Exploring Poverty's Dual Impact: Psychology and Sociology Perspectives

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of the multifaceted impacts of poverty, examining its effects through both psychological and sociological lenses. It begins by defining poverty and its prevalence in the UK, highlighting its detrimental effects on mental health, including increased rates of depression, anxiety, and other psychological disorders, especially among low-income populations and children. The essay then delves into the sociological aspects, exploring how poverty contributes to social isolation, strained family relations, and feelings of shame and stigma within communities. It contrasts the psychological perspective, which focuses on individual mental states, with the sociological perspective, which emphasizes societal structures and relationships. The essay also discusses the impact of gender and social structures on poverty, particularly for women and marginalized groups. The author reflects on the subject as a student, emphasizing the interconnectedness of poverty and human behavior and suggesting potential solutions, such as governmental support and access to basic necessities, to mitigate its adverse effects. The essay concludes by reinforcing the significant influence of poverty on both individual well-being and social dynamics, stressing the need for comprehensive interventions to address this pervasive issue.

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
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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
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within a particular social class. Sociologists in UK reported a great enhancement of shame as
well as stigma that are being experience by the people living in poor conditions. Sociology tries
to maintain a balance between societal organizations and their relation to social problems. A
close link between poverty and that of individual behaviour describes the complexity in
disentangling the poverty from issues like unemployment etc. Therefore, Sociology becomes a
powerful tool in view of the poverty where the relation between the society and the close ones
are being dominated by high degree of poverty.
Poverty leaves its impact on the individual in each and every aspect whether
psychologically or sociologically thus, these both the areas are in some or the other way related
to each other while taking about the issue of poverty. Due to the various mental problems
which have surrounded the people of UK, their relation with rest of the society have been
impacted in a great way. Gender plays an important role in sociology of poverty as the women
are mainly involved in caregiving responsibilities (Yen, J. and Vaccarino, O., 2018). Thus,
during the bad economic circumstances, this effect of poverty mainly strikes single woman
parent as well as elderly widow which in turn have a severe impact on their physical and mental
health. They suffer from high level anxiety, depression, and personality disorders. Apart from
this, the different social structure that prevails within the community also entails the
psychological aspects of people. In UK, due to poverty and unemployment, the lower class
groups in companies and at other point of life, feel shy to interact with higher groups and
establish relation with them. Due to this, they remain mentally disturbed and isolated which
impacts their mental health and lowers their confidence and self morale.
REFLECTION
Being a student of this subject, I feel that poverty is the biggest factor which has outrun
the entire world and has influenced each and every aspect (Frisby, C.L. and O'Donohue, W.T.
eds., 2018). Although it dominates the people from every perspective but the primary effect
which it has is on the brain and on the behaviour of people. After analysing this subject from
every direction, I found that the low income classes are primarily exposed to serious mental
problems including anxiety disorders, depression etc. Due to the scarcity of money for basic
essentials, people suffer from different psychological problems like health problems which
includes smoking, cardiac diseases and other infectious diseases. Besides the health, Poverty
pushes the children, having limited access to basic resources to different cognitive problems
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like retarded growth which eventually leads to distorted learning and decreased cognitive
development. People having the low income encounters different mental disabilities like
schizophrenia, mood disorders etc thus having a serious impact on the health and mind.
Because of the lack of money, people are unable to have a proper access of learning and other
training sources which eventually decreases their problem solving ability, thinking ability,
perception as well as disturbs the internal mind state. Thus poverty and the human psychology
are highly interrelated and shows a transparent intersection. I believe that the high level poverty
can be put to an end if apart from the society members, government of different countries
extend their hand for help. A child or adult should be provided with all the basic necessities like
clean water, clothing etc which will keep them away from the serious disorders and hence will
help in their mental and cognitive development.
I feel that poverty not only affects the mental heath of the people but also hinders the
equilibrium of their social life. It projects a highly negative impact on the sociology of people
where it affects the way they maintain relationships with the society and with their families.
The different sociological interests within poverty revolves around the concept of culture and
the interaction with other members of the society (Brady, D. and Burton, L.M. eds., 2016). As a
result of low income and dearth of basic essentials, people feel socially isolated from the other
members of society and hence develops a sense of shame which not only affects their personal
life but also the professional life. Children tend to fight with their parents on regular basis due
to the lack of comfort which the kids of high class enjoys and thus develops a feeling of
frustration which eventually leads to bad relation between them and their parents. The royal
cultures of high class are likely are dominate the minds of poor children which force them to
feel inferior and ashamed. Besides this, the poor working adults tend to restrain them from
interaction with high class working adults which somehow disturbs their relation with the
company and also make them feel disrespected.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Brady, D. and Burton, L. M. eds., 2016. The Oxford handbook of the social science of poverty.
Oxford University Press.
Frisby, C. L. and O'Donohue, W. T. eds., 2018. Cultural competence in applied psychology: An
evaluation of current status and future directions. Springer.
McEwen, C. A. and McEwen, B. S., 2017. Social structure, adversity, toxic stress, and
intergenerational poverty: an early childhood model. Annual Review of Sociology. 43.
pp.445-472.
Pereira, M and et.al.,2015. Predicting harsh discipline in at-risk mothers: The moderating effect
of socioeconomic deprivation severity. Journal of Child and Family Studies.24(3).
pp.725-733.
Short Jr, J. F., 2018. Poverty, ethnicity, and violent crime. Routledge.
Votruba‐Drzal, E., Miller, P. and Coley, R. L., 2016. Poverty, urbanicity, and children's
development of early academic skills. Child Development Perspectives. 10(1). pp.3-9.
Yen, J. and Vaccarino, O., 2018. ‘Health psychology’or ‘psychology for health’? A history of
psychologists’ engagement with health in South Africa. Journal of health
psychology. 23(3), pp.408-424.
Online
Psychological perspectives on poverty. 2015. [Online] Available Through:
<https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/psychological-perspectives-poverty>
Sociological perspectives on poverty. 2015. [Online] Available Through:
<https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/sociological-perspectives-poverty>
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