Poverty and Social Psychology: The Importance of Integrative Manner

Abstract

As one of the most important social problems in the world, poverty has been studied by various disciplines. Although poverty is a basic subject of economics, it has also become one of the prominent research fields of social sciences in recent years. Poverty also relates to many psychological processes and mechanisms just as in the other social problems in the world. It is assumed that the social-psychological approach to poverty may contribute to establishing different road maps in combating poverty. Therefore this study aims at contributing to poverty reduction efforts from the social-psychological point of view by providing an integrative review of the social psychological correlates of poverty based on the empirical findings. Also, by including arguments such as social identity, migration, ideology and social context in poverty studies to be conducted with a social psychological perspective, a contribution can be made to poverty reduction with multidimensional research methods.

The Effects of Poverty on the Human Psyche Reflected in Rupert Brooke’s Lithuania: A Psychoanalytic Study

“…The general definition of poverty, given by the World Bank, is the lack of economic, material, and cultural resources, as well as the lack of welfare (Polat, 2021). Sen states that the term poverty describes a severe lack of well-being.…”

“…A minimal standard of living, good health, physical security, and the freedom to act and make decisions are all components of well-being (Kumar, 2012). Foster claims that to comprehend the psychological effects of poverty, it is essential to distinguish between the two different conceptualizations of poverty: absolute poverty and relative poverty (Polat 2021). Absolute poverty is the condition of not being able to purchase one's fundamental necessities and the inability of a household or individual to achieve the minimal welfare level necessary to sustain one's life.…”