment rates. In most cases, lack of employment opportunities makes it hard for civilians to meet their daily needs, and this leads to an increase in their poverty levels (Espejo, 2012). Lack of employment in most of the countries is usually caused by high corruption rates and the unequal distribution of resources. High unemployment rates will always make a region vulnerable to high crime rates and various other social vices.
Lack of education
Education is another factor that contributes to high levels of poverty in a given region. Usually, education provides individuals with literacy on the measures that they can handle in dealing with poverty (Haskins & Primus, 2001). The failure by a country to provide education to its citizens leads to an increase in the poverty index, and this is attributed to the inability of the people to have access to education.
Lack of resources
Poverty is also caused by lack of resources within a given region. Those countries that have resources will always find it easy to deal with issues of poverty. However, lack of resources denies individuals with the opportunity to escape the pangs of poverty. Unequal distribution of resources may leave a section of the population in the country or a given region marginalized, and this may end up resulting in a rise in the cases of poverty (Goldberg, 2010). Some of these resources include petroleum, coal, gold, and diamond. An increase in the human population might end up leading to the depletion of these resources, and this may end up escalating the levels of poverty.
Lack of proper planning
Poverty is one of those issues that leave people depressed and psychologically affected, and one of the prominent reasons behind it is poor planning from both the governments and on a personal basis (Bibi & Chatti, 2013). Most of the elderly people or those retiring suffer from poverty due to their lack of regular savings while at their employment phases. Failure by employees to make savings may also have an effect on their daily lives upon their retirements. Poor planning may also force a government to make expensive borrowings, and this may end up leading to an increase in the national debt (Espejo, 2012). An increase in the national debt may make it hard for a government to provide resources to its citizens leading to an increase in the poverty index in the country.
Measures to deal with poverty
There are various measures that can be put in place to deal with both cultural and structural poverty. A life of poverty is difficult and an experience that can end up draining an individual psychologically. Below are some measures that can be adopted to help in combating issues of poverty.
Saving money
One of the measures that can be implemented to help in dealing with issues of poverty is the application of a saving culture. In most societies, a saving culture has been trashed, and this means that individuals prefer spending a large amount of their income and only save a small percentage. As a result of such a culture, individuals end up having to live in debts and poverty. Individuals also have to be made aware of the essence of the saving customs as well as those techniques that they can embrace to sustain their saving customs, especially in those areas that are linked with high poverty index. Some of these saving techniques include keeping track of every dollar, classification of expenditures and variable essentials and keeping track of budgets
Provision of education
Education is another vital measure that can be applied in dealing with the vice of poverty. Education starts at home. Children will always learn from their parents, and this means that those parents with a saving culture will always influence their children positively. Basic education is also vital to all children, and this implies that it is vital for a child to pass through primary school to college (Haskins & Primus, 2001). Education empowerment can be vital in the eradication of poverty in a given region. As a part of education, colleges need to link their students to companies that can offer them an opportunity to undergo job training.
Proper planning
Proper planning begins from a personal basis. This means that structural and cultural poverty can be eliminated if individuals come up with appropriate planning techniques such as budgeting and financial record keeping (Haskins & Primus, 2001). The government, on the other hand, can come up with suitable planning techniques such as cutting down on their national debts through reduced borrowing and equal distribution of resources to its citizens (Weiss & Sirkin, 2010). Equal distribution of resources can be instrumental in the elimination of poverty in those areas that are marginalized.
Creation of an organized group within the community
Creation of an organized group within the community that mainly focuses on the elimination of poverty through social awareness and linking of the members of the community to the necessary resources can help in dealing with poverty (Weiss & Sirkin, 2010). These groups can be split in such a way that one group will focus on handling structural poverty while the other group handles cultural poverty.
Conclusion
Poverty is a complex issue and handling it requires that the appropriate mechanisms are put in place. Women tend to be more vulnerable in living in poverty-stricken areas because of their being the weaker gender. Some of the strategies that can be put in place to help in dealing with poverty include public awareness campaigns, implementation of appropriate saving techniques and proper planning by both a country and its citizens.
References
Bibi, S., & Chatti, R. (2013). Gender Poverty in Tunisia. Middle East Development Journal, 2(2), 283-307. doi:10.1142/s1793812010000265
Espejo, R. (2012). Poverty. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.
Goldberg, G. (2010). Poor women in rich countries. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Haskins, R., & Primus, W. (2001). Welfare reform and poverty. Washington, DC: Welfare Reform & Beyond Initiative, Brookings Institution.
Weiss, S. P., & Sirkin, J. (2010). Breaking the poverty cycle: the human basis for sustainable development. New York: Oxford University Press.
