Chapter 9 Section 3

Definition is complex. Economic Condition: Income housing and standard of living. Lack of Basic needs: food, clothing, shelter Self Definition: sate of mind (Happiness), better off than previous generation. Subsistence Level Income: $ needed to survive Poverty is Relative: poverty in the USA vs. other nations

Poverty Threshold for family of four based on statistics from the U.S. Government $9, $16, $17, $21, $22, $23,

million 14% million 11.3% million 12.6% million 14.3% million 15% 60% live in large urban areas Government programs led to decrease. What patterns do you see in the chart?

3a.) Age: children under the age of 18 make up about 35% of all the people who live in poverty. Sex: about 57% of the poor are women. Women head about one half of all poor families ( all races). Race and Ethnicity: % white, 28.4% Hispanic, 35.7 % African American % white, 21.2% Hispanic, 22.1% African American Combine sex and race most vulnerable groups in American Society Other Factors: Sick or disabled, uninsured, environment, single with children, temporarily jobless, small farmer, discrimination, lack of education, death of a spouse, where you live.

2.) Life Chances: health (higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, pneumonia, and tuberculosis) Why? length of life (life expectancy) housing and education Vary by social class. The lower the class, the less opportunity to share in the benefits of society. Behavior: increased divorce rate, crime rates, crime victim. 3b.) Government Mixed results for government programs. Elderly: social security, Medicare. Social Welfare Programs: 1.) Transfer payments- redistribute funds among various segments of society. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) 2.) Subsidies, which transfer goods rather than cash. Food stamps, housing, school lunches, and Medicaid.