EMS Grade 7 Inequality and Poverty Lesson 12 - 14

Inequality and Poverty Overview

• This module covers the causes of socio-economic inequalities.
• The module specifically focuses on the context of inequality in South Africa.
• Education and skills are seen as essential tools to combat inequality and injustice.
• The module also explores the challenges faced in urban and rural areas.
• Creating sustainable jobs is a key aspect of addressing inequality and poverty.

Inequality and Poverty

• Socio-economic imbalance occurs when some people have more opportunities or access to resources than others, leading to inequality.
• Inequality refers to a situation where a group of people have more money, power, or resources than other groups.

Causes of Socio-Economic Imbalance

• Apartheid policy (1948) divided South Africans into racial groups, determining where people lived, worked, socialized, and accessed education and healthcare, leading to socio-economic imbalance.
• Apartheid policy denied equal opportunities to all, causing socio-economic imbalance.

Poverty

• Poverty is a state of being unable to afford basic needs, including food, water, sanitation, and electricity.
• Poverty also includes the lack of basic services and income, making it difficult to survive.
• The cycle of poverty occurs when parents are unemployed, making it difficult for their children to escape poverty due to lack of education and opportunities.

Unemployment

• Unemployment occurs when people are willing and available to work but cannot find a job.
• Unemployment creates social imbalance, leading to financial problems and increased crime rates.

Education

• Poor people still struggle to afford school fees, transport costs, and other expenses.
• Schools in impoverished areas often lack adequate facilities, resources, and maintenance.

HIV and AIDS

• South Africa has the second-highest rate of AIDS sufferers in the world (around 18%).
• When parents or guardians die from AIDS, it leaves dependents in poverty.

Inequality and Poverty Overview

• Socio-economic inequality refers to a situation where some people have more money, power, or resources than others, leading to unequal opportunities and access to economic and social opportunities.
• Poverty is a state of struggling to survive, often lacking basic needs, and facing ongoing financial problems.

Causes of Socio-economic Imbalance

• Apartheid policy (1948) in South Africa divided people into groups based on race, limiting opportunities and creating socio-economic imbalance.
• Unemployment leads to a social imbalance, as people without jobs cannot participate in the economy, often leading to crime.
• Limited access to quality education, especially for poor people, due to high costs, inadequate facilities, and resources.

Poverty and its Effects

• Poverty is a cycle, where unemployed parents struggle to survive, making it difficult for their children to change their circumstances.
• Lack of basic services, such as water, sanitation, and electricity, exacerbates poverty.
• HIV and AIDS have a significant impact on poverty, as the death of breadwinners leaves dependents in poverty.

Socio-economic Inequality in South Africa

• South Africa has one of the highest levels of inequality in the world.
• In 1994, the poorest 40% of the population earned less than 6% of the country's total income, while the richest 10% earned over 50%.
• 17 million people lived in poverty, and 12 million lacked access to water and sanitation.

Reducing Inequality

• Laws and policies, such as the Fair Employment Act of 1998, Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), and the Skills Development Act of 1998, aim to address inequality.
• Education and skills training can help fight inequality and injustice.

Socio-Economic Inequality and Poverty

• Socio-economic imbalance occurs when some people have access to more opportunities and resources than others, leading to inequality.
• Inequality arises when a group of people have more money, power, or resources than other groups.

Causes of Socio-Economic Imbalance

• Apartheid policy (1948) in South Africa divided people by race, denying equal opportunities and causing socio-economic imbalance.

Poverty

• Poverty is the struggle to survive, facing challenges in paying for basic needs, and lack of access to services like water, sanitation, and electricity.
• The cycle of poverty occurs when parents struggle to survive, making it difficult for their children to change their circumstances.

Unemployment

• Unemployment is the situation where people are willing and available to work but cannot find a job, leading to social imbalance and often resulting in crime.

Education and Skills

• Poor people still struggle to pay for school fees, transport costs, and other education-related expenses.
• Schools in impoverished areas lack adequate facilities, resources, and regular maintenance.

HIV and AIDS

• South Africa has the second-highest rate of AIDS sufferers in the world (around 18%).
• When breadwinners die of AIDS, it leaves dependents in poverty.

Socio-Economic Inequality in South Africa

• South Africa has one of the highest levels of inequality in the world.
• In 1994, the poorest 40% of the population earned less than 6% of the country's total income, while the richest 10% earned more than 50%.
• 17 million people lived in poverty, and 12 million lacked access to reasonable water and sanitation.

Reducing Inequality in South Africa

• Laws and policies addressing inequality include the Fair Employment Act (1998), Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), and the Skills Development Act (1998).
• Skills training and education are essential for addressing inequalities and injustices.
• Government initiatives include reducing the number of learners who leave school prematurely, increasing technical schools, and improving infrastructure in impoverished schools.

Inequality and Poverty

• Socio-economic imbalance occurs when people have unequal opportunities or access to economic and social opportunities, leading to an imbalance.
• Inequality occurs when a group of people have more money, power, or resources than other groups.

Causes of Socio-economic Imbalance

• Apartheid policy (1948) divided people into groups based on race, leading to unequal opportunities and socio-economic imbalance.

Poverty

• Poverty is when people struggle to survive and face challenges in accessing basic needs like water, sanitation, and electricity.
• The cycle of poverty occurs when unemployed parents struggle to provide for their children, who then lack opportunities to improve their circumstances.

Unemployment

• Unemployment leads to social imbalance, as unemployed people have no money to participate in the economy, and often results in crime.

Education and Skills

• Poor people struggle to access quality education due to high learner-teacher ratios, lack of facilities, and resources.
• Education and skills training can help people find employment, start their own businesses, and contribute to the country's economy.

HIV and AIDS

• South Africa has the second-highest rate of AIDS sufferers in the world (around 18%).
• The death of breadwinners due to HIV/AIDS leaves families and dependents in poverty.

Socio-economic Inequality in South Africa

• South Africa has one of the highest levels of inequality in the world.
• In 1994, the poorest 40% of the population earned less than 6% of the country's total income, while the richest 10% earned more than 50% of the country's income.

Reducing Inequality in South Africa

• Laws and policies addressing inequality include the Fair Employment Act (1998), Black Economic Empowerment (2003), and The Skills Development Act (1998).
• Government initiatives to address inequalities and injustices include reducing premature school leaving, increasing technical schools, improving infrastructure, and establishing school feeding schemes.

Urban and Rural Challenges

• Urban areas face challenges such as high unemployment, overpopulation, and pressure on resources.
• Rural areas face poverty, lack of infrastructure, and basic services, leading to migration to urban areas.