Let's Talk About Hidden Poverty - Social Problem

Recently I was sitting eating something in a bakery and they had the TV on, just at noon, time of the news, I could not help but hear what the news narrator was saying, among some other things she mentioned there was something that caught my attention, Hidden Poverty ... and I was very attentive to what they were saying and I realized the great socio-economic problem that this represents, and also something I can say is from the field of social psychology.

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To better understand what I bring to share we must be clear about the Colombian Socio-Economic organization, since it is from this that this hidden poverty arises. Well, in this country it is categorized by "stratum", I don't know if it is the same in other countries, but in this particular case it is classified in 6, which correspond to the following

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This is especially true for the distribution of public services and the cost of these. Basically, it takes into consideration residential properties and their surroundings.

It is done mainly to charge for public services (water, electricity, sanitation, gas) in a differential way according to the stratum.

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This way, those who have better economic capacity pay more for these services and thus contribute to the lower strata.

There are very noticeable distinguishing characteristics between one stratum and another, for example, in a stratum 1 you can see these conditions, deteriorated streets, or absence of pavement, informal commerce primarily, small commercial premises for food and clothing, among other things.

Also crime, drugs, alcohol, prostitution, in these lower strata (1 and 2) is important.

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In a stratum 3 you can find a better paved, parks near your places of residence, largely residential complexes with private surveillance, with a better view, better access to transportation, schools, among other things.

In strata 4, 5 and 6, it is difficult to find any deteriorated streets, practically all residential complexes have private surveillance and the police presence is almost permanent.

But in the same way, to give you an idea, a gas bill that in stratum 1 can cost 12000 pesos (approximately 4 dollars) in stratum 4 can be worth 70000 pesos (approximately 33 dollars). Even greater is the difference in water, which is a much more expensive service, electricity, sanitation, and the rest.

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Understanding this, being -(a little)- in context, I remember the topic, hidden poverty, let us first define what poverty means in a very simple way, this refers to the incapacity that a person or family nucleus has to satisfy the basic needs, understanding as such food, clothing, studies, light, water, cleaning, transport, health.

Everyone wants to live in a better place, with more opportunities, security, that no service is lacking, we all deserve it, but, here begins a problem that is related, as I see it, with mental patterns that relate economic stability with properties, and it is not necessarily always so. A phenomenon occurs, of people who at some time had some economic stability and managed to acquire a house in a stratum 3, 4 or 5, but now their economic reality has changed, and they cannot even afford public services, but they refuse to leave that stratum and move to another one below.

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I have particularly known people who live in a stratum 4 but are always in debt, and are never well emotionally, eat badly, don't finish their academic or work jobs because they haven't paid for the internet service, eat twice a day if at all... But they live in a good stratum. So this phenomenon, of poverty, is masked by a kind of screen, by appearing many times a status they don't have.

That's why I said at the beginning that it seemed to me to be a case of Social Psychology, since it not only has an economic impact but it also reflects an erroneous conception of their reality. In my opinion, obviously, you can't generalize, each family has its own particularities, but one thing I am clear about is that you have to put your feet on the ground, analyze yourself, and based on reality make decisions.