There are so many factors underlying poverty that we could not begin to uncover all of them.  However, there are a few circumstances that we are exposed to everyday, though most of us don't even realize it.  When people do take the time to consider poverty, they tend to look at it so broadly that they feel there is no way they could do anything about it.   Maybe what we need to do is just look around us.  We may be surprised at what we find.
    We have high unemployment for reasons such as disabilities, lack of education, and a lack of jobs. Employers usually require experience, making it extremely difficult for people who have not yet had a job or perhaps have worked in a different field.  Then, there are those who will choose someone who does not have a family to support over a single parent, because they are afraid that the single parent will miss more work.  This not only creates poverty, but it also forces people to remain there.  If we could get these employers to realize that this problem exists, then maybe they would become willing to come up with a plan that enables them to take the risk.
    Another supporting factor to poverty is the lack of incentive for people to try and better themselves.  A person can live more comfortably with the help of government aid programs than they could with a job.  Therefore, they may feel it is pointless to work.  When they do enter the work force, they have to worry about the high costs of daycare and transportation.  Also facing them is the likelihood of losing any medical benefits they may have received from welfare.  What incentive is this for working?  Maybe it would be helpful if the government could provide funding for small businesses so that they can provide higher wages and medical benefits.
    Lack of education also plays a major role in poverty.  Most jobs today require at least a high school diploma, making it difficult for people who do not have much education.  Consider, for example, someone who had to drop out of high school fifteen years ago and go to work to help support his family.  He may have worked with the same company for fourteen years, and for the last year has had a number of turndowns because of his limited schooling.  What is the outlook for his family's future?  Because of this high demand for education, a lot of hard working people have become poor. 
    To take a different view of the factors lying behind poverty, we can look at teenage pregnancy.  Although some teenagers do not intentionally become pregnant, there are those who do.  For some, it may be the desire to feel needed.  For others, it may be the idea that a baby will provide security with her partner.  Whatever the case may be it often leads to single mothers in poverty.  These teens apparently do not understand how much it costs to take care of a baby.  Neither do they understand how hard it is to find employment and affordable babysitting.  This issue really needs to be stressed to them.  Parents need to talk to their children about parenting and safe sex and not depend on the schools to do all of the teaching.  Also, if parents make more room for family time, their children may not feel the need to have a baby.  As far as the schools are concerned, they should make it mandatory for all students (male and female) to take parenting classes.
    Finally, above all of these contributions to poverty is the negative way that people view it.  If a person has not experienced something so negative, it is hard for them to understand or empathize.  Blame is commonly directed toward the victims. Instead of trying to lend a helping hand, society will often label poor people as "lazy."  They do not understand that laziness is generally not the case.  Perhaps if these negative thinkers were to broaden their sociological perspectives, they could help find a solution instead of being part of the problem. 
A Look at Poverty
March 17, 2002
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