Socio-Spatial Conditions of Poverty
The term sociospatial poverty refers to poverty affecting a specific area, such as a country or a rural or urban neighborhood, caused by both geographic and social factors. Researchers strive to understand more completely some of the complicated reasons for sociospatial poverty. These include physical capital, human capital, social capital and social exclusion.
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Physical Capital
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Physical capital refers to a community's wealth in the form of man-made objects that can be used to make monetary profits and improve economic conditions. It includes machinery, plants, buildings, methods of transport and infrastructure. A computer is considered physical capital, as is a highway system. Lack of physical capital in a town, country or community can contribute to spatial poverty.
Human Capital
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Human capital refers to the number of people available to work and generate income. Human capital could mean people who are educated in a certain area of expertise, or it could mean people who are capable of performing a more physical type of labor. Human capital can be increased through education and training. Areas with poor education quality have less human capital to work with and are more susceptible to spatial poverty.
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Social Capital
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Social capital is different from physical and human capital in that it is more abstractly defined. Physical capital lies in physical objects; human capital lies in human potential. Social capital refers to the social standing or perception of an entity. A company with a good reputation or a loyal base of customers has social capital. A community or country that suffers from spatial poverty may have a poor reputation, associated with race perceptions, or perceived crime or education level. Such a community may have social capital that is concentrated within and not recognized by other communities.
Social Exclusion
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Social exclusion refers to poverty in rural areas that lack quality education and transportation. With much attention and support focused on combating urban poverty, the spatial poverty of socially excluded rural areas goes largely unrecognized. Families in such areas often rely on seasonal, low-skilled and low-paying work and do not prioritize advanced education and career advancement. Children from such families tend to do poorly in school and also to set relatively low goals for themselves, perpetuating the lack of connection to mainstream society and economic stability.
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