Explain what sociologists mean by the poverty trap. Provide examples for individuals, groups, and countries.
Explain what sociologists mean by the poverty trap. Provide examples for individuals, groups, and countries.
Social Psychology (10th Edition)
10th Edition
ISBN:9780134641287
Author:Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers
Publisher:Elliot Aronson, Timothy D. Wilson, Robin M. Akert, Samuel R. Sommers
Chapter1: Introducing Social Psychology
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1RQ1
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Explain what sociologists mean by the poverty trap. Provide examples for individuals, groups, and countries.
I have already defined the poverty trap. I am unable to locate good examples of how individuals, groups and countries are affected by the poverty trap.
Attached is what I have written thus far.

Transcribed Image Text:The term "Poverty" can be defined as the "state of lacking the material and social resources an
individual requires to live a healthy life." (SociologyDictionary.org). The Oxford Dictionary defines a trap
as "a device or enclosure designed to catch and retain animals, typically by allowing entry but not exit or
by catching hold of a part of the body."
The "Poverty Trap", therefore, is "a mechanism which does not allow the poor to get out of their
state of poverty. It is a sort of a vicious cycle in which one gets trapped and this cycle ensures that the
person stays in that position and is unable to get out of it." (SociologyDictionary.org). The poverty trap
provides a disincentive for an individual to work or improve their socioeconomic status. It is a "scenario
created when low-income individuals or families living in poverty, lose welfare or tax benefits when they
secure employment or a higher salary, resulting in an overall worse economic condition because of the
loss of their benefits." (SociologyDictionary.org). We generally find a poverty trap in developing or
underdeveloped countries. This is due to the limited access that people have in such countries to the
capital, the accumulation of which can help them escape this poverty trap. To escape the poverty trap,
those in the condition of poverty need to earn a significant amount of capital in order to escape this.
//One connotation for the "Poverty Trap "is the "Rat Race".
Examples of the poverty trap that affect individuals are as follows:
John has a full-time job in a developing industry. John is not able to afford childcare for his two
pre-school children while he is at work. John is forced to switch to part-time employment that allows
him to care for his children with additional help from welfare. Because John had to leave his full-time
job, he loses benefits beyond pay such as future advancement opportunities, insurance, and a pension.
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