distribution of poverty, wealth and income

Question 1

how is poverty stratified by social class?

Answer 1

• poverty is unevenly distributed by social class, with working-class households more likely to experience material deprivation due to low wages, insecure employment and limited access to capital
• w/c families often face poverty linked to loss of manufacturing jobs and low-paid service sector work
• Marxists argue this is a structural effect of capitalism concentrating wealth
• Functionalists claim some inequality is necessary to motivate workers in different roles

Question 2

how does poverty differ by gender?

Answer 2

• women are more likely to experience poverty due to the gendered division of labour, wage disparities, and greater responsibility for unpaid domestic and emotional labour
• Duncombe and Marsden: identified the “triple shift” women perform- paid employment, domestic work, and emotional support
• feminist perspectives highlight structural patriarchy limiting women’s economic opportunities
• Women’s Budget Group: women are disproportionately reliant on Universal Credit and part-time work, resulting in lower lifetime earnings and pensions

Question 3

how does ethnicity affect poverty risk

Answer 3

• ethnic minorities face higher poverty rates due to institutional racism, labour market discrimination, and social exclusion
• Platt: Pakistani and Bangladeshi households are three times more likely to be in poverty that white British households
• Rowntree Foundation: 46% of Bangladeshi children live in poverty compared with 25% of white british children
• Wood: sent applications under the surnames Evans and Patel for the same jobs with the same qualifications- more responses with surname Evans

Question 4

what is the regional divide in UK poverty?

Answer 4

• poverty is unevenly distributed in the UK, with a persistent North-South divide in wealth and employment opportunities
• ONS: London has the highest average wealth; the North East has the highest child poverty rate
  -Marxists see this as capitalism relocating jobs to maximise profits
  -Functionalists argue this reflects natural economic cycles and regional specialisations