Poverty

The poverty line is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular society. The Joseph Rowntree Trust estimate it at around 60% of average earnings.

Absolute poverty is when someone does not have access to basic human needs such as water, clothing, education and shelter.

Relative poverty relates to what a particular society considers to be poor, e.g. someone in the UK might be considered to be relatively poor if they do not have a TV.

Social exclusion involves the lack or denial of resources, rights, goods and services, and the inability to participate in the normal relationships and activities, available to the majority of people in a society, whether in economic, social, cultural or political arenas.

Paxton and Dixon

Paxton and Dixon found children who grew up in poverty at school underachieved academically