Poverty in Society

Poverty is a matter of great concern across the societies in the world, and there have been several
efforts to eradicate this menace at individual, community, national and international levels
especially in the developing nations, where absolute poverty is at high stakes. Various
sociological ideologies have been developed to explain the issue of poverty in society, with the
objective of improving our understanding of it. This paper seeks to undertake the exploration of
the issue of poverty in society and outline the various sociological theories that try to explain this
phenomenon. It also highlights the reasons why poverty is critical in the society, with emphasis
on the importance of sociological research on it, as well as the potential implications of the
sociological inquiry into the matter.
Poverty is the condition or state of lacking enough resources and essentials for enjoying
minimum living standards and well being that is considered acceptable in the society. It is an
important issue to be explored due to its relationship with other social issues like conflict
between social classes, crime and other forms of ills. It has political implications in most
countries since it is centrally placed in many policy issues and political activities, especially in
the election of leaders into public offices. Individuals and non-governmental bodies are taking
part in poverty eradication programs locally while governments and international organization
like the United Nations and the World Bank are dealing with the menace at the national and
regional levels so as to shield the poor from suffering.
The first objective of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is the eradication of absolute
or extreme poverty in the world by the year 2015 (Usher, 2005 p.14). Even though several
countries have progressed in the eradication of absolute poverty, there are no chances that the

goal will be soon achieved since extreme poverty is still very rampant, especially in developing
nations. The World Bank has been giving loans and grants for development to the developing
countries in order to eradicate poverty (Jones, 2006 p.91). Such financial aid is often used in the
development of basic infrastructure and stimulation of economic growth in different sectors of
the economy for the improvement of peoples incomes so as to cut down the levels of poverty.
There are various sociological theories that try to explain the origins of poverty and its effects on
the society. This issue has been significantly explored by the conflict theory of poverty
developed by Karl Marx. Marx argues that capitalism is the source of poverty and conflicts in the
social classes that exist in the society. He points out that a capitalist society is characterized by
the bourgeoisies and the working class who own the means of production. The working class
(proletariat) is dependent on the bourgeoisies for wages in order to earn a living (Evans, 2003,
p.128). The wealth gap between the two factions is significant, and is mainly responsible for
sustainable production and maintaining social classes. For enhanced profits, the bourgeoisies
have to cut down the wages of the working class, hence, making them to continue being
dependent and poor.
Religion also plays an important role in the maintenance of poverty across the globe since it
promises the poor, an abundant wealth in heaven. This makes the believers reluctant in
responding to their situation of poverty on earth. Poverty and other sets of inequalities are
sources of class conflict in society, which can lead to uprisings and revolutions, like the French
Revolution. Therefore, the theory by Marx can be crucial in the exploration of how poverty can
be caused and sustained through religion and capitalism. It can be significant in the analysis of
poverty distribution across different societies that are segregated by religion and economic
structures.
This sociological ideology of structural functionalism has also tried to explain and foster the
understanding of the issue of poverty by outlining that poverty is as a result of institutional
breakdown (Mooney, Knox & Schacht, 2013, p. 173-174). For example, the family structure
determines its chances of living in poverty. It raises the argument that extended families have the
likelihood of enjoying economic and other social rights compared to other family structures.
Single parents are, thus, likely to expose their children to growing up in poverty, which will also
impact the quality of education that they receive. Since such children are likely to receive low
quality education or drop out of school, they can remain in poverty, thereby continuing the
vicious cycle of poverty. The theory also argues that poverty serves a critical purpose in society;
it is responsible for its stability through the production of goods and services through the poor
working for the wealthy so as to earn a living.
Despite the fact that poverty can lead to deviance and human suffering, most people still do not
recognize that the creation of free markets across the globe can intensify the levels of poverty,
especially in developing countries. This can be illustrated by the fact that the developed nations
compete at a higher level compared to their developing counterparts. The flooding of foreign
goods in the local markets of developing countries can prevent the growth and development of
their industrial structures, thereby increasing their poverty levels. Poverty is often being viewed
as a tool for regulating the relationship between societies. For example, economic grants for the

eradication of poverty are often used as tools for bargaining for other mutual favors that may turn
out to be exploitative on less developed nations.
Sociological research on poverty can be applied in understanding the different situations of
poverty among societies that are inclined to different market and religious structures. A
sociological inquiry into this matter can result into customized solutions to the menace of
poverty that can be instrumental in certain societies owing to their unique situations. The
understanding of poverty through sociological inquiry can facilitate the determination of its inter
connectivity with other social problems like crimes, societal dynamics and deviance, which can
also lead to the establishment of an integrated approach for obtaining a solution to these issues.

References
Evans, M. (2003). Karl Marx. London: Routledge Publishers.
Jones, P. W. (2006). Education, poverty and the World Bank. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Mooney, L. A., Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2013). Understanding social problems. Belmont, Calif:
Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Usher, E. (2005). The Millennium Development Goals and migration. Geneva: International
Organization for Migration.

- See original at: http://www.customwritingservice.org/blog/poverty-in-society/