MEANING OF POVERTY AND TYPES OF POVERTY

INTRODUCTION

Poverty is the complex and difficult challenge in the world today especially in developing country like Tanzania. Poverty has many dimensions, it certainly involves lack of human and physical asset and inadequate material means to acquire food and other necessities. But also means vulnerability to ill-health, drought, job loss, economic decline, violence and societal conflicts. And it often means deep condition of disempowerment even humiliation (World Bank, 1990).

Some people describe poverty as a lack of essential items, such as food, clothing, water, and shelter needed for proper living. Poverty is a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information (World Summit for Social Development, 2005).

Definition of Key Terms

Poverty is the Condition where people's basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter are not being met (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/poverty).

Poverty' means a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials to enjoy a minimum standard of life and well-being that's considered acceptable in society (http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/poverty.asp).

Poverty; is the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions so as to meet his or her desire. (www.merriam_webster.com/dictionary/poverty).

Group perspective; poverty as the situation were by individual, group or the communities tend to have no access to basic human needs like food, shelter and clothing and other necessities for self-satisfaction. 

TYPES OF POVERTY

Absolute poverty

Absolute or extreme poverty is when people lack the basic necessities for survival. For instance they may be starving, lack clean water, proper housing, sufficient clothing or medicines and be struggling to stay alive. This is most common in developing countries.

Absolute poverty is defined as a situation in which the individual's basic needs are not covered, in other words, there is a lack of basic goods and services (normally related to food, housing and clothes). This concept of poverty is strongly linked to destitution and can be applied to all countries or societies. A person who is considered poor under this criterion is classified in the same way throughout the world.  

Relative poverty

Relative poverty is when some people’s way of life and income is so much worse than the general standard of living in the country or region in which they live that they struggle to live a normal life and to participate in ordinary economic, social and cultural activities. Relative poverty vary from country to country, depending on the standard of living enjoyed by the majority. While not as extreme as absolute poverty, relative poverty is still very serious and harmful.

Relative poverty locates the phenomenon of poverty in the society under study. From this perspective, a person is considered poor when they are in a clearly disadvantaged situation, either financially or socially, with regards other people in their environment. This idea of poverty is closely linked to the notion of inequality.

Relative poverty occurs when people do not enjoy a certain minimum level of living standards as determined by a government (and enjoyed by the bulk of the population) that vary from country to country, sometimes within the same country. Relative poverty occurs everywhere, is said to be increasing, and may never be eradicated.

CONCLUSION

Generally poverty situation has been always perceived in negative way due to its great negative impact to individual and communities. Poverty has lead to no access to basic needs like food and shelter to the majority of people in rural and urban areas of developing countries. Despite its great negative impact to the communities’ poverty plays great role in championing social economic development by forcing people to work hard, to use available resources in effective manner as well as to fostering technological discoveries.

REFERENCES

World Bank (1990), World Development Report - 1990: Poverty, volume 1

World Summit for Social Development (2005), The Copenhagen Declaration

Retrieved on 07-04-2014 from: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/poverty

Retrieved on 07-04-2014 from: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/poverty.asp

Retrieved on 07-04-2014 from: www.merriam_webster.com/dictionary/poverty

Written By AUSI CHIWAMBO (2014)-Teofilo Kisanji University