WPW - nature of poverty - topic 1.0

absolute poverty

lacking the basic necessities for survival eg food

relative poverty

lacking the minimum necessities to partake in society based on social class eg iphone

ap: charles booth

- street surveys between 1889-1903
- focused on inner london (eldn)
- 31% living in poverty
- based on income level he had set to see whether they were in ap or not

measurements of ap: rowntree's basket of goods

- affected by booth's work
- poverty surveys in york from 1901-1951
- see if they could purchase basic food items in order to survive
- measurement of absolute poverty

- breakfast eg porridge
- dinner eg bread
- supper eg cheese

measurements of ap: bradshaw's budget standard approach

- minimum income required to buy items needed to be healthy

measurements of ap: EU's poverty line

- those who meet BSA are above the poverty line
- those below are in absolute poverty

PROS OF AP

- definition that everyone thinks of for poverty
- it is easy to use when comparing poverty with different countries

CONS OF AP

- criticised as being simplistic for it assumes there is a universal concept of what constitutes poverty
- it is difficult to objectively decide what basic subsistence needs are
- doesn't recognise calorific needs of some people eg a builder needs more calories than an office worker

RP: peter townsend (1979)

- found issues with absolute definition
- poverty goes beyond basic necessities
- poverty is closely linked to inequality
- as society changes, definition must reflect these changes

measurements of rp: labour gov's HBAI (97-05)

- those below 60% median income
- mainly determines child poverty

measurements of rp: townsend's deprivation index

- those who meet the indicators of deprivation based on what's required to be a part of society at that time

measurements of rp: mack and lansley's consensual approach

- those who could not meet 3/22 items listed on an agreed census on basic needs

PROS OF RP

- acknowledges the changing nature of society
- broadens what poverty is such as lacking other needs eg leisure which isn't a physical necessity

CONS OF RP

- based on capitalist society and there will always be inequality
- could afford 3 from one category but not another
- subjective to a person