Consequences of Poverty: Social & Economic (2024)

Did you know that physical and mental health issues are more common among the poor than among the wealthy? This, alongside many others, is merely one of the consequences of poverty.

• In this explanation, we will discuss some of the most significant consequences of poverty on the individual.
• First, we will examine the social consequences of poverty, followed by the health and economic consequences of poverty.
• Next, we'll take a close look at the consequences and impacts of child poverty.
• Finally, we'll address the question of why poverty still exists in contemporary society.

Causes and consequences of poverty in sociology

Poverty has several consequences, which can differ in scope for residents of developed and developing countries. The outcome of poverty can be more severe for certain social groups within a society.

Sociologists are interested in this, and how poverty affects different aspects of life, such as the family, health, education, housing, and crime.

Social consequences of poverty

Let's look at how poverty impacts society.

Family and poverty

• The poor have more stressful lives due to financial burdens and worries, and this stress can bleed into their personal lives, meaning they are more likely to experience family troubles.

• Domestic violence is more common in poor households.

• Divorce is common among the poor. Single-parent families usually suffer from even greater degrees of poverty than before.

• Poor people have fewer means to resolve family issues.

Social and cultural lives and poverty

• Poorer families and individuals may have less active social lives and may see their family and friends less due to a lack of disposable income.

• They may be less able to participate in leisure and cultural activities, such as going to the cinema or to a museum, due to price barriers.

  See Also

  What Is The 50/30/20 Rule?How Growing Up Poor Could Make You RichFederal Poverty Level (FPL) - GlossaryThe Real Reason Poor People Can’t Save - Frugaling

Fig. 1 - Single parent families are more likely to live in poverty than two-parent families.

Crime and victimisation and poverty

• Poor people are more likely to engage in criminal activities such as robbery, homicide, and burglary.

• However, they are also more likely to be the victims of street crime.

Economic consequences of poverty

There are economic and other associated consequences of poverty as well.

Lack of social mobility and poverty

• Due to having less access to high-quality education, well-connected contacts, and good job opportunities, individuals from poor families are likely to also get low-income jobs.

• Those living in poverty are also unlikely to be able to get promoted or move up the career/social ladder.

Housing and homelessness and poverty

• The deprived are more likely to be homeless or live in bad conditions, which can affect their health.

• Poor families often spend most of their income on housing.

Segregation and poverty

• Poor families often live in unsafe, underfunded neighbourhoods, with fewer job opportunities, good educational institutions, and leisure facilities.

• Poorer and richer individuals may rarely come into contact with each other due to the segregated nature of neighbourhoods by income and social status.

Consequences of poverty on health

This perspective still takes individual life choices into consideration; but instead of blaming the person, however, it points out the flawed aspects of society that make it more likely for poor people to continuously be forced into situations that lead to poverty.

The cycle of poverty can look like this: parents have low incomes, so children live in houses without heating and eat low-quality food, which makes them ill. They don’t have access to good healthcare, so they miss school, which results in bad grades and the loss of the possibility to go to university or get another kind of training. As a result, they will work in low-skilled, low-paid employment, maybe get married earlier, or have a child at a young age. They remain a low-income family and the cycle starts all over again.

Social democrats and feminists tend to see the relevance of this theory in explaining the continuance of poverty. Peter Townsend (1979), who adapted the relative definition of poverty, argued that one of the most serious consequences of poverty is the inability of lower-income people to participate in cultural and social activities.

Poverty is a necessary and inevitable part of capitalism

Globalisation and capitalism have changed the labour market considerably in the past few decades. In recent times, working conditions for many have worsened, there is more unemployment and underemployment, wages are low, and part-time work is more common.

Fig. 2 - Globalisation has changed the labour market.

Low-paid and undervalued work is an integral part of today’s globalised capitalist labour market. This means that hard work and determination do not guarantee a way out of poverty or even provide a path to a decent standard of living for the most deprived.

Marxist and Weberian sociologists have argued in favour of this approach. Marxist sociologist Ralph Miliband supported this argument, and his son Ed Miliband, of the New Labour government in the UK, claimed that predistribution is as important as redistribution in reducing poverty and its consequences in Britain.

Flashcards in Consequences of Poverty15

Learn with 15 Consequences of Poverty flashcards in the free StudySmarter app

SIGNUP SIGNUP

Already have an account? Log in

Open in App