What Is Poverty - Research Paper Example

Poverty In a majority of third world countries, many families are afflicted by malnutrition, limited access to medical facilities, and inadequate conditions of living, whereas developed countries are of the belief that this deadly problem does not exist in their countries or with their citizens. Majority of these developed countries will attempt to conceal the real face of poverty in their countries and the fact that it does exist, within their borders with no consideration for skin color, gender, or race. Jo Godwin Parker in “What is Poverty”, contends that poverty afflicts peoples lives slowly, destroying what they have until they are left with nothing, exposing them to sacrifices and hardships that they must undergo with the aim of simply slowing down the process (Parker 1). The author uses various forms of language to define poverty, as well as convey the nature of poverty to the reader. She starts by defining poverty from a personal perspective and taking the reader through her suffering and the pain of her daily life. Her main aim is to make the readers experience poverty and view themselves in her dirt and poverty, doing so in order to make the reader grasp what world she is coming from. Through the use of imagery to expose the horrific and hideous world of poverty, she enhances her ability to make her audience question the stereotypes that they have of the poor. According to her, there are poor people in every country. Majority of individuals in the world are quick to stereotype Kuwaiti citizens as rich and multi-millionaires, whom all change their automotives on a yearly basis and live in villas (El-Katiri et al 14). While this is true and most Kuwaitis do live relatively well, there are, however, those Kuwaitis who are poor or underprivileged and live below the poverty line, relying heavily on monthly charity that they receive from charitable organizations. It is true that there are very few Kuwaitis who cannot manage a meal, whether foreign laborers or Kuwaiti nationals. However, while shelter, food, and healthcare are attainable with ease because of the welfare system run by the state, there are also charitable organizations based in and out of Kuwait that spend millions in order to make sure that the essential needs of Kuwaiti nationals are taken care of (El-Katiri et al 14). While this may not make sense given the relative wealth in Kuwait compared to other countries, it is also worth remembering that poverty is a major problem worldwide. In today’s world, poverty is an epidemic that has very few solutions (Parker 1). In fact, those who are poor in relatively wealthy countries are worse off compared to those in developing nations. This is because poverty is enabled by classification in these countries with class stratification making it difficult to “spread the wealth”. These classifications may be based on individual behavior categories, cultural factors, political factors, economic factors, and social factors. These classifications contribute to poverty. Social class determines wages, which would be the variable that leads to poverty. Those families receiving lower wages are barely able to cater for living expenses (Parker 1). In this case, they do not have sufficient money to enroll for programs that will aid their children’s education. In Kuwait, as well as, other countries like Kuwait in the region, classification based on wealth and private property is not so important, especially compared to having the power, to access state institutions that are involved in distributing revenues from the oil (El-Katiri et al 15). Kuwait is a rich country where poverty is relatively low. However, there are still fundamental social divisions within the country. These divisions exist between tribal families that have settled for a while and those who settled in the country within the last thirty years. The latter group does not have strong and long established ties with the ruling class. In fact, most of them do not even possess Kuwaiti citizenship and are referred to as Bidoon, which means that they do not have any nationality. As a result of the above, they are not capable of enjoying the same status as the former group and face major disadvantages. The sectarian division is another factor that determines the proximity to power through the state apparatus. The division between the Shiites and the Sunni Muslims is manifested through exclusion of Shiites from the state’s bureaucracy because they come from outside Kuwait (El-Katiri et al 16). The Sunni Muslims, on the other hand, has access to social security and employment. This division has led to an unequal distribution of the country’s revenue, and, thus, relative poverty. One indicator of this fact is the recent surge experienced of Kuwaitis applying for welfare from Bayte Al-Zakat (El-Katiri et al 17). Before Sheikh Salem Al-Ali made his donation of 100 million KD to the welfare apparatus, there were no requests for aid from those within Kuwait for help. However, with its introduction, more than seven hundred requests each day, mainly from Kuwaitis exist. While this influx does not necessarily indicate that the number of poor people in Kuwait is growing, it does lend credence to the concept of relative poverty. It is, in fact, correct to say that the families applied because of the donation’s presence, rather than reacting out of being poor (El-Katiri et al 18). The Bidoon and other foreign workers live in slums, which can be seen past the industrial area of Sulaibiya (Streeten 975). This area has many shanties with houses made out of metallic frame and bricks. Because Kuwait has policies for housing, it is not common to have citizens living in these types of houses. These citizens are given access to free housing, and when there are no houses available, the government pays for apartment buildings that they can live, or they could choose to live in the apartment. However, this does not signify that the country does not have any needy citizens, although the things that these citizens approach the government for can be considered superfluous in a country that has populations in absolute poverty (Streeten 975). These requests may be for things like house repairs, rather than fort housing. The definition that Jo Goodwin Parker gives of poverty in her essay brings out the reality of people living in poverty, in a country of plenty that is overlooked by the majority. The essay, through tying daily tasks that most advantaged take for granted, shows a society that somehow reflects Kuwaiti society. While poverty in Kuwait is not as dire as it is in absolute poverty countries, there are things that some sections of society enjoy that are not as common to the other class of “non-Kuwaitis”, which includes things like good housing. As Jo Goodwin Parker says, asking for help is a form of poverty. The fact that some Kuwaiti’s have to ask for help in a country of plenty is an indicator of poverty, albeit relative poverty. While poverty has decreased in Kuwait, inequalities have increased. Works Cited El-Katiri, Laura and Fattouh, Bassam and Segal, Paul. Anatomy of an Oil-Based Welfare State: Rent Distribution in Kuwait. London: Routledge, 2011. Print. Parker, Jo Goodwin . "What Is Poverty?". 2012. Web. 29 May 2013 . Streeten, Paul. "Basic needs: Some unsettled questions." World Development (2008): 973–978. Print. Read More