What is Poverty?

Name
Professor 
English 105
10 October 2022
What is poverty?
Poverty exists in every nation across the world, regardless of whether it is a first-world country or a developing country. It implies that in every nation, people are struggling with poverty; the only difference is their poverty levels, as some nations may experience higher poverty levels than others. The story “What is Poverty” by Jo Goodwin Parker helps to illustrate how poverty affects people differently. Parker grew up in poverty but managed to work hard and make a life beyond the view of America’s middle-class majority. Parker also uses her story to explain her observation about poverty as experienced by others. While most people tend to equate poverty with the presence and absence of money, the conversation about poverty is more extensive as it involves marginalization, domestic and international economic indicators, and exclusion, among others. It is therefore important to expand on the concept of poverty by defining the meaning of poverty, addressing the impacts on the victims such as depreviation of well being, increase in crime and lack of access to good healthcare, and various methods that, if implemented, would help bring poverty to an end.
There are several definitions of poverty. Poverty can be defined as the state of not being in a position to meet your basic needs. Every individual has basic needs, including food, shelter, and clothing. Poverty makes it difficult for people to raise enough money to buy food and clothes and build good houses for themselves. This idea of poverty is evident in the worker of Parker by arguingimg that, “poverty is asking for help. Have you ever had to ask for help, knowing your children will suffer unless you get it?” (Parker 127). This shows that the person is in a position where they cannot meet basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. The inability to meet these basic needs forces people to seek help from those they feel are in a position to meet their needs and offer some help. Asking for help from friends and relatives can be very shaming and humiliating, and one may feel like they are becoming a burden to others. Despite the above definition, The United Nations 7has a broader definition of poverty.
A broader definition by the United Nations defines poverty as denying opportunities and choices. According to the UN, denial usually violates human dignity (United Nations 1). In most cases, poor people are not given opportunities to participate effectively in society. According to this definition, these individuals lack adequate school fees for their education and resources to seek medical care. These individuals lack access to credit, leading to a state of powerlessness and exclusion from important matters. This definition aligns with that of Parker in the essay argues that “I listened politely-the poor are always polite. The poor always listen” (Parker 126). In this statement, Parker implies that if someone is poor, you have no right to ask questions but follow strictly whatever is said to you whichy aligns it very well with the UN definition of poverty. This is a demonstration of how powerless poverty can make a person.
Poverty leads to the deprivation i...