The Matfield River is a 6.3-mile-long (10.1 km) river in Plymouth County , Massachusetts . It flows south through the town of East Bridgewater to a confluence with the Town River , forming the Taunton River . The Matfield River, where it flows through the historic village of Elmwood and flows under Route 18, is commonly known as the Elmwood River.
65-480: 42°0′55.9″N 70°57′40.4″W / 42.015528°N 70.961222°W / 42.015528; -70.961222 This Plymouth County, Massachusetts geography–related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a river in Massachusetts is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Plymouth County, Massachusetts Plymouth County
130-543: A UN declaration that resulted from the World Summit on Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995, absolute poverty is "a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education, and information. It depends not only on income, but also on access to services." David Gordon's paper, "Indicators of Poverty and Hunger", for
195-418: A certain minimum level, the rub of the poverty problem – from the point of view of both the poor individual and of the societies in which they live – is not so much the effects of poverty in any absolute form but the effects of the contrast, daily perceived, between the lives of the poor and the lives of those around them. For practical purposes, the problem of poverty in the industrialized nations today
260-514: A day at 2005 purchasing power parity (PPP). The new figure of $ 1.90 is based on ICP PPP calculations and represents the international equivalent of what $ 1.90 could buy in the US in 2011. Most scholars agree that it better reflects today's reality, particularly new price levels in developing countries. The common IPL has in the past been roughly $ 1 a day. These figures are artificially low according to Peter Edward of Newcastle University . He believes
325-399: A different sense to mean "moderate poverty" – for example, a standard of living or level of income that is high enough to satisfy basic needs (like water , food , clothing , housing, and basic health care ), but still significantly lower than that of the majority of the population under consideration. An example of this could be a person living in poor conditions or squalid housing in
390-421: A high crime area of a developed country and struggling to pay their bills every month due to low wages, debt or unemployment. While this person still benefits from the infrastructure of the developed country, they still endure a less than ideal lifestyle compared to their more affluent countrymen or even the more affluent individuals in less developed countries who have lower living costs. Living Income refers to
455-517: A median income of $ 45,535 versus $ 31,389 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 24,789. About 4.90% of families and 6.60% of the population were below the poverty line , including 8.30% of those under age 18 and 7.90% of those age 65 or over. The leading ancestry group in Plymouth County is Irish, with 31%. Plymouth County, along with Norfolk County, Massachusetts , claims the highest percentage of people with Irish ancestry in
520-680: A pioneering investigator of poverty in London at the turn of the 20th century, popularised the idea of a poverty line , a concept originally conceived by the London School Board . Booth set the line at 10 (50p) to 20 shillings (£1) per week, which he considered to be the minimum amount necessary for a family of four or five people to subsist on. Seebohm Rowntree (1871–1954), a British sociological researcher, social reformer and industrialist, surveyed rich families in York , and drew
585-504: A poverty line in terms of a minimum weekly sum of money "necessary to enable families … to secure the necessaries of a healthy life", which included fuel and light, rent, food, clothing, and household and personal items. Based on data from leading nutritionists of the period, he calculated the cheapest price for the minimum calorific intake and nutritional balance necessary, before people get ill or lose weight. He considered this amount to set his poverty line and concluded that 27.84% of
650-509: A result, depending on the indicator of economic status used, an estimate of who is disadvantaged, which groups have the highest poverty rates, and the nation's progress against poverty varies significantly. Hence, this can mean that defining poverty is not just a matter of measuring things accurately, but it also necessitates fundamental social judgments, many of which have moral implications. National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys. Definitions of
715-669: Is a county in the U.S. state of Massachusetts , south of Boston . As of the 2020 census , the population was 530,819. Its county seats are Plymouth and Brockton . In 1685, the county was created by the Plymouth General Court , the legislature of Plymouth Colony , predating its annexation by the Massachusetts Bay Colony . Plymouth County is part of the Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH Metropolitan Statistical Area . According to
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#1732783476742780-434: Is a problem of relative poverty (page 9)." However, some have argued that as relative poverty is merely a measure of inequality, using the term 'poverty' for it is misleading. For example, if everyone in a country's income doubled, it would not reduce the amount of 'relative poverty' at all. In 1776, Adam Smith argued that poverty is the inability to afford "not only the commodities which are indispensably necessary for
845-596: Is based on a low pay rate of 60 percent of full-time median earnings, equivalent to a little over £12,000 a year for a 35-hour working week. In April 2006, a 35-hour week would have earned someone £9,191 a year – before tax or National Insurance". In 2019, the Low Pay Commission estimated that about 7% of people employed in the UK were earning at or below the National Minimum Wage . In 2021,
910-401: Is hard to have exact number for poverty, as much data is collected through interviews, meaning income that is reported to the interviewer must be taken at face value. As a result, data could not rightly represent the situations true nature, nor fully represent the income earned illegally. In addition, if the data were correct and accurate, it would still not mean serving as an adequate measure of
975-471: Is less than one-half the median family income." This was the first introduction of the relative poverty rate as typically computed today In 1979, British sociologist, Peter Townsend published his famous definition: "individuals... can be said to be in poverty when they lack the resources to obtain the types of diet, participate in the activities and have the living conditions and amenities which are customary, or are at least widely encouraged or approved, in
1040-508: Is not considering establishing an official poverty line, with Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing claiming it would fail to represent the magnitude and scope of problems faced by the poor. As a result, social benefits and aids aimed at the poor would be a missed opportunity for those living right above such a line. In the United States, the poverty thresholds are updated every year by Census Bureau. The threshold in
1105-459: Is split according to rural versus urban thresholds. For urban dwellers, the poverty line is defined as living on less than 538.60 rupees (approximately US$ 12) per month, whereas for rural dwellers, it is defined as living on less than 356.35 rupees per month (approximately US$ 7.50) In 2019, the Indian government stated that 6.7% of its population is below its official poverty limit. As India is one of
1170-520: Is the absence of enough resources to secure basic life necessities. To assist in measuring this, the World Bank has a daily per capita international poverty line (IPL), a global absolute minimum, of $ 2.15 a day as of September 2022. The new IPL replaces the $ 1.25 per day figure, which used 2005 data. In 2008, the World Bank came out with a figure (revised largely due to inflation) of $ 1.25
1235-418: Is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for the average adult. The cost of housing, such as the rent for an apartment, usually makes up the largest proportion of this estimate, so economists track the real estate market and other housing cost indicators as a major influence on
1300-736: The 2000 census there were 472,972 people, 168,361 households, and 122,398 families in the county. The population density was 716 inhabitants per square mile (276/km ). There were 181,524 housing units at an average density of 275 per square mile (106/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 88.70% White , 4.56% Black or African American , 0.21% Native American , 0.92% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 3.06% from other races, and 2.52% from two or more races. 2.44%. were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.0% were of Irish , 12.8% Italian , 10.6% English and 5.1% American ancestry , 90.1% spoke English , 2.5% Spanish , 2.3% Portuguese , 1.5% French Creole and 1.0% French as their first language. Of
1365-522: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology 's Living Wage Calculator, which compares the local minimum wage to the amount of money needed to cover expenses beyond what is needed to merely survive across the United States. The cost of living varies greatly if there are children or other dependents in the household. An outdated or flawed poverty measure is an obstacle for policymakers, researchers and academics trying to find solutions to
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#17327834767421430-681: The Office for National Statistics found that 3.8% of jobs were paid below the National Minimum Wage, a decrease from 7.4% in 2020 but an increase from 1.4% in 2019. They note that this increase from 2019 to 2021 is connected to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom . The Guardian reported in 2021 that "almost 5m jobs, or one in six nationally, pay below the real living wage". India's official poverty level as of 2005
1495-445: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,093 square miles (2,830 km ), of which 659 square miles (1,710 km ) is land and 434 square miles (1,120 km ) (40%) is water. It is the third-largest county in Massachusetts by total area. The towns of Hingham and Hull in Plymouth County extend north of Norfolk County and face onto Massachusetts Bay , sharing a northern water boundary with Suffolk County . At
1560-708: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Canadian poverty researchers. In the European Union, the "relative poverty measure is the most prominent and most–quoted of the EU social inclusion indicators." "Relative poverty reflects better the cost of social inclusion and equality of opportunity in a specific time and space." "Once economic development has progressed beyond
1625-407: The 168,361 households 36.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.30% were non-families. 22.20% of households were one person and 9.00% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.23. The age distribution was 26.80% under
1690-486: The European Union is based on "economic distance", a level of income set at 60% of the median household income. A measure of relative poverty defines "poverty" as being below some relative poverty threshold. For example, the statement that "those individuals who are employed and whose household equivalised disposable income is below 60% of national median equivalised income are poor" uses a relative measure to define poverty. The term relative poverty can also be used in
1755-480: The Iranian economy suffered the highest inflation in 75 years; official statistics put the poverty line at 10 million tomans ($ 500), while the minimum wage given in the same year has been 5 million toman. Singapore has experienced strong economic growth over the last ten years and has consistently ranked among the world's top countries in terms of GDP per capita. Inequality has however increased dramatically over
1820-470: The United Nations, further defines absolute poverty as the absence of any two of the following eight basic needs: In 1978, Ghai investigated the literature that criticized the basic needs approach. Critics argued that the basic needs approach lacked scientific rigour; it was consumption-oriented and antigrowth. Some considered it to be "a recipe for perpetuating economic backwardness" and for giving
1885-488: The United States is updated and used for statistical purposes. In 2020, in the United States, the poverty threshold for a single person under 65 was an annual income of US$ 12,760, or about $ 35 per day. The threshold for a family group of four, including two children, was US$ 26,200, about $ 72 per day. According to the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2018 One-year Estimates, 13.1% of Americans lived below
1950-534: The United States. At the 2010 census , there were 494,919 people, 181,126 households, and 127,925 families in the county. The population density was 750.9 inhabitants per square mile (289.9/km ). There were 200,161 housing units at an average density of 303.7 per square mile (117.3/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 85.5% white, 7.2% black or African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 3.2% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.2% of
2015-709: The World Bank updated the International Poverty Line ( IPL ), a global absolute minimum, to $ 2.15 per day (in PPP ). In addition, as of 2022, $ 3.65 per day in PPP for lower-middle income countries, and $ 6.85 per day in PPP for upper-middle income countries. Per the $ 1.90/day standard, the percentage of the global population living in absolute poverty fell from over 80% in 1800 to 10% by 2015, according to United Nations estimates, which found roughly 734 million people remained in absolute poverty. Charles Booth ,
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2080-421: The age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 11.80% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males. The median household income was $ 55,615 and the median family income was $ 65,554 (these figures had risen to $ 70,335 and $ 82,560 respectively as of a 2007 estimate ). Males had
2145-528: The chain was sold to GateHouse Media in 2006. The flagship of the group was the Old Colony Memorial , the oldest continually published weekly newspaper in New England, first published in 1822. 41°59′N 70°44′W / 41.99°N 70.74°W / 41.99; -70.74 Poverty line The poverty threshold , poverty limit , poverty line , or breadline
2210-440: The cheapest local grain (such as corn, rice, or oats). The basic needs approach is one of the major approaches to the measurement of absolute poverty in developing countries. It attempts to define the absolute minimum resources necessary for long-term physical well-being , usually in terms of consumption goods . The poverty line is then defined as the amount of income required to satisfy those needs. The 'basic needs' approach
2275-545: The closest a Republican has come to winning a county in Massachusetts since 1988. However, it has become more Democratic afterwards, and in 2020 , Joe Biden carried the county by 17 points, the largest margin of victory for a Democrat since 1996 . The seal was adopted by the Plymouth County Commissioners on March 31, 1931, under the authority of the General Laws, Chapter 34, Section 14, and
2340-591: The concept of relative poverty: "No objective definition of poverty exists. ... The definition varies from place to place and time to time. In America as our standard of living rises, so does our idea of what is substandard." In 1965, Rose Friedman argued for the use of relative poverty claiming that the definition of poverty changes with general living standards. Those labelled as poor in 1995, would have had "a higher standard of living than many labelled not poor" in 1965. In 1967, American economist Victor Fuchs proposed that "we define as poor any family whose income
2405-410: The efficacy of their programs and guiding their development strategy. In addition, by measuring poverty one receives knowledge of which poverty reduction strategies work and which do not, helping to evaluate different projects, policies and institutions. To a large extent, measuring the poor and having strategies to do so keep the poor on the agenda, making the problem of political and moral concern. It
2470-489: The fastest-growing economies in 2018, poverty is on the decline in the country, with close to 44 Indians escaping extreme poverty every minute, as per the World Poverty Clock . India lifted 271 million people out of poverty in a 10-year time period from 2005/06 to 2015/16. In 2008 Iran government report by central statistics had recommended 9.5 around million people living below poverty line. As of August 2022
2535-484: The impression "that poverty elimination is all too easy". Amartya Sen focused on 'capabilities' rather than consumption. In the development discourse, the basic needs model focuses on the measurement of what is believed to be an eradicable level of poverty . Relative poverty means low income relative to others in a country: for example, below 60% of the median income of people in that country. Relative poverty measurements, unlike absolute poverty measurements, take
2600-491: The income needed to afford a decent standard of living in the place one lives. The distinguishing feature between a living income and the poverty line is the concept of decency, wherein people thrive, not only survive. Based on years of stakeholder dialogue and expert consultations, the Living Income Community of Practice, an open learning community, established the formal definition of living income drawing on
2665-401: The late 19th to the mid 20th centuries, Plymouth County was a Republican Party stronghold in presidential elections. From 1876 to 1988, only three Democrats carried the county: Lyndon Johnson , Hubert Humphrey , and Jimmy Carter . Since 1992, however, it has become solidly Democratic, though less so relative to other counties in the state. In 2012 , Mitt Romney lost the county by 4.2 points,
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2730-759: The list are reflective if the census designated locations and villages were included as cities or towns. Data is from the 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Plymouth County is governed by three County Commissioners: Chairman Jared L. Valanzola ( R - Plymouth ) , Commissioner Sandra M. Wright ( R - Bridgewater ), and Commissioner Gregory M. Hanley ( D - Abington ) Other county elected officials include Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald, jr. ( R - Kingston ), District Attorney Timothy Cruz ( R - Marshfield ), Treasurer Thomas J. O'Brien ( D - Plymouth ), Register of Deeds John R. Buckley, jr. ( D - Scituate ), Register of Probate Matthew McDonough ( D - Marshfield ), and Clerk of Courts Robert Creedon ( D - Brockton ) From
2795-430: The living standards, the well-being or economic position of a given family or household. Research done by Haughton and Khandker finds that there is no ideal measure of well-being, arguing that all measures of poverty are imperfect. That is not to say that measuring poverty should be avoided; rather, all indicators of poverty should be approached with caution, and questions about how they are formulated should be raised. As
2860-490: The person might be able to meet her/his basic needs, but not be able to enjoy the same standards of living that other people in the same economy are enjoying. Relative poverty is thus a form of social exclusion that can for example affect peoples access to decent housing, education or job opportunities. The relative poverty measure is used by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP),
2925-400: The poor, most of whose expenditure is on basic foodstuffs rather than the relatively luxurious items (washing machines, air travel, healthcare) often included in PPP baskets. The economist Robert C. Allen has attempted to solve this by using standardized baskets of goods typical of those bought by the poor across countries and historical time, for example including a fixed calorific quantity of
2990-445: The population. In terms of ancestry, 33.7% were Irish , 15.8% were Italian , 15.3% were English , 7.3% were German , and 3.7% were American . Of the 181,126 households, 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.4% were non-families, and 23.8% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size
3055-606: The poverty line calculation, using a single global monetary calculation for Living Income is problematic when applied worldwide. Additionally, the Living Income should be adjusted quarterly due to inflation and other significant changes such as currency adjustments. The actual income or proxy income can be used when measuring the gap between initial income and the living income benchmarks. The World Bank notes that poverty and standard of living can be measured by social perception as well, and found that in 2015, roughly one-third of
3120-481: The poverty line do vary considerably among nations. For example, rich nations generally employ more generous standards of poverty than poor nations. Even among rich nations, the standards differ greatly. Thus, the numbers are not comparable among countries. Even when nations do use the same method, some issues may remain. In the UK in 2006, "more than five million people – over a fifth (23 percent) of all employees – were paid less than £6.67 an hour". This value
3185-403: The poverty line. Women and children find themselves impacted by poverty more often when a part of single mother families. The poverty rate of women has increasingly exceeded that of men's. While the overall poverty rate is 12.3%, women poverty rate is 13.8% which is above the average and men are below the overall rate at 11.1%. Women and children (as single mother families) find themselves as
3250-411: The poverty line. Individual factors are often used to account for various circumstances, such as whether one is a parent, elderly, a child, married, etc. The poverty threshold may be adjusted annually. In practice, like the definition of poverty , the official or common understanding of the poverty line is significantly higher in developed countries than in developing countries . In September 2022,
3315-467: The problem of poverty. This has implications for people. The federal poverty line is used by dozens of federal, state, and local agencies, as well as several private organizations and charities, to decide who needs assistance. The assistance can take many forms, but it is often difficult to put in place any type of aid without measurements which provide data. In a rapidly evolving economic climate, poverty assessment often aids developed countries in determining
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#17327834767423380-407: The real number as of 2015 was $ 7.40 per day. Using a single monetary poverty threshold is problematic when applied worldwide, due to the difficulty of comparing prices between countries. Prices of the same goods vary dramatically from country to country; while this is typically corrected for by using PPP exchange rates, the basket of goods used to determine such rates is usually unrepresentative of
3445-419: The same time span, yet there is no official poverty line in the country. Given Singapore's high level of growth and prosperity, many believe that poverty does not exist in the country, or that domestic poverty is not comparable to global absolute poverty. Such a view persists for a selection of reasons, and since there is no official poverty line, there is no strong acknowledgement that it exists. Yet, Singapore
3510-582: The social economic environment of the people observed into consideration. It is based on the assumption that whether a person is considered poor depends on her/his income share relative to the income shares of other people who are living in the same economy. The threshold for relative poverty is considered to be at 50% of a country's median equivalised disposable income after social transfers . Thus, it can vary greatly from country to country even after adjusting for purchasing power standards (PPS). A person can be poor in relative terms but not in absolute terms as
3575-685: The societies to which they belong (page 31)." Brian Nolan and Christopher T. Whelan of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in Ireland explained that "poverty has to be seen in terms of the standard of living of the society in question." Relative poverty measures are used as official poverty rates by the European Union , UNICEF and the OECD . The main poverty line used in the OECD and
3640-422: The support of life, but whatever the custom of the country renders it indecent for creditable people, even of the lowest order, to be without." In 1958, John Kenneth Galbraith argued, "People are poverty stricken when their income, even if adequate for survival, falls markedly behind that of their community." In 1964, in a joint committee economic President's report in the United States, Republicans endorsed
3705-483: The total population of York lived below this poverty line. This result corresponded with that from Booth's study of poverty in London and so challenged the view, commonly held at the time, that abject poverty was a problem particular to London and was not widespread in the rest of Britain. Rowntree distinguished between primary poverty , those lacking in income and secondary poverty , those who had enough income, but spent it elsewhere (1901:295–96). The poverty threshold
3770-661: The town of Marshfield . The Brockton Enterprise is the only daily newspaper published in the county, although the Quincy Patriot Ledger has extensive coverage of the South Shore of Massachusetts generally and Plymouth County in particular. There are numerous weekly newspapers published in the county, including: Many were operated by the Memorial Press Group , based in Plymouth, until
3835-538: The work of Richard and Martha Anker, who co-authored "Living Wages Around the World: Manual for Measurement". They define a living income as: The net annual income required for a household in a particular place to afford a decent standard of living for all members of that household. Elements of a decent standard of living include food, water, housing, education, healthcare, transport, clothing, and other essential needs including provision for unexpected events. Like
3900-451: The world's population was considered poor in relation to their particular society. The Living Income Community of Practice (LICOP) was founded by The Sustainable Food Lab, GIZ and ISEAL Alliance to measure the gap between what people around the world earn versus what they need to have a decent standard of living, and find ways to bridge this gap. A variation on the LICOP's Living Income is
3965-485: The world. It influenced the programs and policies of major multilateral and bilateral development agencies, and was the precursor to the human development approach." A traditional list of immediate "basic needs" is food (including water), shelter, and clothing. Many modern lists emphasize the minimum level of consumption of 'basic needs' of not just food, water, and shelter, but also sanitation, education, and health care. Different agencies use different lists. According to
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#17327834767424030-495: Was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.18. The median age was 41.1 years. The median household income was $ 73,131 and the median family income was $ 86,251. Males had a median income of $ 60,303 versus $ 43,837 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 33,333. About 5.0% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over. The ranking of unincorporated communities that are included on
4095-530: Was designed by Frederic T. Bailey of North Scituate who was, at that time and for many years, chairman of the county commissioners. For television, the city is served by the Boston and Providence media markets; no television stations are located within the county. Radio stations located in Plymouth County include: The first radio broadcast in history was made in 1906, from the Brant Rock neighborhood in
4160-444: Was first developed by Mollie Orshansky between 1963 and 1964. She attributed the poverty threshold as a measure of income inadequacy by taking the cost of food plan per family of three or four and multiplying it by a factor of three. In 1969 the inter agency poverty level review committee adjusted the threshold for only price changes. The term "absolute poverty" is also sometimes used as a synonym for extreme poverty. Absolute poverty
4225-650: Was introduced by the International Labour Organization's World Employment Conference in 1976. "Perhaps the high point of the WEP was the World Employment Conference of 1976, which proposed the satisfaction of basic human needs as the overriding objective of national and international development policy. The basic needs approach to development was endorsed by governments and workers' and employers' organizations from all over
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