What is poverty
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{ Higher Modern S tudies WORLD ISSUES: POVERTY LESSON 1 POVERTY
Transcript of What is poverty
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Higher Modern Studies
WORLD ISSUES: POVERTY
LESSON 1
POVERTY
What is poverty?
World Issue: POVERTY
Poverty: Those living on less than the equivalent of $1.25 a day
What makes people poor?
What makes countries poor?
World Issue: POVERTY
Poverty affects people around the world.
Entire Nations/Countries are RARELY poor but people WITHIN nations are!
e.g. a Rich country like the UK has many ‘poor’ people
Where as a country we tend to think is ‘poor’ like Tanzania, will have many ‘rich’ people
World Issue: POVERTY
POVERTY
POVERTY means different things to different people:
i.e. in the UK we tend to talk about RELATIVE POVERTY
Meaning: people are poor in RELATION to others
i.e. may live in LOW INCOME household
Or be DEPENDANT ON BENEFITS
People in that situation may be defined as poor by our standards
HOWEVER!!! We do have benefits for people out of work, free health care and free education (including higher education in Scotland)
Across the world poverty means something different
i.e. there are many in ABSOLUTE poverty
Those struggling to have the very basic needs like access to food, water or shelter
Many of those in Africa suffer from such poverty
POVERTY
Developed World v Developing World
POVERTYGive out Hand-out 1
POVERTY
Those lucky enough to live in the DEVELOPED WORLD tend to:
Have a high standard of living
Good health services High literacy rates Low infant mortality rates Have economies based on
industry, trade and new technology
Have Rights Democratic political
system
E.G. Scotland, France, USA, Australia
By contrast, many of the DEVELOPING countries suffer from:
Low living standards
High illiteracy
High infant mortality
Poor healthcare
Have economies based on agriculture
Lack of modern technology
Poor infrastructure
Can be undemocratic or suffer from corruption
E.G. Malawi, Brazil, India
World Issue: POVERTY
Africa is the second-largest continent on Earth.
18 of the poorest 20 countries in the world are in Africa
Including the poorest country in the world DR Congo
Around 50% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population lives on the equivalent of less than $1 a day
Give out Hand-out 2
World Issue: POVERTY
Effects of Poverty:
On Individuals On Countries/Govts
Hungry Lack of Food provision
No Money Debt
Illiterate Poor/limited Education system (some boys only)
Ill Health/Disease Poor Healthcare System (lack of doctors etc)
Homelessness Lack of Housing/temporary/unofficial housing
Unemployment Weak Economy
Lack of Safety High Crime rates/ Conflict/ Social problems
REACTIONS TO POVERTY
The United Nations Organisation U.N.O (which we will study in detail) is trying to tackle poverty and has set up the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) to measure how successful it has been.
TACKILING POVERTY (and hunger) is the NUMBER 1 GOAL of the UN.
The aim is to initially halve the proportion of people who are living on less than $1 a day by 2015 (compared with 1990)
World Issue: POVERTY
Great progress is being made due to the work of UN Agencies, aid by individual countries, debt relief, and the economic growth policies of many African countries.
Far Fewer people are poor today compared to 10 years ago and the UN is on target to meet its MDG in tackling poverty
HOWEVER – MANY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE CONTINUE TO LIVE IN POVERTY AND DIE EARLY AS A RESULT
World Issues: Poverty
