Testing Hypothesis

My problem definition analysis: Various Ways of Approaching Poverty

(half of my time on this was spent trying to figure out what to do)

1

People realize that poverty is a problem, but they just ignore it. Their just not the activist type. There is lack of action on their part. They might recognize it as the worst problem, but they still don’t care. Almost everyone is aware that poverty exists, and much of it exists here at home, its just that many don’t feel the ambition, drive, and virtue, to do something about it. Many people would do something about poverty, its just that they themselves are poor.

There is this culture amongst the extremely rich, of keeping money to themselves, of keeping money in the family. Of not talking about it, because that makes it bad class. This also helps perpetuate poverty, and the extreme inequality in this and other countries. It’s necessary to press on to rich people, their extra responsibilities since their rich.

Jamie Johnson is the director of the HBO documentary Born Rich, here’s a separate
interview

“HBO: Do you think money is America's biggest taboo topic?
JAMIE JOHNSON: I really think it is. Especially for people who are rich, I think money is certainly the number one taboo topic. More inappropriate than anything else.”

HBO: What would you like people to take away from Born Rich?
…
JAMIE JOHNSON: It's just something most people don't get to see otherwise, and it kind of opens up a taboo subject. It just scratches the surface of talking about wealth and the subject of money in our culture. And I think that that's interesting. It's something that people don't really deal with in a realistic way.
…
HBO: Do you have plans for more movies?
JAMIE JOHNSON: I really want to make more documentaries. I love documentary filmmaking. And I want to continue on with it as a career. I am really interested in these subjects of socioeconomic inequality and social class, and things like that. I think in the next few weeks as this one comes out and people start to respond to it, I'll figure out what the next move is”

http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/born_rich/interview.html

A big cause of poverty is the lack of proper media presentation.

“I feel most global issues are misrepresented in the mainstream for various reasons. Some issues may not be receiving enough—or any—mainstream media attention and therefore there is a lack of enough open and public debate, while other concerns seem to be getting a biased attention only“

http://www.globalissues.org/about/

A big cause of poverty is lack of education.

“Rising school fees, the costs of school uniforms and textbooks, and widespread cultural biases against educating girls all contribute to these unacceptable statistics. According to UNICEF, one out of every six children born to women without an education dies before the age of five. That rate is reduced by half if a woman receives primary school education. Each additional year of education for girls beyond grade three results in up to a 20 percent increase in wages, 10 percent fewer childhood deaths and up to a 10 percent reduction in birth rates/”

http://www.results.org/website/article.asp?id=370

2 “My Working Hypothesis of Meaningful Differences in Problem Definition”:

It is a major problem. Poverty should be among the top priorities of state and national governments. Poverty exists everywhere, in every State in the US, and in every country in the world. Stems from the economic setup, wherever that may be.

It should be brought to the spotlight, of national media attention, and not hidden by the media

Opposing Viewpoint

“According to official statistics, the distribution of income has become increasingly unequal during the past two decades. A common reaction in the popular press, in political debate, and in academic discussions is to regard the increase in inequality as a problem that demands new redistributive policies. I disagree. I believe that inequality as such is not a problem and that it would be wrong to design policies to reduce it. What policy should address is not inequality but poverty.”

http://www.nber.org/feldstein/pi99.html