What Is Poverty and Who Are the Poor?: A Qualitative Analysis

Background and Purpose

Historically social work is a profession that has been committed to helping the poor and disadvantaged (NASW, 1999). However, it has been argued that the profession has abandoned this commitment. This assertion has been made as a result of issues associated with social work education’s commitment to addressing poverty in the curriculum.  

The literature is sparse regarding students’ perceptions of the poor and their understanding of the causes of poverty. It is essential that those responsible for training future social workers have knowledge relative to students’ perceptions regarding the poor and their understanding of the causes of poverty in an effort to provide instruction which will enhance students’ ability to serve this population. The purpose of this study was to examine students’ perceptions of the poor as well as their knowledge or understanding of an etiologic explanation of poverty. The data collected from this study provided both individual and collective perspectives on these issues.

Methods

Focus groups were used to examine in depth sixty-six social work students’ perceptions of the poor as well as their understanding of the causes of poverty. Demographic data were collected from the focus group participants and each focus group member received a unique identifier. The sample (ages 19-56) is predominately White (93%), female (94%) and middle class (69%). Participants were recruited via email, posted flyers and classroom announcements.

The primary foci of the discussions were as follows; (1) explore students’ perceptions of and level of interaction with people living in poverty, (2) examine factors leading to poverty and ways to address it, and (3) explore ways to better prepare students to work with the poor.

The focus groups were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. In addition, a note-taker/observer was present during each of the focus groups. The unique identifiers and the observer’s notes were used to link each of the participants’ demographic data to their discussion comments.

Constant comparative analysis was used to examine the data collected. The data from each of the focus groups were categorized and coded according to the presence of specific themes. The data from all of the focus groups were consolidated into one document. A second aspect of the analysis involved examining individual comments in relation to the demographic characteristics of the focus group participants.

Findings

Data analysis reveals that participants were able to identify individual and structural factors associated with poverty. Individuals personally impacted by poverty tended to be more likely as compared to others to share empathic responses regarding struggles of the poor, Participants related that they would benefit from learning opportunities that would enable them to interact with individuals impacted by poverty. They also spoke to the need to know how to aid in dismantling structural issues associated with poverty.

Conclusion and Implications

The findings highlight the need for social work programs to provide instruction that will prepare students to address structural issues associated with poverty and provide opportunities to engage in “poverty work”..