QN: HOW POVERTY AS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION

HOW POVERTY AS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION

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.

The history of poverty during the past few decades is diverse, great advances in some dimension in some region, but stagnation even reversals in some region. The process of poverty reduction requires effective public  action at both national and local level, but this action in turn profoundly influenced by how society function  and  by the public, private and non governmental institution within a country. And action within a country is powerfully affected by international condition (World Bank, 2000).

Social institution; refers to the organizational system which function to satisfy basic social needs by providing an ordered frame work linking the individual to the  larger culture, (www.tomcravens.com/inst.htm).

Social institution; refers to a complex group of social beliefs and forms that tend to produce themselves, (answers.ask.com).

Social institution; is an organization where different social groups gather exchange ideas and information, (www.answeryahoo.com/question/index).

Poverty; is the deprivation of food, shelter, money and clothing that occurs when people can not satisfy their basic needs, (en.Wikipedia.org. wiki/poverty).

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 here desire. (www.merriam_webster.com/dictionary/poverty).

Group perspective; sees 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,

THE APROVAL ON POVERTY AS SOCIAL INSTITUTION

We regard poverty as social institution like education, religion, economy political and government because these social institutions are there to function in order to help people to get their basic need. Likewise poverty can be regarded as social institution because of its function it plays to the society just like those of social institutions as follows;

It forces people to work hard; in the process of fighting against poverty always institution like family, government, economy and religion insists it people to work had so as to fight poverty, Likewise with the presence of various problem associated with poverty like lack of access to basic needs like food, shelter and cloth people decides to unite together their effort in order to work hard so as to fight problems associated with poverty. For example the presence of agricultural cooperative societies, women self help groups as well as various youth development partnership is the evidence which shows that poverty plays party in harmonizing people to work in togetherness.

Poverty brings about unity and togetherness; under the presence of poverty family members, groups and various countries come together as one thing. Just like religious institution which always as unifying factor, poverty as lead to the creation of different international cooperation like that of East Africa community (EAC) Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) as well as Common Market for Eastern and  Southern Africa. The unity as based on elimination of trade barriers, free movement of goods and services which all together are very fundamental in fighting poverty.

Source of social conflicts; in most cases conflicts has got its origin in families, religion, economy, politics and government institutions. In another way poverty is the major cause of so many today’s world conflicts. For example the presence of conflicts between the government and its employed workers like teachers and doctors is because of the tension of fearing problems which are associated with poverty, but also poverty has contributed to great extent to the divorce and separation in the families due to the family failure to provide necessities of human.

Poverty usually direct and control people in effective use of available resources; With the presence of poverty individuals, group, communities or government at large will have to have a budget which will be acting as the control the expenditure process depending on the available income. By fearing the problem which my result due to poverty, always people tends to have discipline in the use of the resources available. Just like family, government, and economy institution in order to have sustainable development there must be good control and effectiveness in using the available resources.

Poverty creates social classes in the societies; just like other social institution like family, government, religion and economy always segregates women full participation in development participation and decision making. Also poverty act as the source of various classes in the societies, for example poverty creates classes of have and have not, in another way we can say the presence of classes of upper class, middle class and lower class is determined on the extant of how individual have tried to overcome problem associated with poverty.

It imparts knowledge and foster innovation and creativity; poverty like institution education always forces people to understand the opportunities available so as to meet the desired needs. But also poverty acts as the catalyst to various creativities and innovations, for example in order to fight unemployment problems which may result to poverty people are forcing themselves in various self employment opportunities which in return champions technological advancement just like education institution.

As agent for socialization; just like family, schools and religion its major function is socialization, also poverty act as the socialization because it teaches people to behave in a good way so as to be accepted in the society. For example a person who is poor because of laziness always he or she cant be accepted by the society, in such way poverty socialize many people to the ambition of success just like their parents, relatives or friend.

.Poverty act as foundation for social changes; poverty like other important social institution like government, family, religion, political and economy, poverty foster the process of social changes through reform. for example in order to fight poverty the government has to come up with various strategies like that of National Strategy for Growth and Poverty reduction as well as Tanzania development Vision, 2025 (TDV).

Recommendation

Although poverty has got its negative and positive impact to the communities, the strengths of negative impact of poverty are too strong. People should always fight poverty so as to make poverty as the challenge towards sustainable development and not as the problem and obstacle to better change.

Poverty has got many dimension and differs from one place to another just like how families, religious, politics and government system differs. In order to fight poverty there must be collective effort and many dimension, and this is possible with strong cooperation among social institution.

Poverty must exist in the society so as it can be as the driving force to better change and to show differences among people and communities. Under such circumstances people will be able to foster their social and economic development. This is because if poverty will be totally eradicated then there will be no development.

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 (2002).Our Dream a World of Poverty. New York: Madison Avenue Oxford    .

         University Press.

Kenneth J., Marry A., Davita S.G (2007).Social Problems (5^th Edition).New York: 1221

          Avenue Mc Graw-Hill.

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