Poverty as a Societal Problem: Sociological Analysis and Solutions

This discussion post examines poverty as a critical societal issue, drawing on sociological perspectives to understand its prevalence and impact. The author explores the stigmatization associated with poverty, highlighting how societal views and language contribute to the marginalization of those experiencing poverty. It references sociological theories, including Goffman's work on stigma and the functionalist and conflict theories, to provide a comprehensive analysis of poverty's structural roots. Furthermore, the post discusses the impact of poverty on education, particularly the achievement gap faced by children from impoverished backgrounds. The discussion also considers potential solutions, such as financially sustainable education models, referencing 'The Solution Revolution' by Eggers and Macmillan, to break the cycle of poverty. In conclusion, the post emphasizes the importance of addressing economic inequality and the significance of opportunity structures in society.

Running head: POVERTY-SOCIETAL PROBLEM
POVERTY-SOCIETAL PROBLEM
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1
POVERTY-SOCIETAL PROBLEM
Introduction
Poverty is referred to as a standard of living that is lower than the minimum desirable
for maintenance of satisfactory nutrition, well-being and shelter. Majority of sociological
understanding on poverty, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s has spoken about the
comparative significance of social structures as well as individual intervention in
enlightening the commonness and spread of poverty over time (Shildrick, 2018). The
following forum discussion will discuss poverty as a social issue by drawing relevance to
sociological understandings. It will also gather insights of the book “The Solution
Revolution: How Business, Government, and Social Enterprises Are Teaming Up to Solve
Society's Toughest Problems” by Paul Macmillan in order to obtain idea of lessening the
impact of the issue.
Discussion
Poverty is a critical driver of stigma. The understanding of the ones experiencing
poverty is viewed as ‘the other’. Such stigmatization repeatedly occurs through the use of
certain language, labels as well as descriptions related to the perceptions of being in poverty.
According to Shildrick (2018), Goffman’s explanations on stigma shed light on the devalued
groups which social actors from dominant groups consider can be undoubtedly expressed.
Though, not all organizational sources of inequality acquire an equal amount of consideration
in the minds of individuals in the society.
While, on the other hand, the functionalist and conflict understanding focus largely on
social stratification it has an indirect approach on poverty. The understanding of the society
as a whole relates to the conflict theory and is viewed as a structural explanation which
stresses on issues in the American society which tend to produce poverty (Sofo & Wicks,
2017). Poverty spreads to practically all aspects of U.S. society and regardless of a number of
anti-poverty strategies, it has remained basically unaddressed. It is comparatively

2
POVERTY-SOCIETAL PROBLEM
undeliberated in public discussions and partly unspoken by the public as well as researchers.
As per reports, there has been estimated approximately 39.7 million Americans living in
poverty in 2017 (UN.org, 2020).
Furthermore, one of the most austere impacts of poverty in the United States is that
deprived children move into school with significant gap of enthusiasm which eventually
develops with their age. Meanwhile, majority of people living below the poverty line come
from Sub Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. Furthermore, till 2018, around 55% of the
world’s population have lack of proper access to minimum of a single protection cash benefit
(UN.org, 2020).
Nonetheless, to solve society’s incessant issue of poverty, a relevance to a financially
self-sustaining as well as scalable education model can be taken into consideration.
According to Eggers and Macmillan (2013), this model has been proposed by Kimmelman to
disrupt the cycle of Africa’s economic dearth. It has been noted that in order to break the
cycle of poverty and make it accessible, newly established educational institutions needs to
be economical. Moreover, earlier in the West, several lean franchises have been highly
transformative in delivering robust base out of poverty.
Conclusion
To conclude, certain amount of attention has been lately given to the discussion of
rising disparity of economy and poverty. A comprehensive understanding of individual
accountability and behaviour can make economic inequality and increase the importance of
opportunity structures in the society.

3
POVERTY-SOCIETAL PROBLEM
References
Eggers, W. D., & Macmillan, P. (2013). The solution revolution: How business, government,
and social enterprises are teaming up to solve society's toughest problems. Harvard
Business Review Press.
Shildrick, T. (2018). Lessons from Grenfell: Poverty propaganda, stigma and class
power. The Sociological Review, 66(4), 783-798.
Sofo, F., & Wicks, A. (2017). An occupational perspective of poverty and poverty
reduction. Journal of Occupational Science, 24(2), 244-249.
UN.org/. (2020). Ending Poverty. Retrieved 27 March 2020, from
https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/poverty/