Compare and Contrast absolute and relative approaches to the definition and
The term 'Poverty' has many definitions all of which share similar ideas, It is often
defined as a "state of deprivation relative to those standards of living enjoyed by others
within the same society". Terms used to describe poverty may include; Income or
consumption poverty, Human under development, Social exclusion, Ill being,
Vulnerability, lack of basic needs and relative deprivation. All of the terms
mentioned above are regularly used to describe what is meant by poverty.
"Individuals, families and groups in the population can be said to be in poverty when
they lack the resources to obtain the types of diet, participate in the activities and have
the living conditions and amenities which are customary, or at least widely encouraged
or approved, in the societies to which they belong. Their resources are so seriously
below those commanded by the average individual or family that they are, in effect,
excluded from ordinary living patterns, customs and activities."
Poverty has been considered throughout history. Rowntrees study, published in 1901,
was the first to create a poverty standard for individual families, based on estimates of
nutritional and other requirements. Concepts of poverty have developed rapidly
however there are fault lines in the debates of poverty and what is actually meant by
"poverty". The complexity of the measurement of poverty mirrors the complexity of its
Absolute poverty is the idea that it is possible to create an absolute minimum standard
of living required for physical health, this is often called 'the poverty line.' This
definition of poverty is most often used by international and global organisations such
as the United Nations. Such a definition has been criticised by sociologists as t
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