SOCIAL PROBLEM:
POVERTY
Lakeia Jackson
Sociology 301: Online
Professor Lugo
February 15, 2015
Abstract
In this essay we are going to look at the social problem of poverty and more specifically the programs and policies that the government has implemented in an effort to help impoverished Americans. This essay will look at who the programs are targeting, describe what the programs were designed to do and how they operate and the affects they’ve created both positive and negative. In this paper I’ll be discussing Welfare, Social Security, and the Family Independent Initiative program.
Social Problem: Poverty
There is a social problem when it is “a social condition or pattern of behavior that has negative consequences” (Leon-Guerrero, 2014,
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There’s “absolute poverty, which refers to a lack of basic necessities” and “relative poverty, which refers to a situation in which some people fail to achieve the average income or lifestyle enjoyed by the rest of society” (Leon-Guerrero, 2014, pg.40). When officials approach a social problem such as poverty the objective is to cast a “helpful net” far and wide in an effort to help the majority. It’s nearly an impossible task to help everyone but that’s the main goal. The U.S. Government has tried many different policies and programs to try and rectify this social problem. The government has made policies in an effort to aid those who need it programs such as the Welfare Act, Social Security Act and the Family Independence …show more content…
59). It worked toward government assistance only to be temporary and also earned. There was to be the states responsibilities for all the different rules and regulations one how long assistance can be given and to whom. The outcome had an immediate effect on the poor but in the way that was intended. It decreased the poverty percentage 11.3% which is the lowest record since 1979 (Leon-Guerrero, 2014, pg. 59). The problem with these types of programs occur when there’s an economic downturn. That’s when the progress made over the years begins to decline. It’s the government and the peoples’ job to come together as a unit to work on making sure our economy doesn’t take such a downturn in order to ensure that these social safety nets