The Effects of Poverty on the American Family

The number of families living at or below the poverty level in the United States is estimated to be approximately 8.7 million according to the Census Bureau's estimates in 2005. This is approximately 12% of all families in the US. Among minorities, the percentage climbs higher, with approximately 30% of African American children now living in poverty. Poverty has huge impacts on families. It effects all functions of the family from procreation to soical role placement.

Poverty directly effects the procreation of families, which in turn, impacts all other areas of the family. In most instances, families living in poverty have little access to medical care and routinely use the emergency room as their primary means of visiting a doctor. Because 78% of low wage workers do not have health insurance there is not a reasonable way to access the mass variety of birth control options now available to women. Birth control pills, patches, and injections require prescriptions. Living in poverty, many women simply cannot afford to purchase these birth control methods so procreation becomes a matter left to chance. Many women end up pregnant and for the first time may then be afforded medical care through medicaid. These women then go on to repeat the cycle, having more children.

Socialization in households effected by poverty is different than those houses not effected by poverty. Many parents who are low wage earners, work in jobs that require shift work, such as the fast food industry. Wanting to keep the job, no matter the low pay, parents must choose work over time spent with children. Mothers may work in the evening preventing them from conversing with their kids about their day at school. Fathers and mothers may choose to work opposite shifts so that children are not placed in daycare. With this arrangement, children get to see each parent but the family is not together much for family time.