Young children's ideas about the nature, causes, justification, and alleviation of poverty

Sixty-four 8-year-old boys and girls from urban and rural settings and representing different races and socioeconomic status backgrounds responded to questions about the nature, causes, justification, and alleviation of poverty. Much of what the children said indicated that they had not yet internalized prevailing adult norms and values about the poor in our society. A substantial proportion spoke in ways suggesting forces apart from the individual as causing poverty. Nearly all believed that poverty was not fair. Justifications offered by the children included disavowing economic inequality, or speaking in terms of basic needs or what should or ought to be. A majority mentioned philanthropy or societal change as a way to end poverty. Findings also lend support to the claim of social representations theory that concepts vary as a function of social factors. Future research should employ a design that acknowledges interacting variables to investigate systems of meaning in children's understandings about poverty.