Anna and her family live in an apartment in a low-income neighborhood. Though they have enough money for heat and food, Anna can't afford many of the things her friends have, like new clothes, streaming services, and fieldtrips. Her family's income is below the median income in her city. Which concept best describes Anna's situation?

• A. Absolute poverty.
• B. Relative poverty.
• C. Intergenerational mobility.
• D. Extreme poverty.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the key terms related to poverty in sociology. Absolute poverty refers to a condition where a person lacks the basic necessities for survival, such as food, shelter, and clothing.
2. Step 2: Recognize that relative poverty is defined as having significantly less income or resources compared to the average or median income in a society, which affects one's ability to participate in normal social activities.
3. Step 3: Analyze Anna's situation: she has enough money for basic needs like heat and food, so she is not in absolute poverty, but she cannot afford many things her friends have, indicating a gap relative to others in her community.
4. Step 4: Consider intergenerational mobility, which refers to changes in social status or class from one generation to the next, and extreme poverty, which is a severe form of absolute poverty with life-threatening deprivation.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the concept best describing Anna's situation is relative poverty, as her family's income is below the median and limits her access to goods and experiences common among her peers.