| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study is to identify the primary internal and external factors that facilitate individuals' emergence from poverty. The principal investigator (PI) conducted interviews with a diverse sample of 21 participants who were born into poverty and successfully transitioned into the middle class. A phenomenological approach was employed, focusing on the lived experiences of these adults. The primary actions participants reported taking to overcome poverty included securing employment, pursuing formal education beyond high school, and relocating. Key internal factors identified were hope, faith, and a desire to escape hunger, abuse, or trauma. Participants predominantly cited their children as significant motivators when asked about family-related factors. Additionally, having parents with shared goals and living in a supportive home environment that provided emotional, verbal, and economic support, along with clear rules and discipline, were crucial. External factors facilitating their emergence from poverty included employment opportunities, access to medical services, welfare support, relocation for work opportunities, support from a church, formal education beyond high school, and specific assistance from a friend in the middle class. At the conclusion of the interview, participants were asked to identify the most critical factors among all the internal and external elements previously discussed. Seventy-six percent of participants indicated that all factors were important as they supported them in an interconnected manner, while sixty-two percent identified their children as the most significant motivating factor in their emergence from poverty.
Keywords: poverty emergence, economic mobility, hope, motivating factors. | en_US |
