Poverty and Welfare

The world Bank 2006

Defines poverty as the pronounced deprivation of wellbeing

Absolute poverty

An income that is unable to meet basic necessities.

Relative poverty

Individuals who gain less than 60% of the median national income. It is relative to where you live.

Byrne in 1999

Social exclusion has to do with both the exluders and the excluded.

Weak theories

Focus on trying to include the excluded

Strong theories

Focus on inclusion as well as how powerful groups exclude the others.

Lister 2004

Poverty and social exclusion are not the same thing.

Gordon et al

the 4 dimensions of social exclusion are:

Exclusion from adequate income

Exclusion from Labour market

Exclusion from services

Exclusion from Social relations

Charles booth

Went door to door and measured poverty based on a basic income

Summer 2010

The majority living on that 1.25 a day find themselves living in middle income countries.

A poverty line

is the minimum amount of money deemed adequate in a particular country

Calorie intake and consumption

Ways of calculating poverty

Howard et al

The definition of Poverty changes depending on time and context. People have cultural needs that need to be met and if theyre not met they are considered poor.

Townsend

Definition of Relative poverty - it is not about not having anything but not meeting the cultural norm. the resources are so below, that they are excluded from ordinary living patterns.

NSO

sets poverty line at 60% of national median disposable income

Rent

Biggest factor that increases cost of living dramatically

Caritas 2020

Conducted a study - the minimum essential budget for a decent living

essential budget for 65+ couple

8,000 , 18,000 with rent, 2,000 more for car and eating out semi regularly.

Essential budget for single parent and 2 kids

11,000, 2,000 plus with car and eating out, 22,000 with rent

Essential budget for two parents 2 children

14,000, 2,000 plus with car and eating out, 25,000 with rent.

why 60 %

it is an arbitrary percentage

Lister 2004

also points to the importance of understanding poverty in both material and non material factors. (not having a voice, diminished citizenship, discrimination)

Subjective poverty

One might not be poor but feel deprived. On the other hand, one might be poor but feel rich as theyre rich in happiness, culture, etc.

the welfare state

acts as a safety net to the ones at the bottom of the structure. Without, the poverty rates would increase dramatically. Started in Germany - things like rations.

The informal sector

includes family, helps fill in the gaps of the safety net.

The voluntary sector

also aid in filing in the safety net but are mre limited, also act as pressure groups, and spread awareness, insisting for the government to do better

restructuring of the welfare state

needed for it to be more sustainable and not only help traditional issues.

Marshall 1973

The 3 stages of developmental citizenship rights (cps). sees welfare as a result of increased rights. He believes that the rights of citizens are given more importance than the free market and that the welfare state will bring a more egalitarian society.

Esping anderson

3 world of welfare capitalism, social democratic, conservative corporatist, liberal

Decomodification

the degree to which welfare systems are separated from the welfare market

commodified systems

welfare services become commodities

decommodified systems

welfare services are provided universally

marxists in general

Believe that welfare state is an attempt at making this unjust capitalist system seem caring. it mantains social inequalities and is a way of social control.

Feminists in general

the welfare state was constructed to benefit the patriarchy and was used as a tool of discrimination against women, while aiming to do the opposite

Social democratic view in general

social inequality is social injustice. There should be a fairer redistribution of ta xthrough possitive taxation. Welfare benefits should be provided universally as means tested usually create stigma. It should be provided by the state as it has the money and power to do so.

The New right

Critical of the welfare state as it keeps people lazy and welfare dependant. Believe that people should learn how to become self reliant and money should only be given to the absolute poor. They speak about the nanny state and how the state is too generous and makes people dependent on it.

Murray and Marsland - New right

Talk about culture of dependency and the underclass. Criticise single parents and say that welfare encourages such parenting and dependency. They blame the victims.

Lewis 1961

Claims that there is a culture of poverty

1. Living day by day

2. sense of resignation

3. sense of fatalism

4. reluctance to work

5. lack of integration in society

6. children are socialised into the culture

Marsland

Talks about the nanny state and how people get lazy as they recieve hand outs. He believes that welfare should be means tested and only given to those in actual need. The money spent on welfare should instead be spent on Creating new jobs as well as increasing the wealth of the society.

Murray

The underclass is characterised by abuse of the welfare system, broken families, single parents, illegitimacy, truence, education failure, unemployment. The state shouldnt be giving money to people as they can work for it.

Cultrual explanations

Blame the poor as they assume that if poor people changed their values, poverty would disappear. They ignore the economic factors which made them poor in the first place.

Baumbees, bell, gaffney

Argue that the new right view is based on a few myths and stereotypes that surround the welfare state

new right crit

from this perspective, any cultural distinctions of the poor are seen as a response to poverty and not what got them poor in the first place.

RH tawney 1931

he saw poverty as an aspect of social inequalities which created both wealth and poverty. Blaming the poor doesn't solve the problems. poverty will only be eradicated through policy measures with a redistribution of wealth to reduce structural inequalities.

during the 90s

other researchers came to similar conclusion, putting forward the idea of economic restructuring.

Wilson

The disappearance of work: the world of the new urban poor.

Hutton - MATERIAL AND STRUCTURAL

30:30:40 society. 30% being marginalised insecure, 30% being disadvantaged, 40% being privileged. He also linked economic disadvantage to other social problems.

Coates and silburn

The cycle of deprivation - Meant to keep the poor poor. The poor must pay more for things for eg: cheap clothes in the long run cost more, bad housing in constant need of restoration, etc. - an aspect of poverty might lead to another. This is intergenerational poverty however it doesnt explain where poverty comes from .

The poverty trap and the inadequacy of welfare.

According to this, the welfare state keeps you alive but in a cage. People are trapped in poverty cos if they get a job with low pay they lose benefits + there are disincentives such as tax, transport, work clothes and effort..

Field and Townsend

Argue that the underclass is made up of vulnerable people such as the elderly, unemployed, single parents, personally disabled, migrants, etc.

The solutions for the poverty trap

1. jobs need to pay better

2. less benefits should be lost

3. taxes should be reduced

Westguard, resler, miliband - material and structral

the workers of the low class are all at risk of entering the underclass.

Marxists

see social inequalities arising from private ownership of the means of production. Wealth is concentrated in the hands of the upper class. the threat of unemployment keeps workers motivated, the underclass provide a reserve army of labour. Since the working class is separated from the underclas sthe risks of class consciousness is reduced.

weberian

sees poverty as the lack of skill, power and communication. The poor remain poor because they do not have the resources. People get rewards based on what they can offer to the market based on skills, experience and communication.

Functionalists

poverty creates jobs, its also a motivator to work and contribute to society, the poor also do our dirty work for cheap.

Davis and Moore

Unequal Rewards motivate the best people to strive for success and so it is important for society to have a system for unequal rewards.