Introduction to Sociology Research 2022

Running Head: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY 1
Introduction to Sociology
Name:
Institution

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY 2
Section 1.
Introduction
Through the course of my studies, I learnt that poverty and disinvestment are a critical
issue that is affecting the lives of many individuals in the world. The effects of poverty do not
only affect the living conditions of people living close together but its effect trickle down to the
life chances of the community resident and the overall social and economic health of the
neighborhoods, cities, and metropolitans that they inhabit. I think poverty, does not merely entail
the lacking of economic and purchasing power, but it also includes the inability to meet
necessities, including food, access to drinking water, good sanitation, healthcare, education, and
other critical social services. Additionally, I established that there are many contributors to
poverty, and the World Bank has taken a step further in developing certain indicators of poverty.
This is; access to health services, education, social exclusion, vulnerability and access to social
capital.
In the course of my research, observations and study, some aspects such as hunger,
illness, and thirst ae quantified as both effects and causes of poverty. This includes not having
access to critical amenities such as water, food, housing, and access to proper Medicare. I think
poverty is caused by some critical factors including conflict, social inequality, and
unemployment. I can relate conflict and poverty to such instances as protracted violence that is
being experienced in Syria. Violence displaces people forcing them to leave behind their assets
and livelihoods. Inequality such as gender, tribal affiliations, and caste systems limit people to
equitable access to resources. Such inequalities mean vulnerable group does not get the
necessary means for survival leading to poverty (Béné, et al., 2014). Unemployment is one of the

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY 3
major causes of poverty that I observed because lack of jobs means individuals have no way of
making money. Similarly, Low paying jobs and minimum wages also predisposes people to
poverty as individuals are not able to meet their daily needs. From my observations I established
that there exist some stereotypes that trying to explain the causes of poverty. For instance, poor
people are believed to be lazy. The stigma and inaccuracies attached to this affect the morale of
those affected causing devastating effects. Contrary to this, poor people have been found to work
ever much harder than people from other socioeconomic groups. Another common stereotype
and misconception are that people do not put value in education. Many people assume that low-
income parents are completely detached from their children education (Harvey, 2013). In my
view, poor families are most alienated from education systems due to their inability to afford
school fees, transport and other school upkeep and this does not translate to them being
unconcerned with education.
In my readings, I came to an understanding that poverty continues to be a menace in
many societies within the world. The increased in socioeconomic inequalities and civil wars
especially in developing countries contribute to its growing effect. The lifelong barriers and
consequences of poverty are continue being passed from one generation to another. I understand
the problem of poverty is increasingly becoming a global menace, especially among the
developing nations (Freedman & McGavock, 2015). Poverty affects the society by causing social
tensions due to inequality resulting in riots and clashes. Additionally, poverty has been found to
predispose the affected people to terrorism. I can relate this to the misery and frustrations
associated with poverty when it is viewed as an inequality.