Spatial Inequality
( IMPORTANT
these notes have been slightly adapted from material written by SKWIRK a website that deals directly with the syllabus www.skwirk.com.au )
Geographical Processes underlying Spatial Inequality
In the study of geography, the spatial dimension is used to describe patterns of where things are and spatial analysis attempts to explain why they are there. Taking a spatial approach therefore involves comparing two different geographical areas in relation to a particular variable. The aim of this approach is to detect inequalities between different areas and to then find ways of amending these inequalities, thereby making distribution of resources and services more equitable (even) between populations. In this investigation, the spatial variable to be discussed is poverty. Key indicators of poverty are income, level of education and unemployment levels.
What is poverty?
Poverty is a condition of living which is difficult to measure and almost impossible to conclusively define. People living in poverty in sub-Saharan Africa may lack safe housing, struggle to find food and have no access to potable (drinkable) water. This standard of living is known as 'absolute poverty'. As standards of living in countries like Australia are generally much higher than this, poverty here is measured relatively. Determining whether or not a person in Australia is living in 'relative poverty' is assessed by comparing their quality of life to a given benchmark, which is usually the level at which the majority of the population lives.
People living in poverty in Australia could therefore be viewed as those whose standards of living are low compared with those of most other people, or people who face significant challenges in meeting day-to-day needs that most people find easy to meet. The same can be said for assessing equality in a society. Often people will use the term 'relative equality', which is a way of defining equality by comparing people's standards of living and access to services with those of the majority of the population.
Hidden pockets of poverty
In developed countries such as Australia, poverty is often hidden by economic growth and inaccurate statistics describing standards of living. Australia has a very good standard of living overall, this economic growth has not trickled down to everyone.
An analysis of overall national wealth, therefore, never truly gives an accurate picture of affluence within a nation, which varies enormously from region to region and from person to person. While many people have an extremely high quality of life in Australia, the suffering of those who do not is frequently concealed or misunderstood. It can also go largely unnoticed by mainstream society and is sometimes ignored by politicians because of the small number of people it does affect.
Poverty in Australia
In 2005 it was estimated that as many as 2.4 million people in Australia were living in relative poverty. The main factors which contribute to poverty in Australia are inequity in the education system (which means some people have less opportunity to enter the skilled labour force), the casualisation of the workforce (which has meant that people have less job security), and reduced government spending on services which are of benefit to the community.
The people most affected by poverty in Australia are those with low levels of formal education, the long-term unemployed and others who have restricted access to high-paying work. Certain demographic groups tend to fall into these categories. In 2000 it was recorded that Indigenous Australians, for example, had an unemployment rate of 17.6 per cent - much higher than the national average of 7.3 per cent. Another group more likely to live in relative poverty are first-generation immigrants and refugees, many of whom arrive in Australia with few language skills and less support networks than Australian-born residents. Elderly people, disabled people and single parents also record higher rates of poverty.
Why is poverty a spatial issue?
The reason poverty can be considered a spatial issue is two-fold. People of a similar socio-economic background tend to live in the same areas because the amount of money a person makes usually, but not always, influences their decision as to where to purchase or rent a home. At the same time, the area in which a person is born or lives can determine the level of access they will have to quality education and employment opportunities. As education and income can influence settlement patterns and also be influenced by settlement patterns, they can therefore be considered causes and effects of spatial inequality and poverty.
Urban spatial inequality
Spatial inequality is most prevalent in larger cities because there is more diversity and more inequity between distinct geographical areas, particularly in terms of access to infrastructure such as schools and hospitals.
Tamworth provides an example of an urban environment with a high level of spatial inequality. Average household income levels across different areas of Tamworth reveal a high level of spatial inequality Suburban pockets of poverty can be found between the city’s suburbs, in certain parts of Tamworth, ______for example.
Income graphs and findings
Car ownership data
One reason why the suburbs rank the way they do can be found in the occupations on workers in those suburbs.
Occupation data and findings
But there are also pockets of poverty in much more affluent areas of Tamworth, for example:
______
The less-affluent (poorer) areas are generally higher in unemployment, welfare-dependency, single-parent families, substance (drug and alcohol) abuse and crime, than other Tamworth suburbs.
Single parent family data
These are also often the areas in which Indigenous groups live because of low cost government housing.
There is also a correlation between spatial inequality and life expectancy
Age/ pyramids findings
An analysis of house prices and a suburb quality survey proved that within Tamworth ______
Effects of poverty on social cohesion
Poverty has economic and social impacts. Sometimes, instead of being described as living in poverty, people in Australia who do not possess the living standards of the majority, are thought to be socially marginalised or socially isolated. This is because they may feel excluded from benefits of society that the mainstream enjoy, whether or not this is because of where they live or the amount of money they have.
The widening the gap between rich and poor Australians is likely to increase this sense of social isolation, which will no doubt negatively impact upon social cohesion. This is particularly true of larger urban centres because the inequalities between different areas are much more obvious when they are in the same town or city. The more observable inequalities become, the more likely people are to directly compare their standards of living with those of others around them. This can have the effect of reducing the sense of mutual belonging and respect that is important for maintaining social cohesion in any community, however large or small.
The responses by individuals, groups and governments to the issue
Federal Government
State Government
Local Councils
Non-Government organisations such as Church Groups
Community Groups
Propose actions that promote sustainability and social justice and equity
It is likely that increasing levels of poverty will adversely affect the level of social cohesion in many Australian cities.
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Evaluate the success of individuals, groups and the levels of government in managing the issue
The very fact that we can still observe spatial inequality in places like Tamworth, Sydney and all across Australia is proof enough that there has been little success in dealing with the income gap, educational differences and lower life expectancy of Australia’s poor.
Every Australian can have a part to play in the reshaping of Australian culture and help in reducing inequality, individuals, groups and governments.
http://www.skwirk.com.au/p-c_s-16_u-140_t-417_c-1466/spatial-inequality-poverty-and-the-income-gap/nsw/geography/issues-in-australian-environments/geographical-issues-human-elements
Stage 5 Geography App C - p 6 / 6