Page 9 - Vulnerable Populations

Poverty

Factors

• Political
• A historical review reveals that poverty in the U.S. was not recognized as a social

problem before the Civil War. The prevalent attitude was that poverty was an
individual's problem, and individuals had only themselves to blame if they were
poor. Generally, society did not believe it was responsible for alleviating the plight
of the poor.
• "Aid to Dependent Children was enacted in 1935 as part of the Social Security Act
to provide financial assistance to needy children under 16 years of age who were
deprived of parental support because of death, incapacity or absence of a parent."
• "In 1964 the War on Poverty was officially approved by Congress, with emphasis

on job-training programs, and community participation and development."
• The early 1990s saw an interest in both health care and welfare reforms; however,

by the middle of the decade, little had been accomplished at the federal level. In
contrast, states began making both health care and welfare reform changes, and
the public sector, in an effort to control the costs of medical and hospital care,
became a major driver of health care reform effort.
• Cultural
• The meaning of poverty differs greatly by culture. Anglo cultures tend to view most
aspects of poverty in a negative light.
• Environmental
• In recent decades the number of adult and elderly Americans living in poverty has

decreased while the number of women and children living in poverty has increased.