Types of Poverty貧困的類型

阿什利·克羅斯曼　尼基·莉薩·科爾

Absolute poverty is what most people probably think of when they think of poverty， especially if they think about it at the global level. It is defined as the total lack of resources and means required to meet the most basic standards of living. It is characterized by lack of access to food， clothing， and shelter. The characteristics of this type of poverty are the same from place to place.

Relative poverty is defined differently from place to place because it depends on the social and economic contexts in which one lives. Relative poverty exists when one lacks the means and resources required to meet a minimum level of living standards that are considered normal in the society or community where one lives. In many parts of the world， for example， indoor plumbing is regarded as a sign of affluence， but in industrial societies， it is taken for granted and its absence in a household is taken as a sign of poverty.

Income poverty is the type of poverty measured by the federal government in the U.S. and documented by the U.S. Census1. It exists when a household does not meet a set national minimum income considered necessary for the members of that household to achieve basic standards of living. The figure used to define poverty on a global scale is living on less than $2 per day. In the U.S.， income poverty is determined by the size of household and number of children in the household， so there is no fixed income level that defines poverty for all. According to the U.S. Census， the poverty threshold for a single person living alone was $12，331 per year. For two adults living together it was $15，871， and for two adults with a child， it was $16，337.

Cyclical poverty is a condition in which poverty is widespread but limited in its duration. This type of poverty is typically linked to specific events that disrupt a society， like war， an economic crash or recession， or natural phenomena or disasters that disrupt the distribution of food and other resources. For example， the poverty rate within the U.S. climbed throughout the Great Recession that began in 2008， and since 2010 has declined. This is a case in which an economic event caused a cycle of more intensive poverty that was fixed in duration （about three years）.

Collective poverty is a lack of basic resources that is so widespread that it afflicts an entire society or subgroup of people within that society. This form of poverty persists over periods of time stretching across generations. It is common in formerly colonized places， frequently war-torn places， and places that have been heavily exploited by or excluded from participation in global commerce， including parts of Asia， the Middle East， much of Africa， and parts of Central and South America.

Concentrated collective poverty occurs when the kind of collective poverty described above is suffered by specific subgroups within a society， or localized in particular communities or regions that are devoid of industry， good paying jobs， and that lack access to fresh and healthy food. For example， within the U.S.， poverty within metropolitan regions2 is concentrated within the principal cities of those regions， and often also within specific neighborhoods within cities.

Case poverty occurs when a person or family is unable to secure resources required to meet their basic needs despite the fact that resources are not scarce and those around them are generally living well. Case poverty might be produced by sudden loss of employment， inability to work， or injury or illness. While it might at first glance seem like an individual condition， it is actually a social one， because it is unlikely to occur in societies that provide economic safety nets to their populations.

Asset poverty is more common and widespread than income poverty and other forms. It exists when a person or household does not have enough wealth assets （in the form of property， investments， or money saved） to survive for three months if necessary. In fact， many people living in the U.S. today live in asset poverty. They may not be impoverished so long as they are employed， but could be thrown immediately into poverty if their pay were to stop.

絕對貧困：多數人想到“貧困”一詞時腦中浮現的很可能就是“絕對貧困”，放眼全球，情況更是如此。絕對貧困指的是，完全缺乏滿足最基本生活水平所需的資源和手段，其特征是缺衣少食、居無定所。世界各地的“絕對貧困”都滿足這些特征。

相對貧困：這一類型的貧困在世界各地定義不同，取決于居住地的社會和經濟狀況。相對貧困指的是，缺乏滿足居住地一般最低生活水平所需的資源和手段。例如，在世界上很多地方，擁有室內給排水設施意味著富有，然而在工業社會，人們認為室內理應有給排水設施，沒有則意味著貧困。

收入性貧困：這一類型的標準由美國聯邦政府制定，并由美國人口普查局記錄在案。收入性貧困指某個家庭未能達到國家規定的家庭成員維持基本生活水平所必需的最低收入。在全球范圍內，每天生活費不足2美元就可定義為收入性貧困。在美國，此類貧困的界定取決于家庭規模和家中孩童的數量，因此并沒有一個適用于所有人的固定收入標準。美國人口普查局的標準是，獨居單身人士的貧困線是年收入12331美元，兩個共同生活的成年人是15871美元，兩個成年人和一個孩子則是16337美元。

周期性貧困：這是一種貧困普遍存在但只維持一段時間的狀況。此類貧困的發生與對社會造成破壞的特定事件尤其相關，例如戰爭、經濟崩潰或衰退，或者影響糧食等資源分配的自然現象或災害。舉例來說，2008年美國發生經濟大衰退之后，貧困率不斷攀升，2010年之后才有所下降。這種情況是一起經濟事件引發了一個周期的較嚴重貧困，持續時間固定（大約3年）。

集體性貧困：這是指缺乏基本資源的現象太過普遍，以致影響到整個社會或者其中的亞群體。這一類型的貧困會延續好幾代人，常見于從前的殖民地、飽受戰火蹂躪之地，以及因為參與全球貿易被嚴重剝削或者根本無法參與全球貿易的區域，包括亞洲部分地區、中東、非洲大部以及中南美洲部分地區。

集中的集體性貧困：指上述集體性貧困現象發生在社會特定亞群體中，或集中于某些特定社區或地域，這些地區沒有工業，找不到薪酬合理的工作，無法獲得新鮮健康的食物。例如，美國大都市圈的貧困集中在圈內主要城市，常常還是在城市中的特定社區。

個別性貧困：如果資源并不稀缺，周圍人過得也還富足，一個人或一個家庭卻無法獲取滿足其基本需要所需的資源，這就是個別性貧困。該貧困產生的原因可能是：突然失業、喪失勞動能力或傷病。乍一看，這似乎只關乎個人，但實際上卻是個社會問題，因為如果社會能為其成員提供經濟安全保障，這種貧困就不會發生。

資產貧困：它比收入貧困以及其他類型的貧困更為常見與廣泛。個人或家庭的財富資產（可以是房產、投資或儲蓄）在必要時無法維持三個月的生活所需，這就是資產貧困。事實上，當今許多在美國生活的人就處于資產貧困的狀態。只要有工作，就不會貧困潦倒，但一旦收入叫停，可能立即陷入貧困。

（譯者為“ 《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎選手）