Blackwell Reference Online

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Family poverty generally refers to households lacking a minimum amount of income. However, specific definitions and measurements of poverty vary widely across countries. In the US, family poverty is officially measured in terms of whether various sized households fall below specific annual income levels. In Europe, poverty is frequently defined as residing in a household that falls below one half of the national median income. In developing countries the standard is often that of living in a family earning less than a dollar a day. The underlying concept behind all of these approaches is that there is a basic minimum amount of income necessary in order for families to carry on their day-to-day activities adequately. Families that fail to acquire such income are considered poor. The social scientific study of family poverty dates back to the turn of the twentieth century with Seebohm Rowntree's study of 11,560 working-class families in the English city of York. Rowntree's research indicated that working-class families were more likely to experience poverty at certain stages in the family life cycle during which they were particularly economically vulnerable (e.g., the period of starting a new family and during retirement). Since that time, social scientists have been interested in family poverty for at least three major reasons. First, there has been a longstanding concern regarding ... log in or subscribe to read full text