Wealth vs. Poverty
Wealth vs. Poverty
Analytical Essay 1
David Redden
BUAD 610 ST 25 CONTEXTS FOR CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS
Professor Hermina Reyes
January 31, 2012
Abstract
“Poverty is the deprivation of common necessities such as food, clothing, shelter and safe drinking water, all of which determine our quality of life. It may also include the lack of access to opportunities such as education and employment which aid the escape from poverty and/or allow one to enjoy the respect of fellow citizens” (Wikipedia, 2008). This Wikipedia explanation of the word poverty does not take into consideration one other factor: health. “Health is a key area that is impacted by poverty” (Segal, p.333). Even in working family homes, important medical care is not acquired due to lack of health insurance and/or out-of-pocket expenses. Some examples: 1. Having to pull teeth instead of getting root canals because the first being cheaper. 2. No preventative visits to doctors or dentists. 3. Needed surgeries and medications delayed or ignored. 4. Relying on emergency care.
The existence of poverty is no new news for most of the world. Although the United States in general is not feeling the effects as much as other countries, it is nonetheless becoming a problem. To address the issues of poverty, do we ask who’s to blame, or why it persists? Maybe or maybe not, but theses are two excellent questions to start on a path of understanding poverty. Analysis of a few articles will shed some insight on addressing the matters of poverty, and will give some understanding to steps that society, along with individuals themselves, can take to improve upon the qualities of life. One article, “The Persistence of Poverty”, focuses on just that, the persistence of poverty, and what some of the key factors or behaviors/non-behaviors that cause poverty. Yet another article, “Social Empathy: A Tool to Address the Contradiction of Working But Still Poor”, goes further to
Analytical Essay 1
David Redden
BUAD 610 ST 25 CONTEXTS FOR CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS
Professor Hermina Reyes
January 31, 2012
Abstract
“Poverty is the deprivation of common necessities such as food, clothing, shelter and safe drinking water, all of which determine our quality of life. It may also include the lack of access to opportunities such as education and employment which aid the escape from poverty and/or allow one to enjoy the respect of fellow citizens” (Wikipedia, 2008). This Wikipedia explanation of the word poverty does not take into consideration one other factor: health. “Health is a key area that is impacted by poverty” (Segal, p.333). Even in working family homes, important medical care is not acquired due to lack of health insurance and/or out-of-pocket expenses. Some examples: 1. Having to pull teeth instead of getting root canals because the first being cheaper. 2. No preventative visits to doctors or dentists. 3. Needed surgeries and medications delayed or ignored. 4. Relying on emergency care.
The existence of poverty is no new news for most of the world. Although the United States in general is not feeling the effects as much as other countries, it is nonetheless becoming a problem. To address the issues of poverty, do we ask who’s to blame, or why it persists? Maybe or maybe not, but theses are two excellent questions to start on a path of understanding poverty. Analysis of a few articles will shed some insight on addressing the matters of poverty, and will give some understanding to steps that society, along with individuals themselves, can take to improve upon the qualities of life. One article, “The Persistence of Poverty”, focuses on just that, the persistence of poverty, and what some of the key factors or behaviors/non-behaviors that cause poverty. Yet another article, “Social Empathy: A Tool to Address the Contradiction of Working But Still Poor”, goes further to
References: Ehrenreich, B. (1999, Nickel-and-dimed: On (not) getting by in america. Harpers Magazine, 298(1784), 37-52. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/233492046?accountid=14729. Rycroft, R. S. (2008). The persistence of poverty: Why the economics of the well-off cant help the poor. Choice, 45(6), 1024-1024. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/225718854?accountid=14729 Segal, E. A. (2007). Social empathy: A tool to address the contradiction of working but still poor. Families in Society, 88(3), 333-337. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230174205?accountid=14729 Smith, A. (1776). An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Book 11, Introduction, Chapter I through III. Retrieved from http://socserv.mcmaster.ca/econ/ugcm/3ll3/smith/wealth/wealbk01 Poverty. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved January 29, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty