Poverty and Social Inequality Vocabulary

Flashcards covering definitions and core concepts related to poverty, wealth, and structural inequality from Chapter 7 Social Problems.

Biological Poverty

A type of poverty characterized by a lack of access to basic necessities such as food, shelter, water, and clothes.

Relative Poverty

A condition assessed by comparing people's standards of living and concluding that someone is worse off or better off than others.

Official Poverty

An income level falling below the federal poverty line that makes an individual eligible for welfare benefits.

Poverty Line

The federal income threshold used to determine official poverty status, which is uniform and NOT adjusted for individual states.

Structural Inequality

A system of inequality that is built directly into social institutions.

Inequality of Income

Disparity measured by earnings obtained from work and investments.

Inequality of Wealth

Disparity measured by the total value of money and other assets minus debts (calculated as what you are worth minus what you owe).

Equal Opportunity Programs

Interventions such as Affirmative action, Pell grants, scholarships, and community colleges that exist to produce equal opportunity in response to societal inequality.

Biological Poverty

A type of poverty defined by a lack of access to basic life necessities, including food, shelter, water, and clothes.

Relative Poverty

Poverty determined by comparing people's standards of living and concluding that someone is worse off or better off than others.

Official Poverty

An income level falling below the federal poverty line that makes an individual eligible for welfare benefits.

Federal Poverty Line

The official income benchmark used to determine welfare eligibility, which is not adjusted for individual states.

Structural Inequality

Inequality that is built directly into social institutions.

Inequality of Income

Disparity in financial earnings coming specifically from work and investments.

Inequality of Wealth

Disparity in the total value of money and other assets minus debts, representing what a person is worth minus what they owe.

Social Problem (Poverty Condition)

A social status achieved when poverty is extensive and generates public concern; if poverty is widespread but few are concerned, it is not considered a social problem.

Industrialization Migration

Population movement caused by industrial growth that made poverty significantly more visible.

Contradiction Denial

The method by which many Americans cope with the reality of poverty contradicting ideals of equality, opportunity, and success by denying that inequality exists.