Chapter IV Poverty and the poor

Chapter IVPoverty and the poor By PhD. Ponh OUDAM

Content of the topic • Definition of Poverty • Perspective on poverty • Relative versus absolute poverty • Common root causes of poverty • Interlocking problems of poverty • Roles of poverty in society

1. Definition of Poverty • The most common definition of poverty is lack or deficiency • Poverty is lack of shelter • Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor • Poverty is no being able to go to school, and not knowing how to read • Poverty is not having a job, is fear for future living one day at a time • Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom

2. Perspective on poverty • Income perspective: A person is poor is or only if his or her income level in below the defined poverty line which is defined as enough income for a specified amount of food • Basic needs perspective: Poverty is not having the minimum materials needs for meeting their basic human needs. This includes income, health, water, education etc. • Capacity perspective: Poverty is the absent of some basic capability or opportunities to function in the community

2. Perspective on poverty cont. Feuerstein (1997) has classified poverty in the following ways: • Inherited poverty – being born into poor families wherein opportunities for growth-supporting nutrition, education, role modeling and a conducive home environment are often lacking. • Instant poverty – as experienced by most of Cambodian population when the Khmer rouge came to power, but also more recently though serious illness or death of family member or the expropriation (take away from the owner) of the property by the authorities.

Temporary poverty – resulting from a loss that recoverable such as a curable disease, political changed or a natural disaster. • New poverty – the very of previously better off people into the poverty as a result of irreversible change in their environment such as a impact of capitalism and globalization or the diminishing land available for married children.

Hidden poverty – the very poor who are rarely seen by outsider including the marginalized in disable, the chronically ill, the elderly, the remote communities and the marginalized. There are also families whose appearance belies (failure or lose) their poverty, such as those inheriting relatively large house but with the few production asset otherwise.

Endemic poverty – where whole communities, or the vast majority of the member, are continuously impoverished, often by an adverse physical environment or thought social unrest (disturb).

Poverty also been classified in term of its impacts on the individual: • Personal poverty – the sense of powerlessness to the influence and bargain with other, a lack of knowledge over right being respected, a lack of human dignity resulting from treatment by other, a lack of the self-confidences resulting from personal failures or social standing, and the lack of education leading to feeling of inferiority (Lower in rank or quality) and ignorance.

Spiritual poverty: an inability to perform or participate in religious ceremonies, to deepen religious understanding, to earn merit (excellence) and to achieve spiritual peace. • Social Poverty: Discrimination and exclusion from social activities of the community and a lack of social skills and relationship

Physical Poverty: Chronically poor health, inadequate nutrition often leading to stunted to human development, a lack of sleep because of constant worry and in the case of many Cambodians persistent of nightmare of past time • Material Poverty: The lack of tangible asset required for basic fulfillment of life

3. Relative versus absolute poverty • Relative poverty: when people have a home and enough money for food, but do not have enough for extra such as TV, motorbike etc. • Absolute poverty: when people’s life are threatened because they cannot afford food, shelter or medicine. They are living in absolute poverty.

The poor are expert in survival: Sources of food, income, support and mean of survival of the rural poor in Cambodia include: • Cultivation of land: either owned or rented • Domestic livestock: either owned or Pravas (credit) • Casual labor: for land owners or commercial operations • Home gardening: for consumption or sale

Common property resources: such as fishing, hunting, logging, gathering of forest product and quarrying (stone). • Transporting of goods within and between villages • Contract outwork such as rolling cigarette and incense (sweet) sticks • Child labor for family, neighbors and others • Domestic service including the care of cows

Mutual help in the form of loan from relatives and neighbors • Remittances (money sent) from relatives in towns and overseas • Specialize education such as barbers, carpenters and commercial sex workers • Gleaning (gather rice) of rice harvests • Indenture (contract) labor, where children work off families debts to others • Migration either seasonal and permanent • Mortgaging assets such as future crop and labors

Stinting (limit the need) on food and other consumption • Craft work such as pottery, woodcarving and weaving of cloth, thatch, baskets and mats • Family splitting where children are sent to live with their relatives or neighbors • Mine clearance as a way of access to unusable land • Begging and theft

4. Common root causes of poverty • Culture of poverty • Social convention • Disasters or diseases • Unproductive expenditure • Exploitation • Impact of development activities

5. Interlocking problems of poverty • Isolation • Powerlessness • Vulnerability • Physical weaknesses

6. Roles of poverty in society • Good for foreign investments (Cheap labor) • Political hostage • Purchase unused goods • Gives status to the rich • Creates job for others

? Questions How your organization define the poverty?

Chapter IV Poverty and the poor