Defining poverty and the things that matter in life ...

As economic commentator Ross Gittins suggested in the Sydney Morning Herald in late November last year, poverty is infrequently mentioned in Australian public policy discussions ("Don’t mention the ‘p’ word", November 29, 2006). Academic debates on poverty in Australia have tended to focus on a financially construed definition of poverty, often based on updated versions of the Henderson Poverty Line, first developed in the 1970s.

While not denying the importance of a financial component to poverty, across the globe there is an increasing interest in a broader understanding of the issue, through concepts such as social exclusion and or social inclusion. This recognises that a failure to share in the prosperity of a nation is not simply a question of a lack of material goods but may also include the capacity and ability to function economically and socially in society.

The Social Policy Research Centre at the University of New South Wales has been undertaking a major research project in partnership with a number of community agencies, including Mission Australia, Anglicare Sydney, the Brotherhood of St Laurence and the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), to get a more grounded contemporary understanding of poverty and social exclusion in Australia today. The research aims to get a better sense of what Australians see as an acceptable standard of living - what are the essentials of life in contemporary Australia?

The research is being conducted in two phases. The first involved a series of focus group discussions (PDF 242KB) with clients and staff of the community agencies participating in the project, to better understand the problems faced by low income Australians and to get their view on what is needed to enjoy a decent standard of living.

These discussions confirmed that there are clearly groups of people in Australia who are missing out on the increased prosperity that over a decade of strong economic growth has brought to many other Australians.

The focus groups identified the broad range of areas which can impact on social exclusion-inclusion, including financial resources, employment, education, health and health care, housing, location, transport, social and civic engagement and access to care and support when required. The quotes below are from the focus groups and provide some indication of what some Australians are experiencing:

I can’t even afford second hand clothes …

I have five children in one room …

You basically just need a clean well-kept place … it’s fine being offered a place but if the toilet leaks or the roof leaks above your bed, I mean what kind of standard of living is that? ...

Everyone’s entitled to have a decent meal, it’s a right and if you don’t it affects you in so many ways, mentally, physically …

Transport is a constant problem …

It’s very hard to go out and meet new friends, cause you can’t afford to do things …

A lot of people do not respect teenagers at all, we’re just this big scary group of people …

The second phase of the project (PDF50KB) involved mailing a survey questionnaire to a random sample of the Australian population across all states. Over 2,700 people responded to the survey. A shorter version of the survey was also completed by about 670 clients of the community agencies.

Both surveys included a series of questions asking which among a list of items are essential in Australia today - things that no one should have to go without. Participants were asked three questions:

• whether they thought an item was essential for all Australians;
• whether they themselves had the item; and
• if they didn’t, whether this was because they couldn’t afford it or because they didn’t want it.

The list of potential items included basics (for example, a substantial meal at least once a day); items that allow people to participate in community life (for example, to be treated with respect); things that people need at particular times in their lives (for example, dental treatment); and the ability to use key services and facilities (such as good public transport).
 
The most striking aspect of the results is their consistency across both surveys. Both showed that the basics of life - secure housing, warm clothes, a substantial meal and being able to buy prescribed medicines rank at the top of the list of essentials.

Aside from the basic items mentioned above however, the other essentials of life identified by both groups focused on broad quality of life indicators such as access to health, the availability of care and support when needed and to be treated with respect and accepted for whom one is.

At least 90 per cent of respondents from both surveys also identified five items relating to children (for example, can they participate in school activities and outings) which were seen as essential.

The list of “essential items” gives a much richer sense of what social inclusion - and its converse social exclusion - means in Australia today. It also broadens our collective understanding to show that “poverty” can go well beyond material deprivation.

Preliminary analysis of the data has shown that a significant number of Australians are missing out on some of the “essentials of life”. The client survey showed for example that one in eight participants couldn’t afford one substantial meal a day.

Having identified which items are essential, and that there is a high level of agreement on what these items are, further analysis is currently taking place to get a stronger sense of who is missing out on the essentials of life and what this implies for the extent and nature of deprivation and social exclusion in Australia. A major report will be released later this year.

These findings are likely to confirm the daily experience of many community organisations working in Australia today - that there are some Australians who are missing out on the essentials of life - both in terms of immediate needs such as food, but also in other key service areas, such as dental care. Added to this, the survey confirms the importance of being treated with respect - this was seen by many as a basic prerequisite for an acceptable life.

Australia, unlike nations in the European Union and elsewhere across the globe, does not have a national “anti-poverty strategy”, with clearly identified initiatives and targets to reduce poverty. While there are many Commonwealth, State and Territory, and other initiatives in Australia that play a role in improving the wellbeing of individuals and families, the lack of a cohesive national strategy to address poverty and social exclusion with clearly identifiable poverty targets is regrettable.

Given the broad acceptance by the general community of what constitutes an acceptable standard of living, as evidenced by the research discussed here - as well as the evidence of the daily experience of many Australians who are missing out - it may well be time to “mention the ‘p’ word” more explicitly in public policy in Australia.