Who are the poor? The answer is what poverty is.
WHAT IS POVERTY?
In the most extreme definition, poverty manifests itself in the form of outright starvation and destitution because individuals or households do not possess the resources which give access to the basics for survival or which enable them to enjoy some minimum standard of living. (Christine Barrow; 2001)
From a theoretical Perspective of Poverty.
Culture of Poverty The underlying idea is that the lifestyle of the poor differs in many respects to that of the non poor in society. Similarities have been found in this poverty lifestyle even across different societies. This leads to the development of a sub culture, with its own norms and values, which can now be transmitted from one generation to the next.
Technically, the culture of poverty is a subculture of poor people in ghettos, poor regions or social contexts where they develop a shared set of beliefs, values and norms for behaviour that are separate from but embedded in the culture of the main society.
Once the culture of poverty has come into existence it tends to perpetuate itself. By the time slum children are six or seven they usually absorbed the basic attitudes and values of their subculture. Thereafter they are psychologically unready to take full advantage of changing conditions or improving opportunities that may develop in their lifetime. Oscar Lewis.
Marxist Perspectives Conflict theorists posit that poverty results from the failure of the state to allocate resources equitably. They view poverty from several different angles, three of which are; Labour market, the stratification System and Capitalism.
Industrialized societies where many of the production processes have been automated, there exists an increasing demand for skilled workers. It is to the advantage of the owners of production to ensure poverty exists as it allows