Religious and political leaders held the poor responsible for their poverty, distinguished between "deserving" and "undeserving" poor
The "deserving poor" were individuals who were considered incapable of work due to age, illness, or physical disability and therefore qualified for charitable support and sympathy from society
The "undeserving poor" were those who were perceived to avoid work out of laziness or other reasons such as addiction, and were therefore seen as contemptible and in need of coercion to join the workforce
The "undeserving poor" were blamed for their situation and seen as a danger to society, with deep concern expressed about their habits and passions.
Poverty can be defined in relative or absolute terms.
Relative deprivation is a comparative measure where people are considered poor if their standard of living is lower than others in society.
Absolute deprivation is a measure where people are unable to meet basic standards for food, shelter, clothing, and healthcare.
In 2022, the poverty threshold for a family of four was $27,750.
Approximately 11.6% of the population, or 37.9 million people, were considered poor in 2021.
Poverty is more prominent among certain population groups, including Blacks, Hispanics, the elderly, disabled, women, children, and single-parent households.
Low-income individuals suffer from structural vulnerability due to their deficient capital resources such as money, education, or important information.
Structural vulnerability means they are more likely to encounter major difficulties or threats in life.
Family poverty - Health issues among poor children¶
Poor children are more likely than their more affluent peers to suffer from a lengthy list of health problems.
Health problems include mothers’ inadequate prenatal care, low birth weight, high infant mortality, iron deficiency, high levels of toxic lead, a clear risk of hunger and malnutrition, and elevated rates of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, asthma, and dental problems.
Poor children also face the sometimes hidden but debilitating anxiety created by living in crowded, run-down spaces with chronic shortages of money and fears of eviction, family dissolution, and random street violence.
Poverty is associated with financial and psychological stresses that can affect parental behavior.
Poor parents tend to be less nurturing, more authoritative, and administer harsher physical discipline than more affluent parents.
Low-income families provide less intellectual stimulation to their children than more affluent families, even when other factors like parents' education and family structure are taken into account.
There is a significant difference in the amount of communication between parents and children across income levels.
Parents in professional jobs use about 2,200 words per hour speaking to their children, while working-class parents average about 1,300 words per hour, and welfare parents use less than half the working-class figure, about 600 words.
The quality of parental relations can have a significant impact on a child's development and well-being.
Poverty is a risk factor for lower-quality parental relations, which can exacerbate the effects of poverty on children's outcomes.
Family poverty - Significance of extended family members¶
Researchers, social workers, and government officials often fail to appreciate the significance of extended family networks in poor single-parent families.
Extended family networks refer to an interrelated kinship group that plays a role in members' care, particularly children's health and well-being.
In poor single-parent families, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents often make significant contributions to children's care.
Family poverty - Contributions of extended family members¶
Grandparents, in particular, provide residences for children, especially during emergencies such as parents' illness, loss of job, or breakup of marriage or cohabiting relationship.
When grandparents babysit, it frees parents to enter the job world and reduces costs for paid childcare.
Extended family relations can be highly productive in pooling resources to keep members above the poverty level.
Family poverty - Vulnerabilities of poor single-parent families¶
Certain parental traits increase the extent of their vulnerability, such as starting families in their teens or dropping out of school.
Single-parent families, most of which are female-headed, are more than twice as likely to be living in poverty than American families overall.
The majority of single-parent families receive no child support due to fathers' disappearance, commitment to new partners and children, or insufficient job skills and income.
Poverty reduces the likelihood of marriage and the formation of an economically secure partnership, especially for men who commit less strongly to their partners and children without steady work.