gender stratification: the ranking of the sexes in such a way that women are unequal in power,...
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Feminization of poverty
Women and Men are Differentiated and Ranked
Gender Stratification: the ranking of the sexes in such a way that women are unequal in power, resources, and opportunities
Global Female Oppression Worldwide, women experience lower survival rates due to
poverty and gender-biased cultural values.
-Women comprise 70% of world’s 1.2 billion poor (half a million die of pregnancy related complications each year).
-In many cultures (even those with little food available) men and boys eat first.
-In some countries girls and women die before men because of oppressive cultures.
-In India, 40-50 million girls have gone missing and brides are often burned for dowry acquisition.
-Other concerns = female genital mutilation and acid burning of females.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008
Relative vs. Absolute Poverty Comparative Studies
Relative Poverty – Some people lack basic resources relative to others in their society▪ Characteristic of most developed countries
Absolute Poverty – Lack of resources such as food, housing and clothing that is life threatening and commonplace▪ Characteristic of at least 60 low-income
countries or half the world’s population
Who are the Poor in the U.S.?
2004, 37 million Americans were classified as living below the official poverty line
13 million of the poor were children under the age of 18
Another 3.5 million of the poor were were over 65 years of age
Millions more were female heads of households with children who were ill or disabled
Disadvantaged Children
Poor children in the U.S. are the most neglected in the developed world
In 2005 12.89 million children under 18 lived below the poverty line in America
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008
U.S. Poverty Line
Established in 1965 by Social Security Administration
Formula takes market basket (low cost, nutritional food budget) and multiplies by 3 (for non food costs).
Adjusted each year for inflation Takes into account family size Some believe it is out of date as formula
is based on 1960’s standards.Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Whites are the largest group among poor families
About 10 percent of whites have income below the poverty line
White Poverty
Minority Poverty
Minorities have a higher poverty rate than whites
25 percent of African Americans have income below the poverty line
23 percent of the Latino population have income below the poverty line
Categories of the Poor
•A large number of the poor are the working poor•Sociologists often consider the severely poor to be those living at 50 percent of the poverty threshold. • 43 percent of persons in poverty are severely poor by national standards
What is the Feminization of Poverty?
Women A growing number of women are among
the poor, which has been called the feminization of poverty.
Children In the U.S., thirty four percent of the poor are children
under the age of eighteen.
Feminization of Poverty Factors
Increase in divorce rateIncrease in births to unmarried mothers
Lower wages paid to women
Single Parents and Their Children
About ¼ of all U.S. children lived with one parent in 2003
Effects on Children Living in Mother-Only Families: Poorer academic achievement More likely to drop out of school More likely to divorce More behavioral problems
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Poverty and Single-Parent Families
In 2004, 30.5 percent of female-headed families were living below the poverty line.
Much of the increase in severe poverty seems to be due to a decrease in subsidies for low-income children and their mothers.
The United States leads the affluent nations in the proportion of its children it allows to live in poverty – the U.S. “safety net” is frayed
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Births to Single Women: 2004-2005Source: Hamilton, B., J. Martin, and S. Ventura 2006, “Births: Preliminary Data for 2005.” Health E-Stats. (November 21), Hyattsville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health: Jane Lawler Dye, 2005. “Fertility of American Women: June 2004,” Current Population Reports, Washington DC, U.S. Census Bureau: P20-555.
Wage Gap
Wage gap: disparity in earnings between men and women.Women make 81¢ for every $1.00 men
make. (full time)Wage gap increases by age.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Poverty Rate of Female-Headed Households with Children by Race or Ethnicity, 2003Source: M. Mather, K. Rivers, and L. Jacobsen, 2005, “The American Community Survey,” Population Bulletin, 60, 3 (September): Figure 7, p. 16. Washington, DC: Population Reference Bureau.
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008
Consequences of Poverty
Consequences for Adults Consequences for Children
Physical Health Children’s Mental Health,
Adjustment, and Well-being Academic and School Achievement
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008
Consequences of poverty
Inadequate nutrition which leads to medical problems
Limited access to health care
Difficulty finding affordable housing
Reduced educational opportunitiesFewer years of schoolingLess likely to graduate from high school or college
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Poverty & Health Care
Higher rates of infant mortality
Higher rates of mortality due to childbirth
Less access to health care and less adequate treatment
Postponement of treatment for illnesses
Housing and Homelessness
Poor are more likely to live in overcrowded housing
Poor more likely to live in less suitable habitats
Poverty and housing segregation Poverty and homelessness
What are the societal consequences of the feminization of Poverty?