Poverty, crime and mental health By: Razi Ghaemmagham Farahani December

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1 Poverty, crime and mental health By: Razi Ghaemmagham Farahani December Defining Poverty: According oxford dictionary being poor, indigence, want renunciation of rights to individual ownership of property, deficiency, inferiority, poorness, and meanness, minimum income level needed to get necessities of life. Of course above definition are paradoxical in comparison to our rapidly growing society. In anyhow that is how defined. I am becoming aware that some, define poverty very close to definition of dictionary and some other elaborate on it and some others define according to own social level. I believe that poverty caused by discrepancy of culture, language, society structure, geo-political structure, littérateur, geographical environment, mental process, individual s sociological development, and core belief system of individual or group and indeed individual or group s perception of poverty. Unfortunately, most often poverty defines in term of socioeconomic rather than broadening the defined definition through above subject s base on avoidance to accept this social illness. I consider as a social illness and I believe the key function to understand such illness is accepting, as a social illness will help to understand the root of poverty. Acceptance of such social illness or I had better say disease is the first step of looking for solution like person who is suffering from depression in which the treatment will start by the acceptance of individual that she or he is depressed. Definition of poverty is differing through diversity of cultures, within spoken and written language in which would elaborate through litterateur of such language. Definitely, what we consider as poverty in North American is different from poverty at Africa or some other places. On the other hand, they have one common share definition too, which is not having enough money to live comfortably. The word comfortable is describing fine line between needs and wants. Different society and its structure according into geo-political and geographical condition also will influence how to define poverty. The psychological state of any individual or group most certainly related into the mentioned elements and most definitely behavior of any individual or group strongly influenced with those elements. Systematic Political function of government which imposes govern body s view in the society through the rules and regulation within legislation can and will define functional meaning of poverty and members of society will match their thinking pattern and process according to defined meaning by the government based on the required needed adaptation skill that members of society must have. The political system has a crucial role on the meaning, on the persistence of poverty, on the criminalizing poverty, on the social attitude about poverty on the treatment if I may call. So far, I believe that poverty is instinctive characteristic of any corrupted system and capitalism. Society most often holds an individual hundred percent responsible for own fortune and this is the systematic projection imposed on the individual. Time to time I see the anti poverty logo in which making me wonder what is the real meaning of it. To reduce poverty we might think about

2 oppositions of political wings that how they use such social hot subject to win the election yet, when the election period passed the subject already long forgotten. In addition, we might give serious consideration about religion that how they encourage people to help needy one on seasonal occasion or on constant movement with knowing that any religious organization is part of systematic govern body of every government at this point of time. The triggered element by any religious system works by generating shame and guilt on population and holding God responsible for the individual s wealth and fortune. As we witnessed how people gathered on the churches or other religious place in the events of stock market skim. I am not criticizing any religion yet, I am wondering about interpretation of it by interpreters. In anyhow when I talk or write about poverty and crime I might consider all elements or at least the elements that I am aware of, that might or could and would consider as cause of crime in relation with poverty. I also will consider the psychological state of individual, group and family in this relation. You are going to read the categories that I am coming up in this regard and please note these categorize are not in order. Indeed, we all are human and I cannot see the subject of our discussion in black and white and some exception that we cannot deny either. As I discussed poverty, I also believe that crime and poverty in our society are sharing some strong common points. Family structure, single parents, Divorced parents, Family finance, Family core belief system, Family culture, Religion, Political belief, Education, Social level, Individuality, Psychological state of individual (mental health conflict, biological illness, genetic illness) addiction in the family or individual, migrating and indeed media and its contents within context of our society. I do strongly believe that media has significant role on brining or inventing new contents in our society, and it could have strong negative or positive effect on subject of poverty and crime. Time to time even I wonder that media is conceptualizing our society directly or indirectly through the advertisement, cinema, theater, radio etc. I am talking here about concept information, concept identification and conceptual tempo. All above are so broad that can be manipulate and projected by the media into the society. To understand poverty we might first understand our society then we might understand individual or groups in relation to society through contents and context of it and at last we might consider individual or groups characteristics. Having understanding of sociological development of society will help us to recognize individual s systematic behavior as member of society and identify characteristic and attribute of individual as self (I). Core belief system of individual or group s perception of poverty is the second element that I can elaborate on it. Here and now I am realizing that I concentrate on the cause of this illness and gave no consideration into the affect of such social diseases on the individual or group s lives. I am behaving like others, what we do is, we look and act through our transductive reasoning, which means we are focusing on concert instances without considering the principles. Truly, it is our society as I am member of it, so I made meaning of poverty figure and principles and negative effect became background to me. Anxiety and fear caused under pressure of conditioned poverty has very negative effect on the people. This is how we manipulate on daily bases and the reason for it is our egoistic thinking

3 process and behavior. We are contradicting ourselves in the social issues most often and rapidly. We believe that our society as a community in which we make, we process, we grow and we move forward together yet, in the matter of poverty, we hold just an individual responsible! What we are doing is, denying structural corruption of our society to avoid, deny and reject acceptance of poverty as a social illness. Affects of poverty on the individual and group s lives will analyze in the surface in order to give recommendations about possible prevention, and then process will stop there. With knowing definitely, there are serious consequences of poverty that imposes on the individual or group s lives in general. Of course, this is my belief, you might have different one, and certainly, you are not the only one who could have the last one to see the matter differently and alternatively, you are not the last one who could or would involve own egoistic belief in this regard. I want talk about some negative effect of poverty on the individual such as hunger, which is affecting most often children and their learning abilities that is causing frustration and anger to them and their family. Anger is also affects individual s logical process that could result in disturbance of logical process and sensory experiences. In this regard individual, mostly act and behave through projection and introjections. Feeling of shame and humiliation internal and external, imposed by others or society is another important element in which directly affects the self-esteem of the individual. Feeling of shame and guilt could generate hate and revenge. External humiliation can be systematic and could extend it through the society very strongly. Through poverty the Individual will lose own dignity and becoming fearful of unknown future that will paralyze the individual functional behavior within self and contact environment. I believe anxiety is affirmation and root of individual s decision-making process in which will complete process of being free to decide. Better say, being responsible for the outcome of own decision and this is constructive way of using anxiety to own benefit. This is how I do not encourage my clients to get rid of anxiety. Depression is another illness in this regards that caused by social illness (poverty) in which has long affect on the individual s life and his or her biology. Above described affects of poverty are few of sums. Treatment of such social illness is not impossible yet, it is very hard. Right now metaphorically question generated in my mind, which is how far fish can swim opposite direction of stream of river? This social illness treatment will start within government and society rather than focusing on the individual. To do so we might consider breaking financial and economical ties between government and big co-operations and banks. We might consider human rights issues about this matter. Breaking any ties between political oppositions and any financial and economical institutions is also necessary. Defining poverty as society illness and accepting it is very important element to begin with. Poverty is movement within society in which grows through rules, regulations and legislation of political governed body of any government in which strongly supported and somehow is being guided by the strong and big financial institutions like, banks, stock market within wall street s and young street s executives. Unfortunately, we are using the art of persuasions to deceive ourselves to make and consider poverty a personal issue. We love helping people in order satisfy

4 ourselves for getting rid of our guilt, shame and responsibilities about this social disease. Some even make poverty in some cases as privilege or mind- set even we might shamelessly stating that poverty is a choice! Symptoms of poverty are ignored and denied in which are experiencing through particular sets of, biological, cultural, environmental and behavioural actions and reactions, Yet, only seasonal concerns about poverty that most often has religious motivation and self satisfaction will be addressed time to time! Defining crime: According to oxford dictionary: Act (usu. grave offence) punishable by law, evil act; such acts collectively; shameful act; offence against regulations. Crime and its profile: Crime is disturbance of society s law. It is analysis of the behavior and circumstances associated with serious crime to identify the characteristic of individual and environmental circumstances in which triggered certain kind of behavior resulted into crime. Of course, this is what I believe in terms of crime and its profile. We might recognize that when a crime is committing there is no anxiety and fear yet, there is irrational reaction or rational one according into the situation or individual. It is very difficult task to analyze poverty and crime separately even it is harder to profile an individual s behavior from one perspective of life. For example when we talk about crime, our thinking pattern just is focusing on the certain type of people who are involved in certain act such as violence and theft. We are focusing on act rather than the cause for act. On the other hand, there are so many kinds of crime happening in our society. Some Very highly educated people committing a crime that had been known as white crime and matter of fact not long ago even that was not consider and categorized as a crime. Some attempt to still in order to provide necessities of life or just for satisfying their addiction in which considered need for them. Some others involved in organizing criminal institute, some attempt a crime base on circumstance of time and place and list goes on. It seems in our society crime is taking business life of own with necessary simplicity and needed complexity. In term of white crime, I consider this kind of crime like other organized crime with involvement of upper level of society in which they bring instability, corruption and hidden violence into society. This imposed systematic violence into the society disturbs people s life. Stock market is clear example of white colour crime although nationally and internationally through political and social system considered as a legal organization. Yet, we saw the negative effect of this organization on the people lives.

5 I believe any act of crime is containing from three fundamental elements, which are: Govern system of country in which imposes rules and regulations within law through the legislation. With knowing that law is above of all therefore we can believe and justify that everyone can be seeing equally within law. Here are the differences comes within governed system of country such as conservative, liberal, green party and indeed socialists. Now any crime can be define differently according to each party and further more the punishment will be different according to each party too. Conservative party will deal with crime like Americans, like capital punishment or lock up so called criminals and throw the key a way because of fact the crime happened, liberal will give attention to be more tolerance and patience with no given reason and socialists will emphasize on the social short coming without actually wanting to improve the situation. Therefore, all above parties acting on information processing by simplifying our social reality this act has a label within psychology, called: cognitive miser. I might say the functional political wings mostly in decision-making level behave within assumptions and expectations by given statistics. As I am realizing there is no balance in their policy, yes we have to be firm and at the same time be more patient and yet, our social short coming must not compromise others rights by any individual or group. The existence of individual s emotions, actions, responsibilities and thoughts are important yet, we might verify the degree that how an individual achieves in the life and what constitutes to fulfill the life and what kinds of obstacles might overcome and indeed what external or internal factors are involved within or including potentials and consequences. 2- Society Certainly, we cannot separate individual from society neither society from individual. Therefore, we might consider effect of society s rules and regulation on the individual s life. We also might consider functional value of society in which helping to recognize, categorize and identify every individual based on functional value of society. We also might realize our society as a diverse society that we might consider cross-cultural issue. 3- Individual When we want, understand individual s action and reactions, we might consider person as a whole in which will enable us to understand individual from two perspectives such as inner self and outer self. a) Inner self: inner self includes all aspects of the individual s core belief system, biological and psychological state of self, family upbringing, culture (religion, language along with all traditional value and belief system), place and space and you might consider some more or less that you can add or subtract from. b) Outer self: we usually carry while we are interacting with our contact environment around this identity. This part of ourselves most often has great adaptation skill and

6 adapts within society s requirement very well yet, it is in constant conflict with inner self. It is actually role playing that we do on daily bases. As Sartre stated: man first of all exists, encounters himself. Surges up in the world anddefines himself afterwards of course, the more positive, therapeutic aspect of this is also implied. A person can choose to act in a different way, and to be a good person instead of a cruel person. Here is also clear that since man can choose to be either cruel or good, he is, in fact, neither of these things essentially. Fear and Anxiety is experience of individual freedom, Fear is as result of insecurity about consequences of one s actions, in experiencing own freedom. A person also can realize that one will be fully responsible for the consequences and nothing and no one else that can be blame if something goes wrong as ones action or reaction. We cannot deny that our freedom may taken as a hostage by consequences of our action and reactions in which we would realize freedom almost all the time is relative and conditioned by individual s act and society s rules and regulations. Unfortunately, concept of freedom is often misunderstood where almost anything and everything is possible and the core values are unimportant or negligible to choice and action. This is the assumption that is not relevant to good or bad. We brought up with certain value, which belongs to us. Therefore making choice without involving our value instead using alternative is choosing not to make any choice rather than take a chance. This is the time that our freedom in this world will be restricted by the world. We grow, we learn, we forgive and forget and then there is a future within present and there is past within present. Therefore, to say that one s past is responsible for present action or behavior, is detaching individual from now. Yet, denying the self s past constitutes an artificial life style too. Here I am talking about stimulus and response in which has direct relation with individual s behavior. In terms of crime, therefore these factors are so important. Note: please see dictionary for describe meaning of words below. According to oxford dictionary of psychology see page 708, 1. (Stimulus) 2. (Stimulus generalization) 3. (Stimulus intensity dynamism) 4. (Stimulus onset asynchrony) 5. (Stimulus set). We have to remember that conscious mind cannot stimulate several processes at once and unconscious mind works most often in sensory, feelings and experiences. As I wrote that, I am not going, give any conclusion about this article and you might want make your own conclusion of this article or you consider this article as information. In any how the point of writing this article is awareness about poverty, and crime, that is taking life of so many in our society, financially, mentally and physically.