Poverty, like crime, is defined by social reaction rather than inherent state

Evidence

The poor, as a sociological category, are not those who suffer specific deficiencies and deprivations, but those who receive assistance or should receive it according to social norms. Consequently, in this sense, poverty cannot be defined in itself as a quantitative state, but only in terms of the social reaction resulting from a specific situation; it is analogous to the way crime, the substantive definition of which offers such difficulties, is defined as “an action punished by public sanctions.” — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 445

Categorization

• DEFINE: Simmel’s analogy to crime-as-punished-action is the clearest statement of his relational definition; useful for the essay’s framework.
• XREF: connects to: Society aids the poor to neutralize a threat, not to help them — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 410; Poverty is defined by social reaction, not by material deficiency — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 444; People from impoverished conditions do not always recognize their poverty. — Crews, Harry, A childhood the biography of a place, 21 (+5 more)

Related

• Poverty is defined by social reaction, not by material deficiency (similarity 0.94)
• Sociological poverty is defined by receiving assistance, not lacking means (similarity 0.92)
• Classifying poverty as social rather than moral or economic enables political change. (similarity 0.87)
• Society aids the poor to neutralize a threat, not to help them (similarity 0.84)
• A person can be socially poor yet individually wealthy (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Sociological poverty is defined by receiving assistance, not lacking means #exemplifies (0.75) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 448
• The poor form a social stratum united by society’s attitude, not by interaction #expands (0.70) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 446
• People from impoverished conditions do not always recognize their poverty. #expands (0.60) — Crews, Harry, A childhood the biography of a place, 21