Civic Engagement

Civic Engagement

Amber Altemose

Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences

Civic Engagement

It is generally assumed that there is no problem with poverty in the United States. As this country is commonly considered as one of the most prosperous in the world, the general public fails to delve deeper into this topic and examine available facts. However, relevant research reveals that people are misinformed about the financial well-being of American citizens because it has been determined that an average member of 1.5 million of American households is forced to survive with $2 per day (Hefner, 2013). This number is far below the international poverty line and it demonstrates that apparent American prosperity is an illusion. The fact that the general public does not understand it only contributes to the problem as ignorance prevents people from doing anything in order to reduce poverty. At the same time, the reason behind high poverty rates is evident — low-wage jobs (“Poverty in the United States”, 2013). As unemployment increases each year, employers are able to cut down the wages and retain their employees nonetheless, thus gaining profit from the fact that people are desperate to have a job. Moreover, welfare assistance has nearly disappeared, thus endangering single-parent households and families with many children. Finally, gender and race discrimination also play a significant role in the problem of poverty as they threaten minorities. Although these causes are defined as the main ones in the research, there are more issues related to the overall problem, which is why it must be considered by the general public.

Social justice relies on the promotion of social equality, fair society, and just treatment of all people regardless of their background, gender, ethnicity, orientation, and other individual characteristics (Bebbington et al., 2010). Poverty is a considerable obstacle for this ideal because it deprives people of such opportunities as high...