Session 5

Globalization is a market system, changes in societies and world economy due to the dramatic increased in trade and culture exchange mainly between the rich and poor economies. In global poverty, there is 23.4 percent of the world’s population living on less than one dollar a day and almost half of those living in developing and transition economies are making at least two dollars a day which is ten percent of world’s population.

Facts are truly sad. If people actually want to end poverty, the time is now!

I actually like UN Millennium Goals but it had me thinking. Are the rich nations really trying to improve or worsen the situation on poverty globally?

Globalization sucks. I recommend anyone to watch Life and Dept in Jamaica. This movie has the best explanation to why the third world country suffers from poverty. In this video, Life and Dept in Jamaica focuses the country as an example of a small developing country being exploited by well-developed countries using globalization to benefit themselves.  In desperate need, no one would loan Jamaica money to jump start their growth. IMF known as the International Monetary Fund offered short term loans to Jamaica which they accept in addition, IMF applied specific rules to how they could spend and the amount they must charge on interest rate, the nation couldn’t afford paying back which led more loans and causing a cycle of people trapped in poverty.

Session 4

Going back in history until now, the south has always been the poorest in the U.S. region. From what I know, being poor can contributed to where you was born, raised, and the environment in which you live in. It’s about LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!

Where is poverty in America? Poverty is everywhere, outside, next, even far beyond from reach of our own region. People living in the concentrated poor communities face difficult problems, including poor education and mental health outcomes. In these concentrated poor communities, their children are prune to an increase chances of teen pregnancy, delinquency, and crime.

 In a closer look, most poor people live in metropolitan area such as Atlanta which isn’t too far from where I live. From the outside point of view, we see Atlanta as a beautiful city with nice tall buildings, hotels and much more to offer for the rich. So why is there so many poor people living in the cities? To find jobs of course. Cities have the highest job rates. Over the past decades immigrants has drastically increase moving into the cities. While white families move into the suburbs for better and “clean” environments known as the “white flight”. 

Session 3

I watched the video on Down and Out in America, they mentioned about the farmers. It’s sad to me to see these farms becoming foreclosed by banks. Twenty years ago we had well enough six million farms in America and now there are at least one third of what we had. 

I’ve also watched another documentary called Food Inc. for my own knowledge of what the farming industry has become. Farming has become something known as factory farming. Clearly, it has made food that we buy in stores cheap, but are we, the consumers actually benefiting from this? NO. It’s the major corporate that control every aspects of the factory farming. They tell the farmers what to grow, how to grow, and when to grow, otherwise, they are easily put out to business. This video gives you good informal facts to how America has shifted and clearly the “Leaders” is taking advantage and controlling the people, the ordinary farm workers, and no one is doing absolutely anything about it. This Food Inc. video gives reasonable idea to why so many people always say Rich becomes richer and poor becomes poorer. It made me realize the government doesn’t actually care about the working class and who becomes poor. I recommend many of you guys to watch this documentary. You can simply watch it on Netflix.com

Poverty measures

There are different views of poverty and how we measure poverty. We discuss about the difference between absolute, relative poverty, and other measurements of poverty. Absolute poverty is when people are suffering or those who are below the poverty line. They lack the basic needs, and they simply cannot afford service, food, shelter, and etc. The situation does not change overtime.

Relative poverty measures the people who can provide simple needs but they are still below the standard of living.

Quasi-relative measure includes the expenses for food, clothing, shelter, and utilities. Quasi-relative is more updated on changes in standard of living and adjusted for family size. 

My Perspective in America and Globally

Who you think is poor, both in the United States and Globally?
**I think anyone who does not make enough income for the standard of living are poor. My concerns for the society and globally on poverty are the single mothers. Single mothers have the worse case scenario because of the responsibility that is put upon themselves without having another provider for the family. Most single mothers are not well educated. They are living off paycheck to paycheck, usually working double shift during day and night and still bare to take care of their child/children on their own. I believe it is a horrible living situation for both mother and their child/children.


Why you believe people are poor in the United States and Globally?
**Lack of education is one of many important reasons why there are poor people. Poor families either live in poor neighborhoods or live in a society in poor conditions. Their children ends up going to a low standard school with few or not enough books for each individuals. They are also limited to computers and other advance technology which makes it difficult for them to learn. When there is a lack of education, children loss faith and tend to drop out of school believing it isn't important anymore. They usually find illegal ways to make money. When they get busted, they pay a higher price that they cannot afford so they end up in jail or prison with a criminal record, and when they get out, it's even tougher to find a job because many working places and industries doesn't accept anyone with a criminal record. Also females who lack sex education, protections or simply cannot afford birth controls are prune to poverty because they risk the chances of unpredicted pregnancies. Some do end up with a baby and forced to drop out of school to find a job to afford raising their baby. It is very important to have a good education but in my belief, poor people are already victims in this society and that is why many people say poor people becomes poorer as rich becomes richer.
In the third world country, because of their environment which they live in and deprived soil, they lack adequate food, nutrition, and water which make it difficult for them to have an average standard of living. Many of them work in factories and agricultural labor. They tend to make only enough money to eat. Many countries has yet or even close to become a developed nation.


What you think is being done about poverty(e.g. current policies and programs in the United States and Globally)?
**There isn't a lot being done about poverty. There are programs such as WIC for low income families/single mother with children and Medicare for low income families without insurance in the United States but, it's not a guarantee for everyone with needs. Some are denied. In global perspective, they remain poor even with the so call help from the well developed nations. They give out loans to third world countries with high interests. This makes it difficult for these countries to unable to pay back loans and stuck with debts.


How well you think poverty is being addressed currently in the United States and Globally?
**Poverty has been discuss upon, but I don't think it has been firmly address because rich countries are controlling the situation on poverty. As long as the rich men are making fortunes from the poor nations and in our poor societies, it will not change since we live in a free market economy where money is power.


What you personally think should be done about poverty in United States and Globally(e.g., policies, programs you would suggest)?
**I think what should be done about poverty in the United States is to increase better education. Build better schools or receive more books and educational needs such as equipments and computers. We should give more financial needs for students, families or people with low income, and increase minimum wage. In order for this to process, I think that people with high income should be tax higher than middle class and working class. For the third world country, I think the World Bank should reduce there interest fees to other countries so they can start developing there nation and able to pay back their debts.