Social, Economic and Demographic Characteristics of Poor Families in Jordan’s Pockets of Poverty

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the reality of economic and social conditions for poor and non-poor people in Jordan’s pockets of poverty, the availability of educational, health, social and recreational services in Jordan’s pockets of poverty, to find the relationship between the demographic, social, economic characteristics and poverty and to identify the poverty inherited and non-inherited determinants for families and individuals live in the Jordan’s pockets of poverty. The study used the analytical approach and a questionnaire which includes quantity and quality questions was designed for data collection. The study came to several conclusions, including: the proportion of female households’ heads in poor families is higher than in non-poor households, the average age of poor households’ heads is higher than in non-poor households, the educational level of poor households’ heads is lower than the level of education for non-poor households’ heads, and the most poor and non-poor households’ heads are married, and the average marriage age of poor households’ heads is lower than in non-poor households’ heads. And the largest proportion of parents are living with each other within the same family for both poor and non-poor households, the number of relatives who are living with poor and non-poor family has been reduced. Moreover, poor people tends to accept relative to live with them more than non- poor people and the average number of sons and daughters who live with their poor families is higher than in non-poor families. And the study results that the largest proportion of poor and non-poor families live in houses or apartments and that the majority of them own houses, and that the average number of house’s rooms/ bed rooms for poor families is less than the average number of rooms for non-poor families, and the rate of per capita from the housing space in poor families is less than in non-poor families. The results showed the strength of relationships between family members in both poor and non-poor families. And that there is a kind of a joint decision-making process between family members. And about half of the poor and non-poor households’ heads depend on consultation between family members on the subject of girls’ marriage. Furthermore, the study clarifies that the percentage of unemployed people in poor households is higher compared to non-poor households and that the average income of poor families is around (214) JD and (513) JD for non-poor families, and most poor and non-poor families consider that the poverty in their families is not inherited but only in their villages and to focus on children education, birth control and the use of contraception, saving for the future and not to marry more than once in order to avoid poverty inheritance.