short of what is technically possible, and short of what the wealthier members of society can attain. Given this fact, these members of society are considered poor compared to the other members, even though they may have food and shelter adequate to sustain their daily lives. Even in the 1960s, many authorities pointed out that it was very possible for a poor family in the United States to own an automobile and a television; modern American society has virtually made these two items necessities, especially the automobile. A family without an automobile cannot be expected to have access to the same type and amount of employment opportunities as an otherwise similarly situated family with an automobile.
There are other indications of poverty. A most important indication is the ability to participate in the culture in a meaningful way. This participation requires a certain level of education; as a society becomes more affluent, a higher minimum level of education is required of its members. Where as a person with a high school education was considered fairly well educated in 19th Century America, in the last half of the 20th Century he would be considered as needful of additional training in order to qualify for the majority of jobs available in the industrial and high-technology society which has developed.
Longer lives in an industrial society require more extensive health care than in the past. As a person ages, he or she becomes more susceptible to degenerative diseases, requiring more frequent and intensive health care. Modern industrial society also requires a higher level of individual health on the part of its functioning members. While a person suffering from periodic bouts of malaria may be able to function with little difficulty in a tribal society in New Guinea, he or she would be unable to hold a meaningful job in industrial America. Poverty may also be defined by the status and self-respect of an individual i...