Types of Poverty贫困的类型

阿什利·克罗斯曼　尼基·莉萨·科尔

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.

绝对贫困：多数人想到“贫困”一词时脑中浮现的很可能就是“绝对贫困”，放眼全球，情况更是如此。绝对贫困指的是，完全缺乏满足最基本生活水平所需的资源和手段，其特征是缺衣少食、居无定所。世界各地的“绝对贫困”都满足这些特征。

相对贫困：这一类型的贫困在世界各地定义不同，取决于居住地的社会和经济状况。相对贫困指的是，缺乏满足居住地一般最低生活水平所需的资源和手段。例如，在世界上很多地方，拥有室内给排水设施意味着富有，然而在工业社会，人们认为室内理应有给排水设施，没有则意味着贫困。

收入性贫困：这一类型的标准由美国联邦政府制定，并由美国人口普查局记录在案。收入性贫困指某个家庭未能达到国家规定的家庭成员维持基本生活水平所必需的最低收入。在全球范围内，每天生活费不足2美元就可定义为收入性贫困。在美国，此类贫困的界定取决于家庭规模和家中孩童的数量，因此并没有一个适用于所有人的固定收入标准。美国人口普查局的标准是，独居单身人士的贫困线是年收入12331美元，两个共同生活的成年人是15871美元，两个成年人和一个孩子则是16337美元。

周期性贫困：这是一种贫困普遍存在但只维持一段时间的状况。此类贫困的发生与对社会造成破坏的特定事件尤其相关，例如战争、经济崩溃或衰退，或者影响粮食等资源分配的自然现象或灾害。举例来说，2008年美国发生经济大衰退之后，贫困率不断攀升，2010年之后才有所下降。这种情况是一起经济事件引发了一个周期的较严重贫困，持续时间固定（大约3年）。

集体性贫困：这是指缺乏基本资源的现象太过普遍，以致影响到整个社会或者其中的亚群体。这一类型的贫困会延续好几代人，常见于从前的殖民地、饱受战火蹂躏之地，以及因为参与全球贸易被严重剥削或者根本无法参与全球贸易的区域，包括亚洲部分地区、中东、非洲大部以及中南美洲部分地区。

集中的集体性贫困：指上述集体性贫困现象发生在社会特定亚群体中，或集中于某些特定社区或地域，这些地区没有工业，找不到薪酬合理的工作，无法获得新鲜健康的食物。例如，美国大都市圈的貧困集中在圈内主要城市，常常还是在城市中的特定社区。

个别性贫困：如果资源并不稀缺，周围人过得也还富足，一个人或一个家庭却无法获取满足其基本需要所需的资源，这就是个别性贫困。该贫困产生的原因可能是：突然失业、丧失劳动能力或伤病。乍一看，这似乎只关乎个人，但实际上却是个社会问题，因为如果社会能为其成员提供经济安全保障，这种贫困就不会发生。

资产贫困：它比收入贫困以及其他类型的贫困更为常见与广泛。个人或家庭的财富资产（可以是房产、投资或储蓄）在必要时无法维持三个月的生活所需，这就是资产贫困。事实上，当今许多在美国生活的人就处于资产贫困的状态。只要有工作，就不会贫困潦倒，但一旦收入叫停，可能立即陷入贫困。

（译者为“ 《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖选手）