Poverty with Psychology and Sociology (PDF)

REFLECTION

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ESSAY.............................................................................................................................................1
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

ESSAY
Poverty is primarily a state wherein the individual lacks the socially acceptable money
or basic necessities. It exist when people does not have enough means in order to satisfy their
fundamental needs. The study gives a brief about relation of poverty with psychology and
sociology, comparison and similarities between two disciplines and the personal reflection as a
student.
Poverty is basically a condition wherein an individual or the community are exposed to
dearth of financial resources along with basic essentials for the desirable living standard. In
2018, more than 3 million people were trapped in the extreme poverty in UK, due to their
income being lower than the normal breadline which eventually locked them in the weekly
struggle for basic essentials. In 2019, around 6 million people along with 3.1 million teenagers
were being affected by the persistent poverty in UK thus resulting in high mortality ratio.
Poverty not only affects the well-being of people but also lead to a distorted mind state and thus
there exist a close relation between poverty and psychology (Pereira, M and et.al.,2015).
Psychology mainly deals with the mind of an individual which somehow impacts their
behaviour.
The increasing low income class in UK have generally high level of mental health
problems as compared to high income classes. Besides this, the children are mostly at
increasing risk of this poverty (Psychological perspectives on poverty, 2015). Leading the
poverty life, most of the households in UK are persistently suffering depression, anxiety as well
as attention problems. In 2018, there has been increased ratio of three psychological illness in
UK due to poor living conditions, limited access to basic services and increased level of crime
which are Schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and mood disarray. Most of the children have been
under consequences of poverty which has resulted in their less cognitive development and has
thus affected their learning process together with scarcity of other resources. Besides the
cognitive development, Poverty also affects the other discipline of psychology like Health
psychology wherein the people suffers from acute cardiac diseases, cancer, lung proliferation
etc due to dearth of desirable money and their engagement in employment places releasing
toxic gases.
Although having a major impact on the mental health of people, Poverty also projects
its influence on the society and their relation with each other. Sociology primarily deals with
1

studying the pattern of varied communities and society and their interrelation on perpetual
basis. Poverty relates to the sociology discipline in wider context (McEwen, C.A. and McEwen,
B.S., 2017). People comprising the low income classes in UK are usually at higher risk
regarding the social isolation and therefore shares the strained relations with their families in
contrast to high incomes.
In 2013-14, around 12% of working adults comprising the poor population were
reported to have no close friend than the 4% working adults within the rich population. Apart
from this, the social isolation is frequently found in the pensioners of low income in UK where,
due to the poverty they generally feel disrespected and less valued than other working adults
(Sociological perspectives on poverty, 2015). They usually find the environment of society and
community to be biased where the consequences of poverty strikes their social life (Short Jr,
J.F., 2018). Not just the adults, but the children also become the prey of this ever-increasing
poverty which somehow affects their relation with their parents and the outside world. In UK,
poverty has affected the life of children in a great way. Children between the age of 10 to 15
suffering from the effects of poverty, generally tend to have quarrel with their parents once a
month and thus does not discuss the issues with their parents as they feel as they feel inferior
from the outside world who are rich enough. This has not only hindered their relation with their
family but also with the society and their friends.
Poverty in relation psychology is somehow different from the poverty in relation to
sociology where these two concepts are on the opposite sides of the pole. Poverty with respect
to psychology basically tells the impact which poverty projects on the minds of individuals and
affect their state of mind. Moreover, Sociology addresses the hindrance between the social
relation of people who are being exposed to the outcomes of poverty (Votruba‐Drzal, E.,
Miller, P. and Coley, R.L., 2016). The psychological perspective varies from country to country
and thus affects the mind of people in different ways. In UK, the poverty criteria is being
underestimated in terms of the mental heath where this psychological discipline plays an
important role. The mental state of people suffering from the poverty issues tends to be
distorted and hence the increased stressful environment in their mind makes them more
susceptible to decreased decision making and increased stress.
In context to the sociology, this discipline explains the decreased people morals and
fecklessness which somehow disturbs their relation with society and also hampers their position
2