Cory Butler

UF 300-001
6/20/15
Poverty: What are the Causes?
Poverty is a global issue and every country is affected by it. Poverty means different
things to different people; its aspects vary greatly within culture, politics, geography, society, and
economics. No one is immune from poverty; some are affected more severely than others and all
for a variety of reasons. There are many factors that contribute to poverty. Generally, poverty is
impacted by cultural, social, and environmental factors. Some common causes of poverty are
politics, economic trends, resource availability, over population, education, disease, and war.
According to Jones, Moses, Mujuta, and Yu (2015), Poverty, despite being a
multifaceted concept, is commonly measured in either absolute or relative monetary terms.
However, it can also be measured subjectively, as people form perceptions on their relative
income, welfare and life satisfaction (p. 151). According to Raphael (2013), Absolute poverty
is frequent in many developing nations but there is evidence it is not uncommon in developed
nations (p. 5).
In society, physical and material aspects are often considered indicators of poverty. It is
easy to judge people by the way they talk and dress, or by the car they drive and the house they
live in. In a study done in Europe, three groups of people were asked about how they perceived
poverty. They were split into three categories -individualistic, societal/structural, and fatalisticbased on their responses. The individualist group blamed the poor for being poor due to being
lazy, uneducated, and having addictions problems like alcoholism. The societal group blamed
culture, government, and the economy, stating the poor dont get paid enough and there is not
enough government assistance. The fatalistic group believed being poor is caused from bad luck

due to illness, disease, and accidents that leave individuals incapable of being productive (Pereira
da Costa & Dias, 2014).
Politics affect poverty in many ways. When the government makes changes to health
care, assistance programs, and taxes, it can have a negative effect. Those changes can contribute
to keeping the impoverished poor and force more people onto assistance programs. Countries
that lack government assistance or do not support education and growth are also affected
negatively. Every countrys government is different and some have tried to combat poverty by
creating programs for reform. Politics sometimes lead to war. Countries that are disabled by war
are often impoverished during the rebuilding process. Some never fully recover, forcing people
to flee and seek refuge in another country.
Lack of educational opportunities contributes to poverty around the world. We see it here
in our own back yard: families cannot afford to send their kids to school, they go uneducated.
According to Raphael (2013),
It is especially the case for liberal nations such as Canada, Australia, the UK, and
USA. Here, living in poverty results when an individual lacks education,
employment skills, or motivation to succeed. This view is based upon research
that shows that those living in poverty generally have less education and fewer
employment skills than those not living in poverty. The proposed solution to this
problem is providing greater educational opportunities and opportunities to learn
employment skills (p. 7).
In many third world countries, children do not attend school because there are no accessible
schools for the remote villages and towns. Being uneducated impacts ones ability to obtain a
good paying job.

There are many environmental factors that affect poverty levels. An example is when
crops are grown to eat or sold for money to buy food. If those crops are damaged from severe
weather, drought, or heavy rainfall, the farmers livelihood is affected. The farmer may have no
way to provide food for the family. In isolated areas, this lack of food affects everyone in the
community and compounds the issue.
Natural disasters also play a role in causing poverty. A once thriving community with a
large population can be demolished by a typhoon, massive earthquake, or tsunami. These events
cause uninhabitable living conditions, where illness and disease thrive, and often force many to
leave and start over in another location. This affects not only the community that was left behind
but the communities taking in the refugees. Overpopulation limits the availability of clean
drinking water, sanitation systems, and opportunities for progress. Faced with these challenges,
it is difficult to rise above the poverty level in many countries.
Economic trends also create poverty. When the economy starts to decline, jobs are lost,
businesses close, and families lose homes and transportation. These losses affect the ability for
communities to prosper. A good example is when the auto manufactures shut down production
and laid off workers in Detroit, Michigan. The workers were not the only ones affected. When
there is no work, no one is spending money. When no one is spending money, every business in
the community suffers.
Poverty is a global issue. There is not one exact explanation for poverty, but many causes
that are unique to each countrys cultural, social, and economic setting. Without educating the
masses and bringing awareness to the front line, poverty will continue to be a growing epidemic
around the world.

Bibliography
Jones, A., Moses, M., Mujuta, S., & Yu, D. (2015). Mesurements and Determinants of
Multifaceted Poverty in South Africa. Development in South Africa, 152.
Pereira da Costa, L., & Dias, J. G. (2014). What do Europeans Believe to be the Causes of
Poverty? A Multilevel Analysis. 1-20.
Raphael, D. (2013). The Politics of Poverty: Definitions and Explanations. P. 5.