Over many years, my understanding of poverty has changed. As a young person, I heard adults speak about disadvantage and it was natural to believe that every word they spoke was correct. As I grew older, I saw media reports and did not understand that emotive words, stereotypes, and a two-minute glimpse of poverty in a news report were not the whole story. As I became an adult, I became more critical, particularly when I joined the not-for-profit sector. My studies at USQ have further developed my understanding of the complexity of poverty, and in particular, the stereotypes and assumptions that lead to a misunderstanding of the issue. For example:
Employed people cannot be poor As a child I was taught that I should study hard so I could get a job and support myself. I also understood that the minimum wage was to ensure workers were paid appropriately. No-one mentioned that even if one does work they may not have enough money to pay for necessities. The risk of being a part of the “working poor”, as they have come to be known, is 5.2%, whilst 29.4% of those living in poverty rely on wages as their main source of income (Australian Council of Social Service, 2012). Many income earners are working only part-time or casual hours, so they do not earn enough to support themselves and their families. Identifying families in poverty by examining their income is also not always productive. Kenny (2006) states that income must be examined in conjunction with family composition and living patterns. This suggests that even those on a reasonable wage may be disadvantaged if they have responsibility for supporting a large family. |
Fix “the issue” and a family will move out of poverty
Coming from a middle-class family that did not experience poverty, I thought disadvantage was caused by a small number of issues, such as leaving school early, unemployment, and high costs. In retrospect, this was a simple conclusion. Poverty is complex, and although these three causes create disadvantage, the interaction between these and other issues produce a layered and cyclic problem. Although situational poverty can require the provision of support for one event, it can also lead to multiple other problems that require a multi-faceted approach. Where poverty is intergenerational there may be further issues to explore including values, role models, and “norms of entitlement” (Harper et al., 2003). |
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