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Section 4
Chapter 8 Social Stratification 259 Poverty in America
Key Terms
• absolute poverty
• relative poverty
• feminization of poverty
Measuring Poverty
Absolute poverty is the absence of enough money to secure life’s ne- cessities—enough food, a safe place to live, and so forth. It is possi- ble, however, to have the things required to remain alive and still be poor.
We measure relative poverty by comparing the economic condition of those at the bottom of a society with the economic conditions of other mem- bers of that society. According to this measure, the definition of poverty can vary. It would not, for example, be the same in India as in the United States.
How is poverty measured in the United States? Historically, the United States government has measured poverty by setting an annual income level and considering people poor if their income is below that level. As noted earlier, in 2000 that figure was $17,603 for a family of four.
How many Americans are poor? Poverty is widespread throughout the United States. According to 2000 U.S. Census Bureau reports, the poor comprise 11.8 percent of the American population, or more than 32.2 million people. Great poverty existed when it became a national political and social issue in the 1960s. Forty years later, poverty in America is still a problem (Newman, 1999). (See Figure 8.6 on page 260.)
From the slums of Calcutta to a project in the United States, what do these photos say about the relativity of poverty?
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Poverty can be measured in absolute or relative terms. The poor in the U.S. are dis-
proportionately represented by African Americans, Latinos, women, and children.
absolute poverty
the absence of enough money to secure life’s necessities
relative poverty
a measure of poverty based on the economic disparity between those at the bottom of a society and the rest of the society