Poverty

Analysis and Comment (13)

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If your environment is polluted, you’re probably poor. Kaptain Kobold/flickr

A healthy environment shouldn’t just be for the rich

By Jason Byrne, Griffith University

Ever heard of “environmental justice”? No? It links social and environmental discrimination. Still doesn’t sound familiar? Well if you’ve seen the movie Erin Brockovich – which examines how a single mother…
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Despite a government target, students from poor backgrounds risk being left out of higher education. University student image from www.shutterstock.com

A low target: enrolling poor uni students remains a challenge

By Tim Pitman, University of Western Australia

According to the Federal Government, Australian public universities need to be more inclusive, particularly when it comes to enrolling poorer students. They’ve set a target to have 20% of undergraduate…
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Single mothers such as Michelle Daly have high aspirations for their children. Reducing their payments won’t help achieve them. AAP/Lukas Coch

Taking the big stick to single parents is not the answer

By Morag McArthur

New legislation was passed last week to move single parents off the parenting payment, and onto the Newstart Allowance once their youngest child turns eight. Advocates for this change suggest that the…
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Is the number of Australians in poverty increasing, or are the statistics being interpreted inaccurately? Flickr\Vermin Inc

Shame or sham? Assessing poverty in Australia

By Peter Robertson, University of Western Australia

Over two million Australians are currently living in poverty, according to a report released yesterday by Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS). Dr Cassandra Goldie of ACOSS says that it is a…
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Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten has agreed to examine Newstart rates after ruling out a raise to the dole earlier this week. AAP

Down and out, and on the dole: why the Newstart Allowance needs a raise

By Eva Cox, University of Technology, Sydney

Why do we have welfare policies that create unnecessary poverty? Despite a multitude of reports, submissions, public pleas and other advocacy on the problems of Newstart (NSA) recipients, the government…
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Policymakers should ensure that the safety net provides adequate income for daily needs as well as ensuring that people are positioned to quickly reintegrate into satisfactory paid employment. freefotouk

No through road: path to prosperity eludes America’s jobless poor

By Veronica Sheen, Monash University

In the late 1990s, American writer and activist Barbara Ehrenreich spent a year working in low end jobs in the United States documenting the pitifully low wages, the oppression, and barriers to upward…
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The poorest people in the world have the largest burden of disease. Jon Baldock

Obesity, poverty and inequality: weighty problems for all of us

By Kate Taylor, University of Melbourne and Rob Moodie, University of Melbourne

A somewhat diverting paper on obesity came out earlier this week. It’s based on a cute idea – looking at what overweight people do to global resource requirements instead of the more traditional approach…
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Can ethical markets solve the problems of persistent poverty and global income inequality? Michelle Brea

Challenge 7: The market, morals, ethics, and poverty

By Adrian Walsh

In part seven of our multi-disciplinary Millennium Project series, Adrian Walsh argues that a humane market asks something of us that we may not want to give. Global challenge 7: How can ethical market…
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Feeding the world is entirely feasible, but food distribution remains a significant challenge. edwin van buuringen

Meat consumption offers food for thought on global poverty

By John Quiggin

The Economist has its critics, but it still delivers lots of interesting data. I just found this table (published by EconomistDailyChart) of annual meat consumption per person by country. The data set…
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Being unable to afford one substantial meal a day and pay for home insurance are indicators of poverty. Flickr/27147

Down and out in Australia: the new way to define poverty

By Peter Saunders

Poverty is about more than just a lack of income. Those who experience it face unacceptable restrictions on their material and social wellbeing. Research can no longer focus on defining a poverty line…

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