Today they say we are free, only to be chained in poverty - Bob Marley This article will discuss poverty, the different types of poverty and their definitions and who is affected by it of poverty. It will look at some of the main reasons why poverty exists and what causes it, such as things like inequality, stratification and international debt. Some of the impacts of poverty will also be analyzed from a national and global perspective; things like education, literacy rates and crime. This paper will demonstrate that poverty affects almost everyone, in one form or another, and exists because those with power and wealth want and need poverty to exist to force a dependence on the rich. Some of the main approaches to achieve this are through economic systems, the influence of government policies, and global stratification. Defining poverty is not a simple task and this is what this paper will address first. WHAT IS POVERTY Poverty is difficult to define exactly, as it has different meanings for different people depending on the country they live in, the culture they belong to and how much income they earn. All of these factors and more will change how poverty is defined by an individual or organization (Seabrook, 2007, p.35). Adam Smith, the classical economist, had this view of poverty: “poverty is a want of those necessities of which the custom of the country makes it indecent for respectable persons, even of the lowest order, to be deprived” (Richmond and Saloojee, 2005, p. 33). Another popular view of poverty is that of Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen who stated that the poor “cannot participate adequately in community activities, or be free from public shame arising from failure to comply with conventions” (Richmond and… middle of paper ..... of slavery.Works CitedDeveaux, B. (Director). Poor no more [Motion Picture].Ferrante, J. (2006). Sociological Viewpoints, 225-19.McNally, D. (2006). Another World is Possible: Globalization and Anti-Capitalism, Canada: Arbeiter Ring PublishingMurray, J.L., Linden, R., & Kendall, D. (2011). ). Sociology in our times. Toronto: Nelson Education.Raphael, D. (2007). Poverty and politics in Canada: implications for health and quality of life Toronto: Canadian Scholars' PressRichmond, T., & Saloojee, A. (). 2005. Social inclusion. Black Point: Fernwood Publishing. Seabrook, J. (2007). Keep women and children for last. New York: Penguin Books