Deck 15: Poverty and the Family

Question 1

Which of the following is a reason why it is hard to determine the number of poor people in Canada?

A)Poor people are shy to admit their poverty.
B)They live in many different areas.
C)No one has tried to count them.
D)The total depends on the definition used.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Why has there been a decrease in poverty among the elderly?

A)because of the availability of the clawback and workfare policies
B)because of an increase in the number of seniors who hold jobs
C)because of the number of the near-poor in Canadian cities
D)because of improved pensions and government benefits

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which factor helps explain why recent immigrants have a greater risk of poverty?

A)They often have large families to look after and are unable to work long hours.
B)Some come from countries with language and customs very different from Canada.
C)Many come from countries where they are used to living in poverty.
D)They come from cultures that do not value hard work and saving money.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

In Canada,the low-income cutoff is a measure of which type of poverty?

A)absolute poverty
B)transitional poverty
C)relative poverty
D)generational poverty

Question 5

What is absolute poverty?

A)lacking the minimum basic requirements necessary for physical survival
B)a definition of poverty based on comparing individuals or families to others in the population
C)living in poverty for over 75 percent of one's lifetime
D)a state of poverty that is passed on from generation to generation

Question 6

Which of the following does the Statistics Canada low-income cutoff take into account?

A)province
B)family size
C)age of family members
D)sex of family members

Question 7

Which of the following families is least likely to be living in poverty?

A)a lone-mother family with one child
B)a married couple with both employed
C)a married couple with one earner and two children
D)an elderly widow

Question 8

What does "depth of poverty" refer to?

A)the amount that family or individual income is below the poverty line
B)the length of time family income has remained below the poverty line
C)the number of families in an area with incomes below the poverty line
D)the number of families in the country with incomes below the poverty line

Question 9

When were most of the social security programs now available in Canada established?

A)before World War I
B)since 1980
C)during the Great Depression
D)after World War II

Question 10

In the early days of the "mothers' allowances," what happened once women received this social assistance?

A)They had to meet once a month with their social worker.
B)They could move out of town only if they kept the welfare department informed.
C)They were subject to intrusion in their personal lives.
D)They received the payments without further review until children were grown.

Question 11

Which of the following is a method of screening applicants to ensure that only those who need financial assistance receive it?

A)social security screening
B)clawback
C)financial review
D)means test

Question 12

What is the social safety net?

A)basic social security programs needed to support family life
B)programs that protect law-abiding citizens from criminals
C)policies designed to eliminate poverty and unemployment
D)a law that prohibits individuals from acts that would hurt society

Question 13

The Market Basket Measure (MBM)is the cost of a basket of goods that includes food,shelter,clothing,and other basic needs.This measure accounts for which kind of variation?

A)individual
B)family
C)regional
D)national

Question 14

Prior to the development of the social safety net,which of the following ideas was generally held?

A)Poor people should be able to retain some dignity.
B)Poverty was the result of social inequality and exploitation.
C)Asking for financial help should be easy.
D)Help should be less than the most poorly paid worker earned.

Question 15

Which of the following best describes those who move out of poverty?

A)They are likely to go from a two-adult household to a one-adult household.
B)They are likely to be women who have upgraded their skills.
C)They are likely to go from a one-adult to a two-adult,two-earner household.
D)They are likely to be women who are in a workfare program.

Question 16

In general,how is poverty defined?

A)in terms of well-being
B)by ability to manage
C)by income
D)in terms of possessions

Question 17

Stephanie is part of the group of adults in Canada with the largest percentage living below the poverty line.Which of the following describes her status?

A)a married mother under the age of 25
B)a single adult under the age of 25
C)a lone mother
D)an elderly widow

Question 18

Why is duration of poverty important?

A)The farther below the poverty line,the harder it is to provide basic needs.
B)The longer poverty lasts,the harder it is to make ends meet.
C)Individuals usually do not have any resources to tide them over.
D)Individuals are likely to experience food insecurity.

Question 19

In the early years of European settlement in Canada,the poor depended on which of the following for help?

A)the federal government
B)local poverty programs
C)the Canadian safety net
D)their family

Question 20

In 2006,which group had a median income 30 percent lower than the median income for the rest of Canadians?

A)Aboriginal people
B)people in Newfoundland
C)people with disabilities
D)people in rural areas

Question 21

According to the text,which of the following is twice as likely for poor children?

A)to live in the same neighbourhood for many years
B)to live in poorly functioning families
C)to find a mentor who provides a good role model
D)to have parents who combine firmness and consideration

Question 22

Which of the following is true of social assistance?

A)Most people on welfare do not want to work.
B)Welfare rates are often more than the low income cutoff.
C)Working is always more financially beneficial than welfare.
D)Add-ons such as drug and dental care can make welfare preferable to low wages.

Question 23

Which of the following is a cause for the increase in market poverty?

A)Most people are not willing to take minimum-wage jobs.
B)There are fewer people interested in filling available jobs.
C)The cost of many consumer goods has increased dramatically.
D)A growing number of older workers have been laid off.

Question 24

Which of the following makes up the largest single group of poor people in Canada?

A)lone mothers
B)children
C)elderly women
D)runaway teens

Question 25

What is the current trend regarding the number of young homeless people?

A)fewer of them are members of minorities
B)the number is increasing
C)the number is far less than the number of homeless seniors
D)the number is decreasing

Question 26

Eli is addicted to methamphetamine and has been using drugs for many years.Which of the following is most likely to describe Eli?

A)cyclically homeless
B)chronically homeless
C)temporarily homeless
D)absolutely homeless

Question 27

In 2010,what percentage of people with a disability lived in poverty?

A)fewer than 5 percent
B)nearly 15 percent
C)over 20 percent
D)close to 30 percent

Question 28

Which province or territory has the highest rates of food insecurity?

A)Quebec
B)Nunavut
C)Alberta
D)Ontario

Question 29

What is the term for poverty based on wages alone?

A)minimum pay
B)working poverty
C)wage insecurity
D)market poverty

Question 30

According to an American study of single mothers surviving on welfare,what was their first choice for extra funds to meet their expenses?

A)working,but not reporting the pay
B)asking relatives for help
C)selling sex,drugs,or stolen goods
D)getting money from the child's father

Question 31

There are no exact figures for the number of homeless people in Canada.Which of the following reasons is least likely to account for the lack of information?

A)The homeless population changes from day to day.
B)It is difficult to count people who do not use a shelter.
C)Definitions of homelessness change.
D)Cyclically homeless individuals complete the Canadian census when they are living at home.

Question 32

Which of the following best describes the homeless?

A)They are almost all psychiatric patients who have been discharged to the community.
B)They consist of transient unemployed men,much like those in the 1930s.
C)They rarely include families,women,or children.
D)They are a varied group with different reasons for homelessness.

Question 33

What is the term for the uncertainty that a person can buy enough nutritious food he or she likes,or the inability to do so?

A)food insecurity
B)malnutrition
C)starvation
D)an empty cupboard

Question 34

Which of the following best describes conditions in shelters for the homeless?

A)Conditions are usually worse in women's shelters than in men's.
B)Conditions offer the homeless a sense of being cared for.
C)Conditions do not favour family living because of lack of privacy.
D)Conditions are made worse for psychiatric patients by the numbers of children admitted.

Question 35

In terms of child poverty,in 2012 what was Canada's rank among 35 of the wealthiest countries worldwide?

A)first
B)third
C)fifteenth
D)twenty-fourth

Question 36

Which of the following describes John and his family,who are homeless after a fire that destroyed their apartment and all their possessions?

A)chronically homeless
B)cyclically homeless
C)temporarily homeless
D)discreditably homeless

Question 37

Which of the following describes the recreational habits of children from families living in poverty?

A)They pay recreational centre fees to escape from their homes.
B)They participate less often in organized sports than children from wealthier homes.
C)They are more likely to play unorganized sports than other children.
D)They are less likely to watch television than other children.

Question 38

What is the effect of poverty on the education of poor children?

A)Despite the challenge,most will graduate from high school.
B)Many studies have found that poverty does not affect the education of poor children.
C)Because it is an opportunity to escape poverty,poor children are more likely to do well in school.
D)Poor children are often not as ready for school as others because of limited experiences,as well as physical and health problems.

Question 39

Which of the following is least likely to be given as a reason for the increase in homelessness?

A)changes in eligibility for welfare
B)drug and alcohol abuse
C)sharp increases in costs of food and other essentials
D)shortages in affordable housing

Question 40

For many poor Canadians,what proportion of their income may be spent on housing?

A)over one-sixth
B)over one-quarter
C)over one-third
D)over one-half

Question 41

What factors are used to establish the Statistics Canada low-income cutoff points?

Question 42

____________ are the largest single group of poor people in Canada.

Question 43

Those who are ____________________ homeless may have lost a job,suffered family violence,or been released from prison.They are often repeaters.

Question 44

A method of screening applicants to ensure that only those who need financial assistance receive it is the _________________.

Question 45

According to the text,who is at the bottom end of the poverty scale?

A)people with psychiatric disorders
B)alcoholic and unemployed men
C)unwed teenage mothers
D)homeless children

Question 46

________________ is the term used to describe the uncertainty that people can buy enough nutritious food or the actual inability to do so.

Question 47

How has the focus of social assistance programs changed?

A)It has switched from providing services targeted at specific groups to universal coverage.
B)It has switched from providing subsidies to working parents to increasing welfare benefits.
C)It has switched from providing services to all poor people to those aimed at reducing child poverty.
D)It has switched from providing noncash services such as school nutrition to funding for food banks.

Question 48

Explain what is meant by the social safety net and give two examples of programs included within it.

Question 49

One common definition for poverty is the Statistics Canada ____________________.

Question 50

The main cause of poverty in Canada is _______________.

Question 51

The ___________________ is the cost of a basket of goods that includes food,shelter,clothing,and other basic needs.

Question 52

____________ is a definition of poverty based on comparing individuals or families to others in the population.

Question 53

_________________ refers to the amount a family or individual income is below the poverty line.

Question 54

The ____________________ refers to the basic social programs needed to support family life.

Question 55

Explain the difference between depth,breadth,and duration of poverty.

Question 56

Lacking the minimum basic requirements necessary for physical survival is called _______________.

Question 57

Which of the following is one of the problems with job-creation efforts?

A)People would much rather live on welfare.
B)No retraining is offered to welfare recipients.
C)The training courses offered take too long to complete.
D)Many of the jobs pay low wages.

Question 58

What is one disadvantage for families when they move from welfare to paid employment?

A)they start to earn more money and spend more than they earn
B)they spend less time together as a family
C)they can lose benefits tied to income levels,such as subsidized housing
D)they have more difficulty finding proper daycare

Question 59

According to the text,what is the main cause of poverty in Canada?

A)lack of motivation
B)not enough social support
C)low wages
D)high unemployment

Question 60

Explain the difference between absolute poverty and relative poverty.

Question 61

The ability of poor families to survive financially and actual homelessness are both closely tied to the cost of housing.Show why this is true.

Question 62

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of three basic approaches to reducing poverty.

Question 63

Discuss the effects of poverty on children.

Question 64

What are the nine priorities of Canada's Action Plan for Food Security?

Question 65

Describe the various measures of poverty in Canada.What are the advantages and disadvantages of each measure?

Question 66

List four suggestions from the Senate report on how the federal government could best address inequality and poverty in Canada.

Question 67

Give three reasons why homeless women are less noticeable than homeless men.

Question 68

What are policymakers doing to ensure food security among Canadian families?

Question 69

What is meant by the "working poor"? Give two reasons for poverty in this group.

Question 70

List the three groups among the homeless and give an example of a life circumstance that would lead to each.

Question 71

Describe three causes of homelessness and give a suggested solution for each.