The hidden layers of material deprivation of the lived experience of poor children

Abstract

Historically, child poverty has been synonymous with family poverty and was estimated using quantitative methods and measuring the level of family income, in this article, using a qualitative method, we seek to recognize the lived experience of children. The main question of the article is in what dimensions do children experience material deprivation? In this article, the ethnographic method was used to collect information from 30 children aged 10 to 17 who have experienced a life of poverty. Data analysis was performed using conventional qualitative content analysis. Findings show that material deprivation in poor children is experienced as an intricate coil with complex inner and outer layers, Compared with their peers. The outer layer of material deprivation is not having proper clothing and the inner layer is not having enough food. However, the lack of food has irreversible physical effects on children, but because the type of food consumed is hidden from others, food is less important than clothes. In between these two levels, there are other issues of material deprivation, such as the desire to own private space and objects, as well as living in adequate housing away from family problems.

Keywords

• "child poverty"
• " layers of material deprivation"
• " proper clothing"
• " malnutrition"