“Generational poverty occurs in families where at least
Eric Jensen, Teaching with Poverty in Mind.
two generations have been born into poverty…”
“Families living in this type of poverty are not equipped
with the tools to move out of their situation.”
Generational poverty is caused by a number of factors. It is a multifaceted issue that is influenced by everything from racism to financial policies. However, generational poverty is heavily influenced by the following three factors.
- Inadequate Education – Education determines a household’s wealth and well-being. Therefore, a lack of appropriate knowledge and skills is the primary reason why so many families cannot escape poverty.
- Resources Not Available – Generational poverty is often characterized by psychological issues related to finances, one of which is “the scarcity mindset.” Due to the perception of scarce resources, people can be trapped in a cycle of insecure thinking and struggle to obtain short-term goals. Living in constant worry about money can also cause toxic stress, which can affect learning, behavior, and overall health.
- There is a Lack of Determination – The majority of people afflicted by generational poverty lack determination and have a rather pessimistic and passive outlook on poverty.
“Perhaps more damaging in the long term are the findings on how people feel about themselves when they are in poverty,” Dawn Foster writes in The Guardian. “They are less confident in their ability to succeed, leading to decreased professional and educational attainment, depression and anxiety.” Generational Poverty: How to Break the Cycle of Poverty was, by John Rampton.
God loves the poor and has called us to love our neighbor. Our neighbors are teen moms whose moms were also teen moms. Many of these are high school dropouts and don’t Because lack of education is a major cause of poverty, our outreach projects at 2Feet Out Ministries have a strong educational focus.
More resources to learn about poverty
- When Helping Hurts – How to alleviate poverty without hurting the poor… and yourself; by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.
- Helping Without Hurting in Church Benevolence – a practical guide to walking with low-income people; by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.
- Toxic Charity – How churches and charities hurt those they help; by Robert Lupton.
- Renewing the City – Reflections on community development and urban renewal; by Robert Lupton.
- Restoring At-Risk Communities – Doing it Together and Doing it Right; edited by John Perkins.
- Let Justice Roll Down – autobiography of John Perkins.
- Encounter God in the City – Onramps to personal and community transformation; by Randy White.
- Bridges Out of Poverty – Strategies for Professionals and Communities; by Ruby Payne.
- A Framework for Understanding Poverty – How does poverty impact learning, work habits, decision-making? by Ruby Payne.
- Church in Hard Places – How the local church brings life to the poor and needy; by Mez McConnell and Mike McKinley.