Poverty is a useful idea to sociologists as it draws attention to the great material inequality in our society and to the difference between the lifestyles of its richer and poorer members
Relative poverty recognises the deprivation and suffering associated with social exclusion
Members of society have social needs and being unable to do and have those things constitute a 'normal' life is a source of deprivation
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Environmental Poverty
Sociologists have drawn the significance of the quality of the environment for people's sense of well being
All but the housebound spend time in public spaces, meeting friends, taking children to the playground, shopping etc
Environmental poverty suggests public spaces that are ugly, inconvenient and unsafe
Many poor people suffer the discomfort of living in neighbourhoods with such characteristics
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Subjective Poverty
Whether an individual feels deprived doesn't depend simply on there level of income
People compare their situation with that of others
Despite being 'well off' an person can feel deprived if they identifies with a group, most of whom are even better off
A poor person may not feel deprived when looking at a photo of their parents who were even poorer
Sociologist recognise this a relative deprivation
The ways in which poor view their poverty is complex
An individual may or may not believe there poverty is deserved, may or may not be angry about the poverty and may or may not try to escape it
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