Unproductive Poverty Narratives: Rewriting the Story
How Do We Come to Understand Poverty?
When you hear the word poverty, what images come to mind? Ask any number of people in your community this question and you may hear stories of a single encounter or an anecdote from the news—a person asking for spare change, a family struggling to make ends meet, or someone sleeping on a park bench. Without realizing it, these distanced interactions can shape our entire understanding of poverty and feed into oversimplified narratives applied to entire communities of people.
Yet in other areas of life, we wouldn’t think of applying these same conclusions. Would any of us judge an entire genre of books after reading just one? Of course not. Yet when it comes to poverty, we often let our interpretation of a single encounter define an entire reality. We see a moment, not a lifetime. We focus on symptoms, not systems. And in doing so, we risk misunderstanding what poverty truly is—and how we can change it.
The Problem with "Othering"
When we think of poverty as something that happens to others, we create distance. We see them—not us. And once that divide is in place, our responses become reactive, even harmful. Maybe we judge. Maybe we pity. Maybe we rush to "fix" things without understanding the deeper realities at play. Or maybe, we just look the other way. With any of these reactions, the result is the same: We stay stuck in cycles that don’t actually break poverty—they sustain it.
The instinct to 'other' is part of being human, and none of us are exempt. Truly embracing our shared humanity requires ongoing personal work, because distancing ourselves from others often feels like the safer, easier choice—even when it leads to harmful consequences.
The Narratives That Keep Us Stuck
Our understanding of poverty isn’t just shaped by what we see—it’s shaped by the stories we believe. And too often, those stories fall into the same patterns:
The personal fault narrative: Poverty is the result of bad decisions, laziness, or lack of work ethic.
The victim narrative: People in poverty are helpless and need saving.
The fatalistic narrative: The system is so broken that there’s nothing I can do.
While each narrative may contain elements of truth in certain situations, they trap us in rigid thinking and keep us stuck. These narratives disregard people’s dignity, hard work and lived realities and lead us to blame individuals, see them as powerless, or resign ourselves to inaction.
Rewriting the Story
To move forward, we must shift both our individual and collective narratives. Addressing poverty effectively requires new stories—ones that acknowledge the complexity of the issues while empowering us to act. Consider the potential for personal and community transformation if we could embrace and live into these alternative narratives:
✅ Poverty is not just an individual issue—it’s a shared responsibility. Personal choices matter, but so do systems, policies, and access to opportunity. A collective approach, where everyone plays their part, spurs creativity and unlocks real solutions.
✅ People in poverty aren’t powerless—they are resourceful and capable. When we move from seeing people as victims to recognizing their agency and investing in their goals, many different pathways out of poverty can be created.
✅ Change is possible. Policy shifts, community-driven solutions, and collective action can lead to meaningful transformation. When I look around in my own community, there is a lot I can do alongside others to make a meaningful difference.
It’s time to change the faulty narratives that we’ve inherited and passed along for generations. By shifting our perspectives and stories, we can move beyond unproductive cycles towards real solutions that uplift everyone.