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DP1 Students: IA Engagements!
How to define poverty?
How to define poverty?
On a basic level, Poverty is about not having the resources necessary to meet human beings' basic needs, such as food, shelter, clothing, security, etc. Poverty is sometimes discussed as a specific economic measure, usually expressed as "living below X USD per day." This "poverty line" or "poverty threshold" will vary based on the source, but commonly used measures include the World Bank's current poverty line of $2.15 per day (about 63 NTD.) The U.S. government determines the U.S. poverty line based on how many family members are in a household, so an individual living in poverty is a different standard than a family of four (mom, dad, and two kids.)
WORTH NOTING: An HL presentation on Poverty is likely to draw rather heavily on content from the Development unit (Unit 3.) Luckily, the purple Pearson textbook is an easy read and should give plenty of help with the relevant concepts that students can use in a presentation on Poverty. Don't be discouraged by the fact that we still haven't studied development! Between the resources we have, and a little guidance from your teacher, you'll be on the right track in no time at all!
Poverty according to Compassion International (a Christian NGO)
Poverty according to Compassion International (a Christian NGO)
"Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time. Poverty is losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom."
Poverty according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF, an IGO)
Poverty according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF, an IGO)
The IMF talks about poverty as a "multidimensional" issue, meaning that is not purely an economic measure. They discuss poverty as being a complex issue that includes challenges like access to resources, equal treatment by local and international institutions, threats to personal security, etc. This image does a nice job summarizing the IMF's take:
Key Questions about Poverty
Key Questions about Poverty
Which type of poverty is more significant: absolute poverty or relative poverty?
The idea that there can be a thing such as a "poverty line" is a part of absolute poverty, which puts forward ONE measurement that is used to determine whether a person or family is impoverished or not. This kind of measure can be useful in some of the country's poorest countries, but it is difficult (if not impossible) to establish one measure that can work worldwide. The reality is that the cost of living has a lot to do with absolute poverty, and the varying cost of life in different parts of the world makes one global measure somewhat untenable. Middle-income and higher-income countries are likely to have a poverty line that GREATLY exceeds what would be considered absolute poverty in the developing world. Relative poverty, on the other hand, is useful when studying poverty through a lens of inequality. A focus on relative poverty, or the poverty experienced by one group in comparison to another, is most applicable when looking at topics like income inequality within a country. Relative poverty could also help us look at situations where there is a notable gap in well-being, but not necessary a lack of access to basic needs.
What are the main causes of poverty?
It is worth looking at poverty as a complex issue, rather than something where we can point to one thing and say "that right there is the source of the problem." For instance, in some places there exists a "poverty cycle," where people are continually trapped in impoverished conditions. This could be due to a lack of access to welfare programs, social inequalities, a lack of education or opportunity, or straight-up oppression. Looking at poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, almost requires us to look at the impact of disease, corruption, conflict, and a harsh environment, as these factors severely limit states' and other actors' ability to combat extreme poverty.
Is global poverty increasing or decreasing?
DECREASING, for sure. However, poverty remains a stubborn problem. At times, absolute poverty rates go down but a massive social or economic gap remains. Other countries remain trapped in a cycle of poverty that is difficult to get out of, and international aid has sometimes been limited in its effectiveness.
Potential Case Studies
Potential Case Studies
IB-Provided Examples
• Child labour in the “Smokey Mountain” rubbish dump in Manila, the Philippines—effectiveness of a local versus national political approach
• Boko Haram and child soldiers—role of poverty in driving the phenomenon (check out p. 6 of the linked PDF
Boko Haram is a Nigerian terrorist organization, infamous mainly for kidnapping whole schools full of young girls. While it's common to think of terrorism as religiously motivated (at least based on what we see in the news, this particular case highlights how young people often get caught up in these groups due to poverty.)
• Poverty within the Aboriginal community in Queensland, Australia—why do the state’s policies continually fail?
• “Relative poverty” in the UK—at which level of politics is this most effectively tackled?
• The Global Poverty Project and the campaign “Live Below the Line”—the role of empathy in the fight against poverty
Other Examples
Exploring poverty in developed countries - e.g., Poverty and the U.K.'s Energy Crisis, or Poverty and Social Welfare in West Virginia (USA)
Looking at national and international actors - e.g., Effectiveness of UNICEF programs in ________
Specific challenges linked to poverty, such as famine, disease, the impact of war/conflict, etc. (Though you want to ensure that you have a clear focus on POVERTY as the Global Political Challenge.)
Sample Presentation
Sample Presentation
Below is a recent high-scoring HL presentation (10/10, top score) that uses Poverty as its GPC. Note how the student is VERY clear in their introduction of how this fits in with Poverty as the GPC and which areas of dimensions of poverty (e.g. the cycle or circle of poverty) are most relevant. This presentation clearly treats Poverty as a concept as well as a political challenge.
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