What Does Poverty Even Mean?

Malachi Smith
Feb 27
5 min read

Updated: Jul 13

By Malachi Smith

2/27/25

I think I can speak for everyone when we’ve heard the phrase, “Broke people should never laugh!” Although the phrase is dehumanizing, it can be funny and easy to look past.

Come to think of it, all of the broke, homeless, and impoverished are easy to look past when you live in a state of comfort, no? Why should you care anyway?

The classic, common assumption is that these people are living the way they are because of the faulty decisions they made during their lifetime. Poverty is the punishment for lack of responsibility and stupidity. This must be true because society is equal and fair towards everyone. Work hard, save money, practice safe sex, spawn from financially and mentally stable guardian(s), don’t be a crook, be book smart, be 100% healthy, and don't even bother being a person of color; you know, the basic stuff.

How do any of these things correlate to poverty, you may ask? Let's talk about it.

**A map of the neighborhoods around Cleveland and their poverty levels.**

Defining "Poverty"

Let's define poverty real quick. According to Outreach International, “In the simplest terms, the meaning of poverty is when a household lacks the income and resources required to meet its most basic needs.” As true as this may be, this definition cannot illustrate the full extent of poverty. There are hundreds (and I mean HUNDREDS) of things that lead people into destitution. Where I cannot sit and list off every extenuating circumstance or cause of poverty, I can classify common poverty into four categories

Types of Poverty

Lack of Education

Lack of Clean Water and Food

Lack of Healthcare

Discrimination

I picked these 4 because, although they seem so obvious, these categories are the most common misconceptions regarding poverty. It may be simple for some to see how these categories relate, but there are many layers to these topics that the privileged majority may not understand. So let's unpack these layers together.

Lack of Education

Education is something that is easily overlooked, especially by the middle class and above. I know it's something I’ve taken for granted. I went to a private school majority of my life, so educational field trips, proper lunches, plethora of school supplies, etc, were always the basis of my standards.

To my unfortunate surprise, this is a luxury for many Americans today. Across the world, more the 250,000,000 children lack simple educational access. In addition, over 700,000,000 adults remain illiterate today! Is this crazy or is it just me?…

I think now is a good time to introduce Jimmy. Jimmy 17-year-old, middle-class, male. Jimmy lives with his 2 financially stable parents and has 2 siblings. (I'm trying to make bro as relatable as possible.)

Jimmy: That's unfortunate, but maybe all those people just made stupid decisions during their youth.

Narrator: Why, Jimmy?

Jimmy: Maybe their parents weren’t around enough to keep them in check?

Narrator: Why, Jimmy?

Jimmy: Maybe they were separated, parents always working to support the family, sick, or neglectful?

Narrator: Why, Jimmy?

Jimmy: Lack of resources to provide for themselves, or family members to help support them? I mean, I know tutors and babysitters are expensive, but my parents could always afford one.

Narrator: Why, Jimmy?

Jimmy: Well, my parents both have decent jobs, and if the tutor or babysitter weren’t available, they or a family member filled in.

Narrator: Are things clicking, Jimmy?

There are a plethora of factors anyone could think of that could inhibit access to quality education. Childcare, little disposable income, lack of discipline, and more are all things that contribute to such a thing. And lack of education could simply be the basis of what leads one into poverty. It's harder to land higher-paying jobs, quality food, stable homes, grade health insurance, etc. Education is one of the key avenues for upward social mobility. Without it, people may become trapped in a cycle of poverty or limited opportunities. Education empowers people to overcome their socioeconomic situation and break generational patterns of disadvantage. Education is what truly brings about personal growth and development. Adapting to life's hardest challenges and impediments becomes futile without this simple human right.

Lack of Food, Nutrition, and Clean Water

I'm gonna put this bluntly. Over 2,000,000,000 people worldwide lack access to clean water. For food, bathing, drinking, and cooking. I’d be dammed if I grew up not being able to shower, let alone not being able to boil some ramen noodles!

Many of us take advantage of clean water. To simply be able to drink out of a sink and have minimal risk is a privilege not many people have. Lack of clean water and food conflicts with health and education. For example, it's pretty hard to focus in school if you have a stomach ache or are simply thirsty. And the health disparities that come with this are drastic. Something so simple renders those within poverty in a battle for survival!

Lack of Healthcare

I don’t know about you guys, but when I’m sick, I feel like I can do virtually nothing. My body refuses to do anything productive with even the slightest cold. Luckily, my mom keeps Advil and Tylenol on her at all times, or my life would have ended a long time ago! Well, basic things like Advil aren’t available to everyone. Let alone a doctor! Half of the world lacks access to essential access to healthcare, resulting in negative health outcomes, frequently from preventable diseases. This has far-reaching consequences beyond lifespan and quality of life. Sick people are unable to work or attend school, thus others must frequently care for them, taking them away from their jobs or studies. This can have a harmful long-term or even generational influence.

Jimmy: Come to think of it, I’ve always been able to see a doctor.

Narrator: Why, Jimmy?

Jimmy: I guess my parents have good health insurance, and I see now that not everyone can afford that.

Narrator: You're getting it, Jimmy?

Due to a lack of healthcare, many people are unable to access doctors, medications, or hospitals when they are required. This causes needless fatalities, untreated illnesses, and increased poverty, particularly in low-income and rural communities.

Investing in health services, training medical professionals, and making treatment more affordable can help save lives and improve communities all around the world.

Discrimination

Discrimination contributes significantly to the perpetuation of poverty. People of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, and persons with disabilities are frequently denied access to high-quality education, work, housing, and healthcare.

Certain discrepancies stem from historical and continuing prejudice, making it significantly more difficult for certain groups to transcend poverty and establish generational wealth. For example, Redlining, a practice that restricted Black families from purchasing properties in specific areas, added to the racial wealth disparity and poverty concentration in underserved neighborhoods. Another example would be the wealth gap between races and genders.

Here are some graphs to demonstrate this:

Tap for full view

Discrimination is a powerful force that perpetuates and exacerbates poverty by limiting access to basic resources such as education, jobs, housing, and healthcare. These systemic disparities create a cycle that locks underprivileged populations in poverty for years. Addressing poverty demands more than simply economic remedies; it also necessitates a confrontation with the discriminatory mechanisms that perpetuate it.

Poverty is a complicated problem caused by several interrelated elements, such as a lack of access to quality healthcare, clean food and water, education, and continuous prejudice. People are deprived of chances for steady work and upward economic mobility if they do not have access to high-quality education. Inadequate access to healthcare makes it harder to prevent or treat sickness, and a lack of clean water and wholesome food weakens communities and contributes to poor health. In addition to these obstacles, vulnerable populations are nonetheless marginalized by systematic discrimination, which makes ending the cycle of poverty even more difficult.