Essay on Sociological Views of Poverty

Words: 2760
Pages: 12
Open Document
Sociological Views of Poverty
Michelle Williams-Thomas
Sociology 101
Professor Yelena Gidenko
February 12, 2012

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the most common reasons people died were accidents or communicable diseases like pneumonia. Today, millions die each day from poverty. How can poverty be defined? And what is the difference between absolute and relative poverty? In the paper I will address these issues along with sociological views of poverty. Poverty is a social issue that affects the world. Poverty causes many to be malnourished and die at a young age, it is a cause of deviant behavior such as crime, and also causes the poor to be marginalized from society and have little voice in public …show more content…
If these traditional values can be replaced with ones that support the use of modern technology, material goods, and advanced services in a market–driven economy, the model presumes that poverty will be eradicated as more affluent ways of life are established. (Vissing, 2011)

Conflict theory says that things in society are caused by conflict and specifically by the elites oppressing those under them. Because of social status, neighborhood, upbringing, background, education, and many other factors, an individual is not afforded an equal opportunity to thrive.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s in the United States, a large segment of the population was poor. Poverty was often thought to be a result of personal problems or imperfections, but during the 1960s, when the relationship between poverty, racism, sexism, and ageism became apparent, social movements occurred to do something about economic inequality. President Johnson waged a war on poverty that resulted in the creation of programs that constituted a social safety net that were designed to keep people out of poverty. However, more recent political administrations have not advocated as much for the poor. The number of homeless people have increased, and social movements have also emerged to assist them.
(Vissing, 2011) Conflict theorists would
Show More

Related Documents: Essay on Sociological Views of Poverty

Assignment 2 Investigate a Social Issue Essay

Sociological Investigation of Poverty SOC 100 – Introduction to Sociology February 28, 2014 Introduction Poverty is the lack of material wealth or income needed to meet basic human needs. Poverty is a widespread social issue affecting both developing and developed countries but it is also one of the least understood one. Poverty statistics collected from around the world have shown that Scandinavian countries such as Sweden or Denmark have considerably lower poverty statistics than the US. This…

Words 1104 - Pages 5

The Nature Of Poverty

subsisting below the poverty line is a polarizing issue, and partisan opinions about how this problem should be dealt with vary greatly. Right-wing ideology states that the poor should be helped solely by private charity and that poverty is largely a personal problem, whereas the more egalitarian liberals are largely of the opinion that it is the moral obligation of our government to provide for the less fortunate and that poverty is a social ill. To determine which of these views has the most merit…

Words 932 - Pages 4

Republican Party's Strategy To Ignore Poverty: Article Analysis

discuss and analyze a newspaper article named “The Republican Party’s Strategy to Ignore Poverty”. I will use this article to explain the inequalities of poverty issues that has been ignored and taken away from many people who are considered underclass within our society. Doing so I will elaborate on the relations to show how the article explanations, discusses different sociological concepts within poverty such as, different demographic approaches about the poor, the underclass, and structural theory…

Words 694 - Pages 3

Sociological Annotation Research Paper

Sociological Imagination A personal problem can become a broader societal problem if it becomes pervasive enough to become a widespread problem in one's community. An example of a personal problem that often becomes a broader problem in society is racism, specifically how discrimination on the basis of racism can affect how one is targeted in the eyes of the law. Examples of personal troubles include injustice, physical harm, mental or emotional impact, confusion, and disruption of life or routine…

Words 606 - Pages 3

Sociological reasons for UK Urban Riots 2012 Essay

Why was a sociological perspective essential for understanding the UK urban riots of 2011? The UK urban riots of 2011 was a devastating event that occurred in London as well as cities and towns across the UK. It led to looting, arson and the mass deployment of police. Police arrested and charged large numbers of people for their involvement in the riots. Bruce Reed, a defence lawyer for many of the accused, commented that “(The rioters) are from all ages and persuasions” and “A large proportion…

Words 561 - Pages 3

Sociology Power Point Essay

Functionalist Conflict Theory The purpose of inequality Inequality results from a is to motivate people to fill system where those with needed positions in society the most resources exploit and control others Poverty Despite the relatively high average of standard living in the United States, poverty afflicts millions of people. Poor health care,…

Words 380 - Pages 2

Social Policy Essay Plan

Sociology and Social policy (33) Social policy is the actions, plans and programmes of government bodies and agencies aim to deal with problems or achieve a goal.e.g preventing crime and reducing poverty. Sociologists findings may sometimes influence social policies but many other factors also play a part, such as political ideologies and the availability of resources. This essay will assess the relationship between sociology and social policy. ======================================================================…

Words 418 - Pages 2

Strategy To Ignore Poverty Summary

discuss and analyze a newspaper article named “The Republican Party’s Strategy to Ignore Poverty”. I will use this article to explain the inequalities of poverty issues that has been ignored and taken away from many people who are considered underclass within our society. Doing so I will elaborate on the relations to show how the article explanations, discusses different sociological concepts within poverty such as, different demographic approaches about the poor, the underclass, and structural theory…

Words 1312 - Pages 6

Essay about Lectures Review

stratification societal comparisons--comparing modern societies historical perspective--traditionalism vs. modernity objective approach--facts and values freedom of inquiry, doubt and critique objectives--description, explanation, prediction sociological imagination--personal troubles vs. social issues 2. Basic stratification notions social differentiation and stratification occupational and cultural diversity unequal resource distribution workers farmers students soldiers scientists doctors/lawyers…

Words 2285 - Pages 10

Theorist in Psychology Essay

were based on religious or moral beliefs, rather than empirical research. There are various modern day perspectives concerning crime causation such as: the classical perspective, the biological perspective, the psychological perspective, and the sociological perspective. The classical and neoclassical theories of crime, founded by Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham assume that crime is a rational free-will choice based on the pleasure–pain principle. The earliest biological theories of crime developed…

Words 481 - Pages 2