Inequality and Poverty

Question 1

What is socio-economic imbalance?

Answer 1

situation where people do not have equal access to resources

Question 2

What is economic inequality?

Answer 2

gap in levels of income and wealth between rich and poor

Question 3

What is wealth?

Answer 3

A person’s possessions and savings

Question 4

What do we call the document that expresses our wishes for our possessions when we die?

Answer 4

A will

Question 5

How does inheritance contribute to economic inequality?

Answer 5

Differences in wealth are passed down from one generation to the next

Question 6

Give reasons for differences in income

Answer 6

Education and Training
Sexism
Racism
Personal preferences
Innate ability
Nepotism

Question 7

What is nepotism?

Answer 7

Awarding jobs to people you know or who are related to you

Question 8

What is innate ability?

Answer 8

Special talents and abilities that enable you to earn money

Question 9

What is social inequality?

Answer 9

When different groups of people do not have equal access to resources or rights

Question 10

What causes social inequality?

Answer 10

Discrimination
Restricting people’s opportunities and rights
Prejudice
Social attitudes

Question 11

Give examples of social inequality

Answer 11

Gender inequality
Racial inequality
Age inequality
Inequality on basis of disability

Question 12

Give some forms of social inequality

Answer 12

Limiting right to vote
Restricting freedom of speech
Preventing ownership of property
Restricting access to education, healthcare, housing, transport

Question 13

What does inequitable mean?

Answer 13

Unfair

Question 14

What is prejudice?

Answer 14

negative opinion or judgement of someone without knowledge of facts

Question 15

What is a social attitude?

Answer 15

A way of feeling or thinking in a culture. A form of prejudice which is widely held

Question 16

How equitable is the distribution of income across races in South Africa?

Answer 16

Very unfair
49% of black families are poor
1% of white families are poor

Question 17

What is infrastructure?

Answer 17

The basic physical systems that support economic activity. E.g roads, electricity, water

Question 18

Are all communities equally served by infrastructure?

Answer 18

No. As a general rule, poor people have less access

Question 19

What was apartheid?

Answer 19

A system of discrimination in which black people were unfairly treated and prevented from participating fully in the economy

Question 20

What does apartheid mean?

Answer 20

apartness

Question 21

What were the four race groups under apartheid?

Answer 21

Black Asian, White, Coloured, Asian

Question 22

Give some examples of apartheid laws.

Answer 22

Land Act - preventing black people from owning land in “White areas”.
Group Areas Act - dictated where people could live
Bantu Authorities Act - created homelands where black people were forced to live
Bantu Education Act - designed a curriculum for black people where they only taught skills required to become workers and labourers

Question 23

What is poverty?

Answer 23

to be extremely poor

Question 24

What is exploitation?

Answer 24

abuse

Question 25

What is the poverty trap?

Answer 25

A cycle of of poverty that is very difficult to escape

Question 26

Name the four parts of the poverty cycle

Answer 26

No Money ->
No Education ->
No Skills ->
No Work ->
No Money...

Question 27

What is the obvious way to break the poverty cycle?

Answer 27

Education and skills development

When people are educated, they are less available to exploitation

Question 28

What is an urban area?

Answer 28

An area where many people live, and which has infrastructure

Question 29

What is a rural area?

Answer 29

An area with low population density and little infrastructure

Question 30

What are some socio-economic challenges in the urban areas?

Answer 30

High cost of living
Pollution
Influx of People
Traffic congestion

Question 31

What is pollution?

Answer 31

Adding harmful waste materials to the water, air and soil

Question 32

What is noise pollution?

Answer 32

Noise from traffic, aeroplanes, factories that is distracting and annoying

Question 33

What is traffic congestion?

Answer 33

When the roads leading in and out of cities are crowded with vehicles

Question 34

What are some socio-economic challenges in the rural areas?

Answer 34

Lack of infrastructure - roads, electricity, etc
Inadequate access to public services - schools, clinics, etc
Lack of employment opportunities

Question 35

What is indigenous knowledge?

Answer 35

Local knowledge which is unique to a given culture or society

Question 36

Name some strategies to create sustainable job opportunities.

Answer 36

Promoting entrepreneurship and new businesses
Stimulating business development
Encouraging manufacturing
Improving infrastructure

Question 37

How can the government stimulate entrepreneurship?

Answer 37

Providing training
Offering advice and support
Making money available to cover start-up costs

Question 38

How can the government stimulate business development?

Answer 38

Make money available:

- tax subsidies and loans

Question 39

Why should the government focus on manufacturing for job creation?

Answer 39

Manufacturing creates more jobs than service industries - requires more workers

Question 40

Why is infrastructure important for job creation?

Answer 40

Businesses struggle without roads, water and electricity