How would you define poverty?

What standard of living would you describe as being below the poverty line? How much do you think you would need to cover your basic costs each month?

Food?
Clothes? Fuel?

Rent?

Born into a wealthy shipowning family in Liverpool 1886-1903 he investigated living conditions, income and spending of 4000 people in London Found over 30% of Londoners were living below the poverty line Divided poor into 4 groups Worked out that poverty was caused by problems related to unemployment and low wages, not due to the poor themselves

Born into the sweet-makers Rowntree, a Quaker family Interested in Booths findings and wondered if they would be confirmed in York He investigated and found about 28% people in York living below the poverty line Divided poverty into two categories Primary poverty, Secondary poverty Wrote a book Poverty: a study of Town Life

Seebohm Rowntree produced this graph to illustrate the ages at which an individual might be above or below the Primary poverty line.

Mark the following points on the graph where you think Rowntree originally marked them himself: a. Marries b. Children begin to earn c. Children marry and leave home d. Labourer too old to work
From this, what appear to be the 5 main causes of poverty?

6%

5% 10% 5%

Unemployment / Underemployment Death of Wage earner Illness or old age of wage earner Low wages

52%

22% Large family Other

1. How did Booth define the poor? 2. Can you identify any problems with Booths report? 3. What did Booth view as the main causes of poverty? How was this different to previous attitudes. 4. Explain why Poorhouses were shown to be inadequate following Booths report. 5. Describe in your own words Rowntrees definition of poverty. 6. What do you think the impact of these reports would have been on:

A) the public

B) the government