Poverty is not a far off term in societal constructs; this is especially so considering social variables and determinants such as low literacy levels and high population growth influence its prevalence. Although low literacy automatically leads to poverty, high population growth can be a blessing or curse depending on how it is viewed. Notably, assumptions, biases, and stereotypes relating to poverty affect the public’s view. It is in this regard that sociological theory plays a vital role in airing out such assumptions concerning poverty.
II. Research
Identify Social Variables And Determinants
If anything, low literacy levels tend to be key determinants of poverty. Low literacy levels make individuals to make uninformed decisions in life which in the end, trap them in the cycle of poverty (Tirado, 2014). For instance, a person who has inadequate education is likely to make poor financial decisions that will result into poverty (Tirado, 2014). High population growth goes hand in hand with poverty. (Roegman, 2017) As a result of little or no education, such people are not educated enough on sex and birth control which is why they tend to have larger families (Roegman, 2017). In this regard, larger families tend to be poorer as they struggle fend for themselves hence resulting into poverty.
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How Social Variables And Determinants Influence The Development of Poverty
Illiteracy and high population growth are significant components in most if not all countries. Although literacy levels have improved over the past two decades, they are still prominent with 750 million adults worldwide being considered illiterate in 2017 (UNESCO, 2017). An example is in the sub-Saharan Africa and India where low literacy is playing a vital role in enhancing poverty. High population growth is, however, not an automatic red light for poverty. It can lead to poverty only if it is not complemented by productivity (Kamaludeen, 2018). In some cases, high population growth encourages industrialization and innovation thereby leading to increased wealth. Although China high population growth rate and population, it is the second largest economy globally. In this respect, low literacy levels and high population growth are influence poverty although the latter varies from country to country.
Attempted Solutions
It is important to note that despite considerable efforts on certain ends to eradicate poverty, some strategies have failed to achieve this. The first instance is where aid is seen as a ticket to pluck countries and people out of poverty. This is especially so with the US that has been spending a lot of money in foreign aid to third world countries (Kamaludeen, 2018). Instead, it is better to encourage poor people to be productive on than depend on aid (Kamaludeen, 2018). The unsuccessful solution to poverty is the lack of a free market. Where the economy is controlled by specific entities, there is no economic freedom and this leads tom poverty (Kamaludeen, 2018).
III. Approach
How People Talk About Poverty And How These Approaches Are Problematic
Different people have varying explanations and perception about poverty. This is in light of existing biases and assumptions that tend to hurt the right ways which the society should view poverty. One major stereotype is that poor people are lazy (Tirado, 2017). Some people are poor and illiterate not because they do not want to be educated but rampant corruption has robbed them of the chance to access quality education. Another assumption is that poor people can only offer labor. This assumption hurts the ability of such persons to think wide and be innovative. Such assumptions and stereotypes pose a challenge to fighting poverty.
Reflection of My Biases And How they Affect My Analysis of Poverty
I must admit that I have my personal biases concerning poverty. For one, I hold that everyone is poor out of their own choice. I subscribe to the motto, “If you are born poor, it is not your choice but if you die poor, then it is your choice.” This is because I tend to think that everyone has their own chance at life and poor people must have ignored a good chance back in time. This is a problematic bias that blinds me from seeing that some poor people are actually poor not because they threw a chance but due to the fact that they never had one.
How I Will Use The Sociological Theory to Limit My Biases When Analyzing Poverty
Theories are meant to provide a basis for thinking by providing a grounding framework of thought. Regarding my bias on poverty, I believe the social constructivist theory will help me to overcome it. The social constructivist theory holds that knowledge and notably, human development is found through human interaction (Amineh & Davatgari, 2015). In this regard, a poor person who does not interact with the outside world cannot be mentally empowered to extract themselves from poverty. An example is when a child is born in a war zone with no access to a proper society, he may end poor due to a failure to interact with otherwise more empowered individuals.
Conclusion
In conclusion, poverty proves to be a pertinent challenge in the modern world. This is especially so considering factors such as low literacy levels and high population growth tend to affect its prevalence. However, it is vital to note that high population growth can increase poverty or reduce it depending on how it is utilized. In the end, personal biases including mine influence human perceptions about poverty although through theories such as the social constructivist theory, the view on poverty is enhanced.
References
Amineh, R. J. & Davatgari, H. (2015). Review of constructivism and social constructivism. Journal of Social Sciences, Literature and Languages , 1(1), pp. 9-16.
Kamaludeen M. N. (2018). ‘Policing the poor’ and ‘poor policing’ in a global city. Journal of Poverty , 22(3), pp. 209-227.
Rachel Roegman (2018). The promise of Payne: How overlapping contexts support one superintendent’s adherence to ruby Payne’s framework for understanding poverty. Journal of Poverty , 22(3), pp. 191-208.
Tiredo, L. (2014). Hand to mouth: Living in bootstrap America. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
UNESCO (2017). International literacy day 2017. Retrieved from uis.unesco.org/en/news/international-literacy-day-2017
