Compare and contrast the core tenets of modernization and dependency theories

The dependency theory challenged the basic tenet of modernization theory that countries failed to modernize because they lack the values that first world countries posses which lead to modernization. Modernization theorist believed that if less development countries are to to be developed they have to let go of tradition oriented cultures so that they can not hinder the process of modernization while dependency theorist argue that third world countries are poor because they have been and continue to be exploited by first world countries. Dependency focuses on the origins and subsequent development of underdeveloped countries and advanced all contemporary societies and lastly to improve capitalist. Modernization transform underdeveloped status to the modern society, believe that poor countries are poor because they are yet to develop into the process of modern society, modernization bring about change unlike dependency theory because it brings advanced technology and political transformation in the country so that the country can be more developed and have the good structure in the government.

Discuss any four factors that constitute development illustrating each with examples from South Africa context.

1. Improvement in education and Health- education is fundamental to development and growth in South Africa for instance the slogan used for education: that is the key to success, without education and health no citizen that can work in the structure of the government in order to develop the human capital and economic growth. Health and education play a big role and give a potential role in increasing the economy in South Africa.

2. Political transformation- plays a huge role in constitute development for instance the living out of Africa (including South Africa) in the Scramble of Africa meeting that was meant to share and divide according to their wealth in Africa, had a huge impact in developing South Africa. SA has been criticized against its own democracy, equated to political freedom and had a debate over its development.

3. Modernization- in terms of modernization South Africa its not like other countries such as china being a capitalist country planting more crops to feed its population. As the society of South Africa tried to move from old to modern and advance technology: improved economic development, industrialization and political transformation. South Africa moved from old to new sustainability for a new change and structure.

4. Growth and Structural change- as development requires growth as well as structural change. South Africa is a more developed country which consist of minerals such as gold and platinum also farming which generate income from the secondary sector rather the the primary sector. 

I Will be discusosing the main concept of poverty, 

ECONOMICS  MICROECONOMICS

Poverty

By JAMES CHEN  Reviewed by MICHAEL SONNENSHEIN  Updated Sep 4, 2020

What Is Poverty?

Poverty is a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living. Poverty means that the income level from employment is so low that basic human needs can't be met. Poverty-stricken people and families might go without proper housing, clean water, healthy food, and medical attention. Each nation may have its own threshold that determines how many of its people are living in poverty.

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Poverty

Understanding Poverty

Poverty status in the United States is assigned to people that do not meet a certain income threshold, which is set by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).1 Poverty rates in the United States—the percentage of U.S. population living in poverty—are calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Census.2

According to 2018 Census figures, more than 38.1 million people in the U.S. lived below the poverty line, which was 1.4 million fewer people than in 2017.3 However, the measurement of poverty excludes the following people:

Institutionalized people

People living in military quarters

People living in college dormitories

Individuals under the age of fifteen4

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Poverty is a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living.

Poverty-stricken people and families might go without proper housing, clean water, healthy food, and medical attention.

As of January 2020, the U.S. poverty income threshold for a family of four $26,200 per year.1

Types of Poverty

U.S. Poverty

Each year, the Census Bureau updates its poverty threshold statistics, and the table below shows the 2018 income thresholds for those in poverty. Each column represents the number of people living in a household under the age of eighteen.

In 2018, the poverty income threshold for a family of four with two children under the age of eighteen is $25,465 per year (highlighted in red).

In 2018, for two people over the age of 65 with no children under the age of eighteen, the poverty threshold comes in at $15,178 per year (highlighted in blue).5

We can see that the income level for the poverty threshold increases for families with more children under the age of eighteen.

Poverty Thresholds 2018

Poverty Thresholds 2018.  Investopedia

The poverty thresholds, as well as the number of under-age children in a home, are important because they help determine how government aid can be allocated, such as food assistance and medical care.6 The measurement for those in poverty uses pretax income or income before taxes are taken out by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).4

Global Poverty

Poverty has decreased in developed countries since the industrial revolution. Increased production reduced the cost of goods, making them more affordable. Advancements in agriculture increased crop yields as well as food production. As of 2015, an estimated 736 million people lived extreme poverty, which the World Bank defines as surviving on less than $1.90 per day. Of the total, roughly half lived in just five countries: India, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Bangladesh.7

Common traits for those living in extreme poverty include:

Little or no education

Under the age of eighteen

Work in farming or agriculture

Poverty rates are important statistics to follow for global investors since high poverty rates are often indicative of more severe underlying problems within a country.

Poverty and Children

The impact that poverty has on children is substantial. Children who grow up in poverty typically suffer from severe and frequent health problems while infants born into poverty have an increased chance of low birth weight, which can lead to physical and mental disabilities.8 In some impoverished countries, poverty-stricken infants are nine times more likely to die in their first month compared to babies born in high-income countries.9 Those who live may have hearing and vision problems.

As a result, children in poverty tend to miss more school due to sickness and endure more stress at home. Homelessness is particularly hard on children since they often have little to no access to healthcare and lack proper nutrition—which often results in frequent health issues.

Factors of Poverty

Access to good schools, healthcare, electricity, safe water, and other critical services remains elusive for many and is often determined by socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, and geography. For those able to move out of poverty, progress is often temporary. Economic shocks, food insecurity, and climate change threaten their gains and may force them back into poverty.

Poverty is a difficult cycle to break and often passed from one generation to the next. Typical consequences of poverty include alcohol and substance abuse; less access to education; poor housing and living conditions, and increased levels of disease. Heightened poverty is likely to cause increased tensions in society, as inequality increases. These issues often lead to rising crime rates in communities affected by poverty.

Special Considerations

The United Nations and the World Bank are major advocates in reducing world poverty. The World Bank has an ambitious target of reducing poverty to less than 3% of the global population by 2030.7 Some of the actionable plans to eliminate poverty include the following:

Installing wells that provide access to clean drinking water

Educating farmers on how to produce more food

Constructing shelter for the poor

Building schools to educate disadvantaged communities

Prov

iding enhanced access to better health care services by building

Benefits of poverty within community and individuals. Someone doesn’t know how damaging poverty is until they have personally felt its effects. Struggling to pay bills and provide enough food puts pressure on millions of families each year. It is a symptom that can be a direct result of the skyrocketing number of foreclosures and job layoffs. 

The Family

If a family struggles and there isn’t access to food, medicine, and other necessities during pregnancy, a fetus doesn’t thrive and could be born at a low birth weight. As a child grows into the infant stage, they may suffer from delayed growth and experience frequent sickness. Stunted physical and mental development may occur during the toddler years. School-aged children can face learning difficulties or may even find themselves unable to attend school. The effects of poverty can follow a child into adulthood, leading to chronic illness and lack of education or the ability to work.

The Truth

The effects of poverty are more than just missing a meal. Families struggle with chronic food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition. When families don’t have the food, their health and livelihood suffers, trapping them in a vicious cycle that affects one generation after another. The only way to combat the problem is to break the cycle of poverty and build strong communities. This enables every person to have enough nutritious food to live a healthy and productive life.

Psychological Warfare

There is also a wide range of negative psychological effects caused by poverty. Children are at a greater risk of behavioral and emotional problems, which could include impulsiveness, difficulty getting along with peers, aggression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and conduct disorder. Parents may face chronic symptoms from the effects of poverty like stress and depression. Married couples may also feel marital distress and exhibit tougher parenting behaviors.

Compare and contrast two theoretical approaches to social problem 

Conflict orientation in conflict orientation we find that the society it's determined by pervasive inequality based on social classes such as gender, race and other factors which lead to social problems being addressed. Subordinate and dominant groups end up in conflict becourse of scarce resources in the society, causing the arise of fundamental fault in structure of the society and in order to have valid and successful solution to social problem must involve far- reaching to the structure.

Feminist orientation

Looking to the social problem in demist orientatio, many feminist theory have evaluated that most of the significant problem it's on gender equality because of women are subordinate sex in many dimensions of social, political and lastly to economic life, woman don't have much power (authority) than man. Feminist orientation wants to give women a voice that they have been denied in science and incorporate female values in order to reject sexism in science.

Learning Activity 1

1.Depression can be Identified as one of the social problems that we are facing in the environment, this behavior has negative consequences showing the objective component. In the society depression can lead to suicidal thoughts. 

2. Smash and grab looking at this behaviour I think it's not a social problem and it cannot be addressed for instance it do not receive a consideration and it emerged in other words, and it cannot be solved because it occurs around the globe.

3. Rape surely rape is a social problem because it's one of the major consequences need to be addressed, and can be solved by implementing more law enforcement on it.

4. Fast food is not a social problem in the society because it's condition doesn't need to be addressed and considered as a social problem, though fast foods are not harmful to the environment.

5. HIV and AIDS lastly, HIV and AIDS is a social problem because it threatens and harm the society for example it lead in increasing a number in death rate. This pandemic had an impact in the society that is why it needs to be addressed as a social problem.