Poverty has a strong influence on the lives of adults. When an adult lives in poverty, the effects extend beyond that individual to all those who depend on the adult. The problem of poverty in the life of an adult becomes a family or community problem, and few social problems are more impactful.
Thirty-four million people, or 10.5% of the U.S. population, live in poverty (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). As a social worker, then, you are likely to address the needs of clients whose adverse circumstances are strongly influenced by this condition. Increasing your understanding of poverty will equip you to better understand and assist your clients.
analyze theories of poverty as well as poverty’s effects in young and middle adulthood.
• Review the Learning Resources on sociological aspects of young and middle adulthood, as well as theories of poverty.
• From those described in the resources, select the theory of poverty that most resonates with you.
Discuss the following:
• An explanation of how poverty impacts the experience of individuals in young and middle adulthood
• A statement as to whether poverty is the result of cultural or social factors; provide support for your position and an example to illustrate it.
• An answer to the following questions about the theory of poverty you selected:
o What aspects of this theory would be most suitable for your practice? Why?
o What aspects of this theory do you find problematic in terms of your knowledge of social work practice? Explain.