True or False? Income is distributed more unevenly than wealth in Britain.

False. Wealth is distributed more unevenly than income; the wealthiest 10% of households owned 45% of wealth in 2012-14.

How can income be redistributed?

Income can be redistributed through taxes and benefits , which greatly narrow the gap between the richest and poorest households.

The overclass , identified by Beresford, is the very rich and powerful super-rich who profit from economic problems and hold political influence.

Define absolute poverty .

Absolute poverty is when a person's income is not enough to obtain the basic necessities for survival , such as food, shelter and heating.

Define relative poverty .

Relative poverty is when a person's income is well below average , so they are poor compared to others in society.

Define social exclusion .

Social exclusion is being shut out from everyday activities in society's social, economic, political and cultural life.

Give one criticism of the absolute definition of poverty.

One criticism of the absolute definition of poverty is that it is difficult to determine the minimum needed to survive , such as whether a basic diet should include fresh fruit and vegetables.

True or False? Relative definitions of poverty are completely objective.

False. Indicators of relative poverty are largely subjective , and some see them as measuring inequality rather than poverty.

What is the official UK government measure of low income?

Low income is income below 60% of the median income after housing costs.

How did Townsend (1979) measure poverty?

Townsend used questionnaires with over 2,000 households and devised a deprivation index of 60 indicators.

Townsend calculated that more than of the population were living in poverty in 1968-69.

Townsend calculated that more than 22% of the population were living in poverty in 1968-69.

Give one criticism of Townsend's deprivation index.

Critics argue the index was inadequate ; for example, not eating fresh meat might reflect lifestyle choice or religious belief rather than poverty.

Name three groups at higher risk of poverty.

Groups at higher risk include older people , people with disabilities , some ethnic minority groups , women and lone-parent families .

Which ethnic groups had around half of people living in poverty (2019/20 to 2021/22)?

Around half of people in Pakistani and Bangladeshi households were in poverty.

Why are some minority ethnic groups more at risk of poverty?

Some minority ethnic groups are more at risk of poverty because they face disadvantages in job quality, pay and unemployment due to racism and discrimination , and have a low take-up of benefits .

Give two reasons why women are more at risk of poverty than men.

Women are more likely to work part-time for low pay , to head lone-parent households and to live alone with lower pensions.

Which children are particularly vulnerable to poverty?

Children are more vulnerable if they live in families with four or more children , with a lone parent or where the head of household is unemployed .

Define life-cycle of poverty .

The life-cycle of poverty is a person's journey into and out of poverty at different points throughout their lifetime.

Define culture of poverty .

The culture of poverty is the idea that the poorest are socialised into a subculture whose values stop them escaping poverty.

The culture of poverty view suggests people in poverty live for today, showing immediate .

The culture of poverty view suggests people in poverty live for today, showing immediate gratification .

True or False? The culture of poverty explains what causes poverty in the first place.

False. It shows how people adapt to poverty but blames individuals and ignores structural factors such as unemployment.

Define cycle of deprivation .

The cycle of deprivation is where people are locked into poverty across generations through material and cultural deprivation.

What policy does the cycle of deprivation view suggest to tackle poverty?

The cycle of deprivation view suggests using social workers and local authority support to break children out of the cycle.

How do functionalists explain the existence of poverty?

Functionalists argue that social inequality is needed to fill functionally important positions , and that poverty has positive functions for some groups.

Give one positive function of poverty, according to functionalists.

Poverty ensures that dirty and dangerous work gets done cheaply and creates jobs for groups such as social workers and the police.

True or False? Critics argue that functionalism successfully explains the causes of poverty.

False. Critics argue functionalism defends and justifies poverty rather than explaining it.

According to Marxists, how does the bourgeoisie benefit from poverty?

Marxists argue the bourgeoisie benefits from poverty because fear of unemployment and poverty disciplines workers, keeping wages low and profits high .

How do Marxists view the welfare state?

Marxists see welfare as a way to preserve capitalism , giving the underclass just enough to survive so they do not challenge the system.

According to Marxists, how could poverty be removed?

Poverty could be removed through revolutionary change and communal ownership of the means of production.

According to feminists, why are women at greater risk of poverty?

Women face the gender pay gap , an unequal share of caring responsibilities and a longer life expectancy than men.

Pahl suggests that female poverty may be in couple households where income is not shared fairly.

Pahl suggests that female poverty may be hidden in couple households where income is not shared fairly.

According to feminists, how do welfare policies reinforce patriarchy?

Welfare policies tend to support the traditional family and perpetuate reliance on a male breadwinner .

Define culture of dependency .

A culture of dependency is where generous welfare provision removes the incentive to work , so people come to rely on benefits.

Name Murray's three signs of a developing underclass in Britain.

Murray identified a rising crime rate , more births outside marriage and an unwillingness among some youths to seek work .

True or False? Research evidence strongly supports Murray's claims about the welfare system.

False. Murray's work has a poor evidence base ; welfare provision is far from generous, and many in the underclass have traditional aspirations.

How does the social democratic perspective view the welfare state?

The social democratic perspective argues that the welfare state protects the vulnerable from the inequality of capitalism rather than creating an underclass.

How did the recession of 2008-2010 affect poverty in the UK?

The recession caused job insecurity , job losses and unemployment , while fuel and food costs rose.

Give one cause of the cost of living crisis.

Causes include strong consumer demand after the Covid-19 pandemic , supply chain issues and Russia's invasion of Ukraine raising energy prices.

Define welfare state .

A welfare state is where the government provides for people's social needs, health and well-being through services and benefits, acting as a safety net .

How is the National Health Service financed?

The National Health Service is financed by national taxes collected by central government.

How do national insurance benefits work?

With national insurance benefits, people in paid work contribute part of their income , and they can only claim benefits such as Jobseeker's Allowance if they have made sufficient contributions .

Give an example of a non-contributory benefit.

Non-contributory benefits include Income Support and Child Tax Credit .

Define selective benefits .

Selective benefits use a means test to decide who is most in need of financial help.

Define poverty trap .

The poverty trap is where a pay rise reduces a person's benefits , so they are no better off or even worse off.

Define universal benefits .

Universal benefits are not means tested , so they are less likely to stigmatise the people who receive them.

True or False? Everyone who is entitled to means-tested benefits claims them.

False. Some people do not claim because the claims process is too complex and intrusive .

It is a offence for employers not to pay someone the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.

It is a criminal offence for employers not to pay someone the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.

How do zero-hours contracts undermine attempts to address poverty?

Zero-hours contracts trap workers in low-paid, insecure work , creating social exclusion and poverty.

What does rising food bank use suggest about government attempts to address poverty?

Food bank use has risen sharply, with emergency parcels up 94% over five years , suggesting government attempts are insufficient .

GCSESociologyAQAFlashcardsSocial StratificationPoverty as a Social Issue

Poverty as a Social Issue (AQA GCSE Sociology): Flashcards

Exam code: 8192

1/49

0Still learning

Know0

FrontWealth, Income & Poverty
True or False?
Income is distributed more unevenly than wealth in Britain.

Was this flashcard helpful?

Cards in this collection (49)

True or False?
Income is distributed more unevenly than wealth in Britain.
False.
Wealth is distributed more unevenly than income; the wealthiest 10% of households owned 45% of wealth in 2012-14.
How can income be redistributed?
Income can be redistributed through taxes and benefits, which greatly narrow the gap between the richest and poorest households.
Define overclass.
The overclass, identified by Beresford, is the very rich and powerful super-rich who profit from economic problems and hold political influence.
Define absolute poverty.
Absolute poverty is when a person's income is not enough to obtain the basic necessities for survival, such as food, shelter and heating.
Define relative poverty.
Relative poverty is when a person's income is well below average, so they are poor compared to others in society.
Define social exclusion.
Social exclusion is being shut out from everyday activities in society's social, economic, political and cultural life.
Give one criticism of the absolute definition of poverty.
One criticism of the absolute definition of poverty is that it is difficult to determine the minimum needed to survive, such as whether a basic diet should include fresh fruit and vegetables.
True or False?
Relative definitions of poverty are completely objective.
False.
Indicators of relative poverty are largely subjective, and some see them as measuring inequality rather than poverty.
What is the official UK government measure of low income?
Low income is income below 60% of the median income after housing costs.
How did Townsend (1979) measure poverty?
Townsend used questionnaires with over 2,000 households and devised a deprivation index of 60 indicators.
Townsend calculated that more than of the population were living in poverty in 1968-69.
Townsend calculated that more than 22% of the population were living in poverty in 1968-69.
Give one criticism of Townsend's deprivation index.
Critics argue the index was inadequate; for example, not eating fresh meat might reflect lifestyle choice or religious belief rather than poverty.
Name three groups at higher risk of poverty.
Groups at higher risk include older people, people with disabilities, some ethnic minority groups, women and lone-parent families.
Which ethnic groups had around half of people living in poverty (2019/20 to 2021/22)?
Around half of people in Pakistani and Bangladeshi households were in poverty.
Why are some minority ethnic groups more at risk of poverty?
Some minority ethnic groups are more at risk of poverty because they face disadvantages in job quality, pay and unemployment due to racism and discrimination, and have a low take-up of benefits.
Give two reasons why women are more at risk of poverty than men.
Women are more likely to work part-time for low pay, to head lone-parent households and to live alone with lower pensions.
Which children are particularly vulnerable to poverty?
Children are more vulnerable if they live in families with four or more children, with a lone parent or where the head of household is unemployed.
Define life-cycle of poverty.
The life-cycle of poverty is a person's journey into and out of poverty at different points throughout their lifetime.
Define culture of poverty.
The culture of poverty is the idea that the poorest are socialised into a subculture whose values stop them escaping poverty.
The culture of poverty view suggests people in poverty live for today, showing immediate .
The culture of poverty view suggests people in poverty live for today, showing immediate gratification.
True or False?
The culture of poverty explains what causes poverty in the first place.
False.
It shows how people adapt to poverty but blames individuals and ignores structural factors such as unemployment.
Define cycle of deprivation.
The cycle of deprivation is where people are locked into poverty across generations through material and cultural deprivation.
What policy does the cycle of deprivation view suggest to tackle poverty?
The cycle of deprivation view suggests using social workers and local authority support to break children out of the cycle.
How do functionalists explain the existence of poverty?
Functionalists argue that social inequality is needed to fill functionally important positions, and that poverty has positive functions for some groups.
Give one positive function of poverty, according to functionalists.
Poverty ensures that dirty and dangerous work gets done cheaply and creates jobs for groups such as social workers and the police.
True or False?
Critics argue that functionalism successfully explains the causes of poverty.
False.
Critics argue functionalism defends and justifies poverty rather than explaining it.
According to Marxists, how does the bourgeoisie benefit from poverty?
Marxists argue the bourgeoisie benefits from poverty because fear of unemployment and poverty disciplines workers, keeping wages low and profits high.
How do Marxists view the welfare state?
Marxists see welfare as a way to preserve capitalism, giving the underclass just enough to survive so they do not challenge the system.
According to Marxists, how could poverty be removed?
Poverty could be removed through revolutionary change and communal ownership of the means of production.
According to feminists, why are women at greater risk of poverty?
Women face the gender pay gap, an unequal share of caring responsibilities and a longer life expectancy than men.
Pahl suggests that female poverty may be in couple households where income is not shared fairly.
Pahl suggests that female poverty may be hidden in couple households where income is not shared fairly.
According to feminists, how do welfare policies reinforce patriarchy?
Welfare policies tend to support the traditional family and perpetuate reliance on a male breadwinner.
Define culture of dependency.
A culture of dependency is where generous welfare provision removes the incentive to work, so people come to rely on benefits.
Name Murray's three signs of a developing underclass in Britain.
Murray identified a rising crime rate, more births outside marriage and an unwillingness among some youths to seek work.
True or False?
Research evidence strongly supports Murray's claims about the welfare system.
False.
Murray's work has a poor evidence base; welfare provision is far from generous, and many in the underclass have traditional aspirations.
How does the social democratic perspective view the welfare state?
The social democratic perspective argues that the welfare state protects the vulnerable from the inequality of capitalism rather than creating an underclass.
How did the recession of 2008-2010 affect poverty in the UK?
The recession caused job insecurity, job losses and unemployment, while fuel and food costs rose.
Give one cause of the cost of living crisis.
Causes include strong consumer demand after the Covid-19 pandemic, supply chain issues and Russia's invasion of Ukraine raising energy prices.
Define welfare state.
A welfare state is where the government provides for people's social needs, health and well-being through services and benefits, acting as a safety net.
How is the National Health Service financed?
The National Health Service is financed by national taxes collected by central government.
How do national insurance benefits work?
With national insurance benefits, people in paid work contribute part of their income, and they can only claim benefits such as Jobseeker's Allowance if they have made sufficient contributions.
Give an example of a non-contributory benefit.
Non-contributory benefits include Income Support and Child Tax Credit.
Define selective benefits.
Selective benefits use a means test to decide who is most in need of financial help.
Define poverty trap.
The poverty trap is where a pay rise reduces a person's benefits, so they are no better off or even worse off.
Define universal benefits.
Universal benefits are not means tested, so they are less likely to stigmatise the people who receive them.
True or False?
Everyone who is entitled to means-tested benefits claims them.
False.
Some people do not claim because the claims process is too complex and intrusive.
It is a offence for employers not to pay someone the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.
It is a criminal offence for employers not to pay someone the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.
How do zero-hours contracts undermine attempts to address poverty?
Zero-hours contracts trap workers in low-paid, insecure work, creating social exclusion and poverty.
What does rising food bank use suggest about government attempts to address poverty?
Food bank use has risen sharply, with emergency parcels up 94% over five years, suggesting government attempts are insufficient.

Sign up to unlock flashcards

By signing up you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy

Previous:Life ChancesNext:Power & Authority