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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
 Posted - 03 Jun 2008 : 09:01:52
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POVERTY AND INEQUALITY:
KAYJATTA.
I believe the most important social problem in the world today is poverty and inequality. Poverty and inequality is the underlying cause of most of the ills (social problems) in our society today.
We live on a rich planet, with the means to eradicate poverty, but instead we adopt economic and social policies that actually increase poverty and inequality.
This paper examines and discusses the major sociological perspectives on the social problem of poverty, particularly the Marxian perspective. The reasons for this social problem of poverty, such as gender expectations, racial inequalities, intolerance, and structural inequalities will also be examined, as well as changes in public policy and social programs to address this problem.
This paper refers specifically to the United States, but the author believes what goes in the United States also goes around the world. Therefore, I have no doubt that the basic arguments in this paper are applicable globally.
A cursory look at the statistics on inequality indicates only a handful of
extremely rich individuals compared to millions of the poor and
the deprived. The potential power exercised by the rich in terms of material possessions and influence far out-weighs their number.
Paul Samuelson , an economist ,quoted in Blumberg ,1980 , p.34 contends
that an income pyramid created out of blocks with each layer representing
$1000 of income , will have a summit far above the Eiffel Tower , yet
almost all of us will be within a yard of the bottom.
Surveys by the Federal Reserve Board also indicate that 1% of all households possess over 1/3 of all personal wealth. Also the wealthiest 20% of households got 50% of all income while the poorest 20% got less than 5% (Statistical Abstract, 2002).
In many countries, including the U.S, governments have adopted several measures such as taxation and other policies aimed at redistributing wealth so as to reduce inequality. Even though government intervention in this way has both proponents and opponents , the underlying reasoning are these:
1) The rich get the most out of the economic system and they can afford to pay more.
2)The rich has a greater investment in the economic system and should
therefore pay more to maintain it.
3) Taking (redistributing) income from the rich to support the poor is an exercise of fairness and justice in a democratic society.
The much talked about Social Welfare Reform in the U.S. , successful or not, as well as the mushrooming charitable organizations are all geared towards alleviating and ultimately finding a solution to the problem of poverty and inequality.
However, despite government and non-governmental efforts to level the
economic landscape for all people to succeed, poor people have to overcome the constraints that prevent them from responding appropriately to new and emerging opportunities to uplift themselves.
THEORIES OF POVERTY AND INEQUALITY:
I will apply conflict theory as the sociological perspective in discussing the social problem of poverty and inequality.
The social problem of poverty and inequality (as related to unemployment, crime, and warfare) which afflicts far too many people across the globe must be examined beyond individual causes or even poorly functioning institutions. All forms of social problems including poverty and inequality may be explained in terms of how wealth and power are distributed within the society. The reality of poverty and inequality goes hand-in-hand with exploitation. This is what creates the alienation and marginalization of the poor.
The conflict theory of social problems perhaps originates from the writings of a German social theorist Karl Marx (1818-1883). According to Marx and neo-Marxist scholars, social problems arise out of contradictions in the way society is organized. Our society is held by two major contending forces of the "haves" and the "have nots" who are in a perpetual conflict over resources (wealth and power).
According to Marx, social problems such as unemployment, poverty, crime and warfare are not essentially caused by individuals or even poorly functioning institutions, but rather by the way society is structured in terms of access to wealth and power.
In today's world, power and wealth are concentrated in the hands of a few whose insatiable desire for profits by cutting costs, particularly labor costs is impoverishing the middle class. In fact it is being observed that the middle class is disappearing (as an endangered species)-one is either rich or poor, there is no middle ground.
The recent controversy over the new Immigration Reform Bill in the U.S. at least indicates to some extent the vested interest of businesses in having a cheap labor source in the form of illegal immigrants. Also the flight of manufacturing industries in the form of out-sourcing is a manifestation of the extent that the owners of capital will go to maximize profit even if it means taking away jobs from millions of people who could then become destitute. This is not to say that out-sourcing or other forms of cutting costs is wrong economically or morally; all I want to say is that it creates or expresses the conflict between the contending forces (each with its own set of interests) in society , and that conflict is then the underlying bedrock of all social problems including poverty and inequality. As the condition of the poor gets worse, it might correlate with increase crime and other forms of social deviance which further disadvantage the poor.
CAUSES OF POVERTY:
The causes of poverty are many, and even though many blame the Condition of the poor on themselves (see social Darwinism, for example), there is abundant evidence that poverty is institutionalized. More often minority members of the society carry more than their share of the burden of poverty. Blacks, Latinos, women, single mothers, the elderly, the sick and the disabled are the most vulnerable.
The major causes of poverty also include lack of proper education, poor health, family breakdown, drug addiction, racial inequalities, intolerance, gender, and structural inequalities. Poor people are invariably poorly educated. They are more likely to come from unstable families, and are likely to be victims of substance addiction. The general intolerance of the society towards poor people in itself helps perpetuate the condition of poverty. Poverty is largely seen as the “cause” of society’s problems rather than the “effect” of society’s problems.
The role of women as home-makers for example greatly conflicts with their income-making ability. Therefore, in our high divorce-rate society women particularly, experience a double jeopardy. Single mothers are at a heightened risk of slipping into chronic poverty. From a historical perspective, Blacks and women in many instances have been deliberately placed in a position of economic disadvantage. They still remain powerless and poor largely because the institutions that marginalized them are still very much in place. Since the affluent, by exerting control over government , school and the justice systems , also determines behavior that are considered social problems.
WHO ARE THE POOR:
Dr. Amy K. Glasmeier in her article The Nation We’ve Become (Feb. 26 2007) argued that “…the nature of life for the truly poor is about “not Enough” , as in not enough income to eat properly , little access to basic goods such as adequate clothing or shelter and heat. We have finally reached a time when we can all agree that the poor are truly poor. And their numbers are growing rapidly”.
To be continued.
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jun 2008 : 10:08:03
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| kay, you are a bit late with this thread. i just did my exam on the same topic last friday. interesting though. don't forget to include the measurement of poverty next time. thanks. |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jun 2008 : 10:12:24
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| Thanks Santafara. Okay i got your point... |
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kaanibaa
United Kingdom
1169 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jun 2008 : 13:18:07
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| Kayjatta, I read your thread and went back to it several times trying to fault it and failed, but can I with my tenkul kesseh brain! No way man, I have to accept that you did do your home work and I just want to know what your specialty is ,Gosh we do have some brains from Gambia and I can see a great tomorrow for us. Cheers mate.Waiting for your continuation. |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jun 2008 : 13:39:27
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| You are funny Kaanibaa, but thanks for the flattery. You know what they call "jack of all trades, master of none"? That is me, pretty much like Mazrui. Actually, a former science teacher, I am transitioning from science to law... |
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kaanibaa
United Kingdom
1169 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jun 2008 : 15:34:22
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| The buhaaba type then I see, But on a serious note I am so glad to know that so many Gambians like you are available to motherland, thus all is not lost. I also think that it may be not that bad when we consider the brain drain topic , that is to say all is not lost as it seems , we are surely not drained out but gaining more from outside exposure; you get my drift am sure. So, once more bravo Kayjata, aye wa nyato dorong !chum beecal! We don't need mediocres but big buhaabas, no backward moves nyato dorong baa! |
Edited by - kaanibaa on 03 Jun 2008 15:35:11 |
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tamsier
United Kingdom
557 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2008 : 12:40:56
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| Kay, I congratulate you for bringing up this important topic. As you may probably guess from my discussion with you on another topic elsewhere, I am passionate about this issue. It is a sad fact of life that our planet is full of natural resources and wealth yet less that 10 percent control this wealth whilst the majority live in poorverty. The institutions that you speak of which perpetuate the problem needs to be changed. The question is how do we change them and what would replace them? This poses another question, even if these institutions are replaced, who is to say that the replacements would act any differently. A good example is conlonisation by the British and French etc. During their time of colonisation, many people suffered, when they left and handed over power to the elite [who learned from them], they continued the cycle - therefore it became a catch 22 situation. Only the faces change but the problems remain the same. For an effective change, I personally believe that the masses must 'really' want it. I emphasise the word really, because people motivations changes/are different - e.g: once somebody become less poor, now the problem is not theirs - they couldn't careless or they may be sympathetic to the course, but that's were it stops. Another e.g is those who are only interested in the course, because a big superstar is performing. Unless the majority really want change, - and i am not just talking about giving away a few amount of money to a charitable course every month, but actively involved, I see no hope in addressing this issue. |
Tamsier
Serere heritage. Serere religion. Serere to the end.
Roog a fa ha. |
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toubab1020
12313 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2008 : 13:27:07
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quote:
Originally posted by kayjatta
You are funny Kaanibaa, but thanks for the flattery. You know what they call "jack of all trades, master of none"? That is me, pretty much like Mazrui. Actually, a former science teacher, I am transitioning from science to law...
Ah yes, law...............hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm  ...........excellent choice  ..... havn't seen an out of work lawyer yet and you can add a fee for anything, try that as a science teacher or any teacher for that matter, even if your client loses,no problem, you just appeal and get more work,ah yes a growth industry.
(the above posting is nothing personal about your capabilities,I am sure you will do very well,its just about the excellent wages you can get from the way lawyers wages (?) are set up.)
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2008 : 13:52:45
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| kay, you briefly mention the concept of darwin capitalism. if you may can you elaborate on it a bit more. i am interested in this form of capitalism. it is the most predominant. survive or die. the strongest win and takes all. are you watching the food conference in rome? what a pity. where is the food? come mr jatta. where is the rice, the maize, .... |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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kaanibaa
United Kingdom
1169 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2008 : 17:20:20
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| History recounts some gruesome episodes of human misery brought about by wars and other tragic events both natural and man made.The current problems seem to follow the same trend, in the abundance of food in some areas others else where suffer from hunger/starvation , malnutrition and curable diseases etc. Some concerned parties stand up to fight against these imbalances but it seems to me that theses efforts are not enough , just like filling the proverbial open ended sack.This is very sad .I still wait to read Kayjatta's expose .Thirsty ! |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jun 2008 : 07:58:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Santanfara
kay, you briefly mention the concept of darwin capitalism. if you may can you elaborate on it a bit more. i am interested in this form of capitalism. it is the most predominant. survive or die. the strongest win and takes all. are you watching the food conference in rome? what a pity. where is the food? come mr jatta. where is the rice, the maize, ....
Actually, it was "Social Darwinism" that I referred to. This is a theory that argues in favor of unrestricted capitalism, as envisioned by Adam Smith, Herbert Spencer, and others.
This concept maintains that the social evolution of human beings is directed by competition among all individuals, groups, and nations. Compettition is the "law of nature".
These idea borrows a lot from Darwin's theory of evolution, hence the name "Social Darwinism".
The main idea of Darwin's 'theory of evolution and natural selection' is that those animals and plants better able to adpt to their changing environment survive and pass on their genes to the next generation. Those animals and plants unable to adapt gradually die out. This is the process of natural selection in simple terms.
There were sociologists and economists both before, after, and during Darwin's time who applied this concept to explain the disparities in the economic and social condition of human beings. They argued that the destiny of human civilization rests squarely on the shoulders of those who are the fittest. Herbert Spencer, the British sociologist, specifically went on to coin the phrase "the survival of the fittest" to argue that 'only the fittest shall survive', and that government should not interfere in this process (laissez-faire capitalism). Do you remember this line by Bob Marley in his 'Could you be loved': "only the fittest of the fittest shall survive; stay alive" ?
These ideas played around a lot among social scientists, and the arrival of Thomas malthus' "An Essay on the principle of population" only added more steam to this debate.
"Social darwinism", I believe, is a concept despite its remarkable ideals of self-reliance, and entrepreneurial spirit is rife with problems. Even though Spencer received an ecstatic welcome to the United State where many legislations were subsequently passed in favor of Social Darwinism, many of this features of laissez-faire capitalism remains horrificly immoral today. John Rockefeller, and others like Andrew Carnegie who made fortunes during the celebrated years of laissez-faire capitalism in the U.S. supported the "survival of the fittest' concept. Even Adolf Hitler relied on Social Darwinism to justify himself...
But I have to say that the coming of Karl Marx ( Das Capital), John Maynard Keynes, Veblen, and perhaps others, have shifted the U.S. economic theory somewhat...
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Edited by - kayjatta on 05 Jun 2008 08:00:35 |
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Janko
Gambia
1267 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jun 2008 : 12:57:16
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quote:
Originally posted by kayjatta
quote:
Originally posted by Santanfara
kay, you briefly mention the concept of darwin capitalism. if you may can you elaborate on it a bit more. i am interested in this form of capitalism. it is the most predominant. survive or die. the strongest win and takes all. are you watching the food conference in rome? what a pity. where is the food? come mr jatta. where is the rice, the maize, ....
Actually, it was "Social Darwinism" that I referred to. This is a theory that argues in favor of unrestricted capitalism, ................. "law of nature".
These idea borrows a lot from Darwin's theory of evolution, hence the name "Social Darwinism".
The main idea of Darwin's 'theory of evolution and natural selection' is that those animals and plants better able to adpt to their changing environment survive and pass on their genes to the next generation. Those animals and plants unable to adapt gradually die out. .................. They argued that the destiny of human civilization rests squarely on the shoulders of those who are the fittest. .........'only the fittest shall survive', ..................These ideas played around a lot among social scientists, Hitler relied on Social Darwinism to justify himself...
Thanks Kayjatta, for an enlightening article
"Social Darwinism"
Has a very dark side: social engineering; EUGENICS, the idea to improve the human characteristic by different forms of manipulations to create healthier and smarter people and in the process get reed off less intelligent and handicap people.
It is this concept that legitimized the extinction of Jews, the disabled, and put blacks low on the social hierarchy. (The bell Curve, in the USA)
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Clean your house before pointing a finger ... Never be moved by delirious Well-wishers in their ecstasy |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jun 2008 : 13:40:32
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Yes, that is another very controversial philosophy associated with social darwinism, laissez-faire economics and even nacism...
Modern versions of eugenics may include, genetic screening, genetic testing and couseling, and selective breeding. Those are not to immoral, but some still object that as well... |
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mbay
Germany
1007 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jun 2008 : 16:41:58
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Another good job kay ('Mbita keh)thanks.
I would like to contribute of your point (CAUSES OF POVERTY:)
Because 70 per cent poverty world-wide live in rural areas.
yes we need to look at this areas.
The world nourishing day of this year dedicates itself to the question, how by preservation of the bio diversity the nutrition of humans in developing countries can become secured. The natural diversity of species is a basic condition for lasting and ecologically adapted agriculture and food production. The preservation of the biological variety with useful plants and utilizable animals must be our all requests
I: , If we force world-wide a lasting agriculture, we only approach the goal of halving the number of the actually Hungers.
II: Only if farmer's are included and their special knowledge are considered, meaningful and interferences co-ordinated with the local needs can take place.
III: The way from hunger and the poverty leads across the rural area. The majority of the rural population in developing countries are small farmers, who gain only small yields from their soil with simplest methods. At the same time these farmers are to supply however the entire population of their country with food - a task, which becomes ever more difficult in view of from population growth and environmental problems.
Improves living conditions for the rural population to create development of Africa. Asia and Latin America ranks also among the priority goals.
Over concrete beginnings and critical factors with nourishing safety programs. the protection of the diversity of species and the safety device of the Land right. We have to put this in our first priority.
With the safety device of the nutrition and for the development of the rural regions the land women play a central role - and not only in developing countries. The fights of the women for the right to food by the current example make a considerable contribution for local and local development, but with decision and planning processes they are still very often in the minority. We have take the active participation of women in all decisions as a central principle of the strategies of world nourishing Program. Those were located also in the center of the contribution. Only so one can become fair the key position of the women in the securing of food supply.
Apropos key position was the problem meets in Rome, no key position could be found in that meeting.
If we do not want to find the causes nothing will take us from this mud.
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