On Poverty in The Modern Era

On Poverty in The Modern Era

Poverty is a problem that has afflicted humankind for centuries. By poverty, I am referring to the deprivation of the most basic human needs; food, clothing, and shelter. A direct extension of these needs is access to healthcare since health is often directly dependent on the proper satisfaction of our basic needs. Speculations about the causes of poverty have permeated academic and social discourse, most likely for as long as poverty itself has existed. Religious theories often frame poverty as a punishment from God that is meant to cleanse one from their sins. When it was evident that the subject(s) of this punishment was actually a very righteous individual, other explanations were proposed. Of the most prominent answers were those claiming that God imposed these conditions onto this individual to account for the sins of their ancestors or other people whom they were somehow related to. Other non-believers would keep it more general, blaming poverty on “just bad luck” or “they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time”. 

As humanity progressed into modernity, people began to think more critically about the true underpinnings of local and global wealth distribution. A key question that continues to puzzle society is - why do we find ourselves in a time where a vast majority of people are struggling to meet their most basic needs, while a small minority of the population continues to benefit from incredible abundance. More importantly, going forward what methods are available to the public that could help us understand the causes of these extreme disparities and ultimately assist in creating a more livable and equitable life for society at large.

As the public understanding of wealth and inequality grows, so does the context within which “the poor get poorer” become more uncovered and revealed. In contrast with the neoliberal ideas that personal liberty and agency are the only factors that determine how prosperous one will be in life, the spotlight is now being pointed at the beneficiaries of neoliberalism with the question; if these ideas are so noble, why is it that they result in the subjugation of the many and the profiting of the few? We are beginning to realize that the systems we live in are working against us, and poverty has much more to do with being taken advantage of by those in power than our own personal lack of motivation or courage. In all likelihood, the contrary is true. Those who have suffered the most from oppression and exclusion have endured and persevered under the most challenging conditions. 

There is no greater threat to a person or family than threatening to deny them shelter. Imagine the thought, not only of losing your home but a home that has cradled your family for centuries. This kind of threat is what Dona Telma and her family were facing in the city of Salvador (in the Palestina neighborhood) (Perry, 2013). When a bulldozer arrived at her house accompanied by a group of military police, she stood her ground. Even after a large crowd joined her in her protest against the unjustified eviction she was facing, it was only after she was “kneeling in the dirt road (leading to her house) with her hands on her head in a gesture of desperation” that the driver of the bulldozer was deterred and eventually left the home of Dona Telma and her family untouched (Perry, 3). This is a story about a poor family in a marginalized neighborhood in Brazil who succeeded in stopping the destruction of their home and the expansion of “upper class” areas at the expense of their survival. The heroes in this story may be poor and subject to spacial exclusion, but they organized together with their community and displayed true grit and resourcefulness in the face of adversity. The kind of inner strength demonstrated in the story about Dona Telma together with her family and community runs against the narrative that is so often heard that those who are poor don’t work hard enough, etc. This story together with many others begs the question; why are there so many who work and fight for their livelihood and dignity day in and day out but still rarely get to see the fruits of their labor? Who designed such a structurally oppressive and unequal system? Who is making sure that this system remains in place, and what can we the people do to take these systems apart and replace them with ones that benefit all people (not just the ones at the top)? 

Where exactly structural inequality began might be hard to pinpoint but there are many things that we can point to that contribute to the kind of wealth distribution that we see today. One noteworthy example that points to the direct implementation of structural inequality is the history of colonialism across the world and the subsequent globalization efforts that exploited and targeted not only vulnerable individuals but large groups as well. The history of Africa in the last century provides clear documentation of colonialism, exploitation, and forced participation in providing for and becoming a consumer of the global market. Following their long history of colonialism, Africa was struggling to build up their economy. When the country sought loans to assist them in rebuilding their national infrastructure, they were forced to remove trade barriers that protected African businesses from having to compete with suppliers from other countries. One prominent documentary on the matter recounts how the African government and businesses were told by the world bank that “if we lend you fifty million dollars, in return you must lower all of your trade barriers and you have to compete with us on a leveled playing field” (Life and Debt, 33:07). We see again how those in power are using neoliberalist notions to make it appear like they are giving the “freedom” to the people (of Africa in this case) by giving them a loan, but in essence, this was another way that they were forwarding globalization and keeping hierarchical social structures in place. Not long after the loan was dispersed, the milk industry together with many other businesses fell apart because they could not compete with global markets. This points to powerful individuals making decisions that result in keeping large groups of people in poverty without the means to make a living. The aspect of God’s hand in this might be debatable, but what we can say for certain is that discrimination and profit based policies are definitely a driving force in the modern economic disparities we are up against. 

In the US, people often think of racism and poverty in specific terms without realizing how universal these problems actually are. Economic inequality or classism affects the everyday lives of people around the world. Sometime during this Spring 2022 semester, there was a point made in class that really changed the way I have been thinking about impoverished countries in contrast to the more wealthy ones. What was shared was that in truth, the countries that are developing are the ones that are wealthy and they are developing off the backs of the poorer countries that remain economically stuck because they are burdened with labor that serves the richer countries. From this perspective, it is no wonder that albeit hard work and continued efforts, many countries continue to remain poor.

A recent Ethnography tells the story of an Egyptian family struggling to cope with disease and access to adequate medical care. (Hamdy et, al. 2019). The story tells us about a young girl Layla as she tries, together with her mother, to help her father through the discovery and treatment of his newfound kidney failure. Layla also has a close friend Anna who is also facing a medical dilemma of whether she should take preventative measures against the possibility of developing breast cancer. A significant element in this story is the strong rejection of Layla’s father towards accepting a new kidney. At one point when he overhears Layla’s discussion with her mother about the possibility of a kidney transplant, he interjects with “no one is giving me a kidney, God in his perfect wisdom created us whole… We cannot give away what is not ours to give” (Hamdy et, al. 110). Throughout the book, there is also a general reliance on God when it comes to medical decisions. This makes me wonder - if proper healthcare was more readily available for this lower class Egyptian family, would they be more open to receiving modern treatments as opposed to resorting to religious beliefs and placing things in God’s hands (when in reality there may be practical solutions available to them)? The fact that Layla’s family struggled with getting adequate healthcare in the time that they needed it is no coincidence. Had they been in a different economic class they may have sought treatment earlier and yielded better results. This brings us back to the questions of why are people being denied their basic needs and what can be done to change these conditions both locally and on a global scale?

The story about the family in Brazil fighting for their home may seem very different than the story of Layla’s family in Egypt, but there is also a common thread that ties them together. Both stories highlight instances of inequality that less fortunate families face on a regular basis. The fears these families face are not for the loss of their cable TV or being able to afford the latest iPhone. These are real fears for the lives of their loved ones and for keeping roofs over their heads. When individuals are subject to the stress that accompanies fear for their survival it becomes more difficult to think outside the box in ways that produce progress and change. Even so, we see in both stories that these families thrived in the face of terrible odds. They held their heads high and did their best with what they had.

I do not have quick answers to any of the complex historical questions posed here. There are some things that seem to work and perhaps by expanding upon what has worked in the past, a better future can be forged. When individuals join forces for a cause, the power of the many can have a strong impact. This is what we saw in the story of Dona Telma, and continue to see today from many advocacy groups (Perry, 5). There is also a power in building strong friendships and alliances that go against the grain of societal norms. This is seen in the friendship of Layla and Anna that transcended race and cultural barriers. The more we push ourselves as a society out of our comfort zone and focus on the similarities between us and those who seem different, the more we can unite and bring back the power to the people. Inequality and poverty will not dissipate overnight, but the fight for a just and equal society will endure until a brighter day will shine upon all of us and bring relief to those who have suffered for far too long.

Works Cited

Perry, Keisha-Khan Y. Black Women Against the Land Grab: The Fight for Racial Justice in Brazil. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2013.

  Dole, Christopher. “Lissa: A Story About Medical Promise, Friendship, and Revolution by Sherine Hamdy, Coleman Nye (review).” Anthropological quarterly 92, no. 4 (2019): 1287–1290.

Life and Debt (Documentary) - https://g.co/kgs/cyyimt