Struggle Of Poverty In Canada
Poverty is an enigma that plagues wherever civilization exists. The detrimental effect poverty has on civilization can be witnessed by its ability to affect generation after generation, causing a domino effect. We tend to forget that developed nations, that are viewed to be strong wealthy countries with abundant opportunities, also struggle with the issue of a staggering amount of citizens living in poverty. One of the reasons for this common misconception is because many individuals tend to associate the term “poverty” with areas in the world they may find “insignificant” or unrelatable to them, such as third world countries.
However, as evident from the reading, Toronto is a well-developed mega city that currently faces the struggle of poverty in its own city limits. Canada, along with many other countries, is referred to as a welfare state. The welfare system established here helps provide financial assistance to those in need to ensure that citizens are living a safe and secure life. Although it would seem many would be in favor of such a system, in reality the welfare system is considered to be very controversial because of the great amount of abuse it receives. The right side of the spectrum believes the welfare system has worsened poverty in Canada, while the left side believes the government possess the inherent responsibility to provide financial support to its citizens in need of it. Both sides provide elaborate reasonings for its beliefs, and thus, it is difficult to say which side of the spectrum is correct. Although I am aware of the abuse the system suffers from, many families I know, including my own, have received financial aid from the system during a time of desperate need. Therefore, I have been able to see the ample benefit it is has provided to individuals. As discussed in SSW102, one of the solutions to minimize the abuse to the system is to monitor the spending of those who receive this kind of governmental support.
Although in theory this solution seems easy, it is actually very difficult to monitor peoples’ spending. Further, the investigation costs associated with the monitoring would contradict the goal of saving government money. Therefore, the left side of the spectrum’s ideas on resolving Canada’s poverty crisis speaks volumes to me because I view it is as a modest role for government. My own personal experiences makes the issue of poverty an important topic for me. My family and I claimed refugee in Canada over twenty-five years ago after civil war had erupted in Afghanistan. We came to Canada with only two suitcases filled with our most prized belongings, and my parents were only able to collect a total of $300 to start our new lives. My parents didn’t want to leave their beloved country, especially since they had spent years obtaining their Masters and steady jobs as accountants. Sadly, they had no other choice, and embarked on an unknown journey to Canada, in hopes of providing a safe and secure future for my sister and I. Ultimately, if it wasn’t for the structural functional approach Canada is built on, my family would not be doing as well as they are today. Both my parents were able to obtain an education in Canada and picked career paths they seemed fit. Now they are able to play an active role as Canadian citizens by being contributing members to their societies’ economy and function, as the welfare system was designed to do. The role of government is vital in the fight against poverty. Collaborating community organizations, such as nonprofit organizations and for-profit organizations, and self-help groups can lead the way by developing policies and initiatiating action to reduce poverty.
Involvement, self-reliance, sustainability, and empowerment are key principles applied by social workers who work in these types of organizations to reduce poverty. An example of a nonprofit organization is the Afghan Women’s Organization. They provide private welfare services to newcomers, including immigrants and refugees, to the country who desperately need it. Due to my ten years of volunteer experience with them, I am proud to say I’ve been a part of an organization that helps families, much like my own, build stable and secure lives from the ground up. This organization is one of many reasons why I am interested in succeeding as a social worker or social service worker. As understood from the reading, social workers’ distress over the issue of poverty has increased because of their long history in working with those who were pushed into poverty because of factors such as lack of resources, being in unfortunate situations, or due to exclusion in society. Social workers are accustomed to dealing with this type of issues, and work innovatively, patiently and resourcefully to help people understand their situation and aid in changing their behavior and their environment positively.
At times, the role of social workers involves making tough judgements about risk to individuals, and therefore they need to understand the importance of integrating theory about professional values that respect people, their choices and decisions. Nelson Mandela once said, “Poverty is man-made, and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. ” Therefore, as a member of society and a student who is on the career path of becoming a social worker I believe Canadian society needs to find a balance. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology containing a five-tier model of human needs. Physiological needs and safety needs are the two most important needs for basic human survival and safety. Therefore, the focus should be on enhancing resources and opportunities, starting with distinct problems regarding food water, shelter, law, stability, freedom from fear in order to fulfill our goal of eradicating poverty from our society.
