The behaviour of individuals and families in a
culture of poverty demonstrates with great effects how poverty demeans and
dehumanizes a sizeable section of humanity.
The life expectancy is relatively low; death rates are high;
the proposition of younger age group is higher; as both children and women work,
Levels of literacy and education is low; they are neither organised into unions
nor are they members of political parties; social security schemes such as
medical care,maternity, or other benefits do not exist for them; and they
make little use of the cities' hospitals, shops etc.
The children and women forming part of the workforce do so
under the compulsion of economic neccessity; they are given menial, tedious and
repetitive chores, and are almost always underpaid. The low levels of literacy
and education are explained by non-functional nature of the education
imparted, poor educational facilities and ineffective enforcement of compulsory
education provisions where they exist.
Social security measures are introduced and social
services are extended both ostensibly for the poor. The poor do wish to
take advantage of them; but what is offered is so indifferenct in quality and so
difficult and cumbersome to obtain that the poor tend to rely on their own
devices, however deficient they be. The constant struggle for survival;
employment and underdevelopment; low wages for unskilled occupations; child
labour; absence of savings, chronic shortage of cash; absence of food reserves
in the home, resulting in frequent buying of small quantities of food as need
arises and spontenous informal credit devices organised by
neigbours
People in a culture of poverty have strong
orientation to the here and now, inability to defer gratification and to
plan for the furture, a sense of resignation and fatalism based upon the
realities of a dificult life situation, a belief in male superiority, a martyr
complex among women, and high tolerance for psychological pathology of all
sorts.
Further those living in a culture of poverty
have critical attitudes towards some of the values and institutions of the
dominant class. There is a mistrust of government and those in high positions
and cynicism extends even to religious institutions and secular services such as
education and medicare.
Finally there is also a strong feelings of
marginality; helplessness; not belonging; alienation; feeling that existing
institutions do not serve their interests and needs; feelings of powerlessness;
inferiority; personal unworthiness; very little sense of history; constricted
vision, involving knowledged only of their local and neighbourhood conditions
and their own way of life and a sensitivity to class distinction.
For a better Society
The Struggle Continues!!!!
Ndey Jobarteh