Poverty and the Underclass

Poverty is one of the most important and contested topics in the sociology of stratification. Despite being one of the world's richest countries, the UK has persistent and significant levels of poverty, affecting millions of adults and children. The AQA specification requires you to understand how poverty is defined and measured, evaluate competing explanations of poverty, and assess the controversial concept of the underclass.

Key Definition: Poverty is a condition in which individuals or groups lack the resources necessary to participate in the activities, customs, and diet commonly approved by society (adapting Townsend's definition). The debate over whether poverty should be defined in absolute or relative terms is central to this topic.

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Defining and Measuring Poverty

Absolute Poverty

Absolute poverty refers to a condition where individuals lack the basic necessities for physical survival — food, water, shelter, and warmth. It is measured against a fixed standard (e.g., the World Bank's threshold of $2.15 per day) that does not change over time or between societies.