The embedded and underlying falsehood is that “the poverty line” or “the cost of living” is a useful tool for policy or personal decision-making. Two major issues that confound the desire for simplicity:
1) one size does not fit all. Both across and within geographies, across and within families, and across time for the same individuals, the variance in expectation, community/family support, and behaviors can change the requirements to experience poverty, comfort, or wealth, by more than an order of magnitude.
2) Poverty multidimensional, and is a continuum, not a line. It’s quite possible to be impoverished in some elements (education or entertainment) at a VERY different level than others (nutrition or leisure time).
The embedded and underlying falsehood is that “the poverty line” or “the cost of living” is a useful tool for policy or personal decision-making. Two major issues that confound the desire for simplicity:
1) one size does not fit all. Both across and within geographies, across and within families, and across time for the same individuals, the variance in expectation, community/family support, and behaviors can change the requirements to experience poverty, comfort, or wealth, by more than an order of magnitude.
2) Poverty multidimensional, and is a continuum, not a line. It’s quite possible to be impoverished in some elements (education or entertainment) at a VERY different level than others (nutrition or leisure time).