Exclusion of the poor from the riches of the land

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CHAPTER 2: DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM – POVERTY

 Introduction

Poverty is a crime against humanity. (Smith 2005:3) says it is “the systematic exploitation, theft, and abuse not only by the rich but by the government officials ostensibly there to help: the poor must pay larger bribes, as a share of their income,than the rich just to survive”. Because of poverty people have to live a life that they do not want. It puts them at the mercy of abuse, violence and oppression. It leads to a life of fear and anxiety (Pieterse 2001:45). Every nation of the world should fight against poverty and its causes.Erasmus (2005:143) stated that “in pre -democratic South Africa the ideology of apartheid protected the interests of the minority white Afrikaner people of the national party”. The majority of the people of South Africa were forced to live in poverty.After the first democratic election people were politically free but economically still living in slavery (Nieman 2006:597) stated that “Martin Luther King promoted the concept that freedom without economic empowerment and access to socio-economic
opportunity and a resource was not freedom”.Pick et al (2008:165), “The millennium Declaration pledges to free men, women, and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty”. This is one of the goals set by the United Nations to be fulfilled in 2015. Poverty is a crime because it causes so many social ills in the world. “Poverty is still the gravest insult to human dignity” (Kane & Kirby 2003:42).In Luke 4: 18, it is written “the spirit of the Lord is upon me,Because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor…” Jesus declared that His ministry was to focus on poor people. He came to set them free from the shackles of poverty. Jesus valued those people who were not valued by the systems of the time. Furthermore, it can be put it this way, “Poverty was seen as denying people adequate food, housing, education, and health care, and being responsible for forcing people to lead an undesirable lifestyle, such as child prostitute”( Delton et al. 2008:498). Poverty removes dignity from the human being created in the image of God. There should be a multi approach in the fight against poverty. I do not think it could a uni-approach in a battle against poverty and its causes.The ANC-led government inherited poverty and inequality in 1994. (Nieman 2006:597) says almost half (48%) of South Africans live in conditions of extreme poverty. The chances and opportunities do not exist to lead a long and healthy life with the freedom to enjoy a decent standard of living with dignity, selfrespect and respect for others.A major concern for the African National Congress led government was how to deal with the main issues though there have been many interventions through creating policies and programs of action not enough has been done.How can a church community get involved in helping the poor people and assist in working for equality for all people.

Definition of poverty

The question is what do we mean when we speak about poverty? Poverty remains a difficult phenomenon to be defined because it could be defined in many ways depending on the context people live in. “However, poverty with its complexities has remained a major challenge both to the church and the governments of the world” (Christian 1999:1).Poverty is a complex phenomenon and it is not easy to define but I will look into different meanings from literature and from my co-researchers Understanding the meaning of poverty can help us to declare a war against poverty. Poverty could mean the following: “the inability of individuals,households, or entire communities, to command sufficient resources to satisfy a socially acceptable minimum standard of living” (Pieterse 2001:30; cf. May 2000:5). Here the poverty has been defined as an economical challenge.People cannot eat, dress, have a house, and go on holiday,as they wish.People who live in poverty lack sufficient resources to satisfy the minimum standard of living. The World Bank describes poverty “in terms of income and consumption levels”(Mubangizi 2008:175; Alcock 2006:64). One cannot afford to buy food and clothing. Children go to school without proper breakfast, which will make it difficult for a child to concentrate in class. I remember, going to school without breakfast and during the break I used to drink only water. “A logical starting point for any analysis of poverty is that essentially it is a lack of resources” (Christian 1999:19).Poverty can also be divided into two categories: extreme poverty this is where the income falls below the threshold and less extreme or moderate is where the income falls between the extreme or moderate poverty and the upper poverty threshold. People in extreme poverty are always hungry and the people in less extreme poverty can only afford an unbalanced died (Saha 200:268).From my own experience, I have learned that there is nothing more stressful than as a father you more than fail to provide for your own children. Every time they needed something, as a father to have to say I do not have the money. On their birthdays, you cannot buy them a present or to take them out to lunch or dinner. You feel like crying, it is so stressing. One of my co-researchers put it this way:“Failing to provide for my family as a parent causes stress and sometimes you feel pains on your body” (Mr. T.) According to the Oxford advanced learner‟s dictionary seventh edition poor means “having a small amount of something”. Poverty means a “state of being poor”. Poverty is a condition in which people find themselves. Most of the time poverty is beyond your own choice.
Kane & Kirby 2003:44 put it this way about poverty, absolute poverty is a condition characterised by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information. The poorest people have been deprived of their life necessities.Again, poverty is a complex amalgam of physical and spiritual pain, which robs the person and the community of dignity and meaning as much as the body of nourishment,shelter and beauty” (William, 1998:3; Hall 1982:92).Also, poverty causes a spiritual pain. One does not accept himself/her. Poverty crushes who we are in our inner being.That is why we want to explore the relationship between identity formation and poverty.The description of poverty goes beyond the income and consumption level that is being described in the following quote, “Poverty is about exclusion and power, about relationships and loss of self-respect, it is about lack of choice and limitation of freedom” (Forrester & Skene 1988: ix). Poor people are marginalized; it means that they cannot live in dominion life. By dominion life, I mean a fulfilled life and where one has the power of choice. They have been excluded by those who have power. They are not able to make the choices that they have been given the power to choose by God. “Poverty as a lack of freedom to grow” (Jayakaran 1996:14). People who live in a poverty stricken community have no freedom to choose the life they wish to live, instead the rich make all the choices for the poor. People who live in poverty have no power to choose the life they wish to live. So, poverty is about power relation, Paulo Freire (in Burkey 1993:30) said: One must go beyond criteria based on indices of per capita income as well as those which concentrate on the study of gross income. The basic elementary criterion is whether or not the society is „being for itself‟, that is, „its political,economic and cultural decision-making power is located within‟Because of the more recent description of poverty the World Bank has expanded its definition of poverty to include the language of voiceless, powerlessness, risks and vulnerability(Mubangisi 2008:175).Also, human poverty can be described as a lack of opportunities and capabilities ( Saha 2008:269). The doors of changing their lives are closed. Even though, they wish to do something about their lives, they found themselves chained.

Poor people‟s definitions of poverty

People who are living in poverty feel that they are not consulted when major decisions are made about them.(Christian 1999:3).
The authorities have sold the land; they have lived and farmed on all their lives. There was no consultation with them before the land was sold they were never considered. “the landless do not have a say in the sale of their land, even though it is their work at stake” (Christian 1999:3). This agricultural land belonged to the government. The poor people were using the land for farming on it. It was like owning the land. Every decision that would have been made,they should have been consulted, But the land was sold without them been consulted.Being poor means that one has no power because we can see the land been taken by those who are in power without talking to the poor. “They are gradually being alienated from the land they belonged to. Today, their agricultural tools lies silent in the dark corners of their houses, reminding them that they have become tools in the hands of the urban elite” (Christian 1999:3).Poor people have a perception that those who come to assist them, treat them as people who are lazy people and ultimately choose to leave things as they are ( Meadows 2003:50). Again deprived people accuse those who say that they are there to help them, that they say that come with a attitude that poor people are not capable off bringing about change themselves (Meadows 2003:50). Impoverished people feel that their voice must be heard by the governments and development agencies. Governments sometime only do things to get votes and agencies only do things to please donors (Meadows 2003:51). The poor say „listen to us‟-say the poor. „Please slow down‟(Meadows 1999:49).My co-researchers says:“Poverty is a choice” (Mr.TN).
Meaning that the power to change is inside you. Let us stop blame-shifting. Let us stop blaming apartheid. He continues by saying, there are doctors, lawyers, and politicians who have lived during the apartheid era, and they managed to receive education.

Chapter 1: Positioning 
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Motivation
1.3 Research gap
1.4 Research problem
1.4.1 What is identity?
1.4.2 Formation of identity
1.4.2.1 Marcia‟s identity status
1.4.2.2 Grotevant‟s process of Model of identity
1.4.2.3 Berzonky‟s identity styles
1.4.2.4 Identity formation as social construction
1.5 Biblical perspectives on identity formation 
1.5.1 God‟s image and likeness in man
1.5.2 The fall of man
1.5.3 The nature of sin
1.5.4 The result of sin
1.5.5 Righteousness
1.6 Research objectives 
1.7 Paradigmatic approach 
1.7.1 Introduction
1.7.2 Paradigms shifting: moving between two worlds
1.7.2 Modernist‟s epistemology
1.7.2 Postmodernist‟s epistemology
1.7.3 Language
1.7.4 Discourse definition
1.7.5 Deconstruction
1.7.6 Transversal rationality
1.8. Social constructionism 
1.9 Theological positioning 
1.9.1 Theology
1.9.2 Post-modern theology
1.9.3 Postfoundationism: Beyond conflict and consonance
1.9.4 Practical theology
1.9.5 Exploring practical wisdom understanding
1.9.6 Postfoundationalist practical theology
1.10 Narrative theory, Recoeur and hermaneutics 
1.10.1 Narrative research
1.11 Social constructionism and postfoundationalism 
1.12 Ethical positioning 
1.13 Research design 
1.13.1 Specific context is defined
1.13.2 In-context experiences are listened and described
1.13.3 Interpretations of experiences are made, described, and developed in collaboration with co-researchers
1.13.4 A description of experiences as continually informed by traditions of interpretations
1.13.5 A reflection on religion and spirituality aspect, especially as it is understood and experienced in a specific situation
1.13.6 A description of experience, thickened through interdisciplinary investigation
1.13.7 The development of alternative interpretations that points beyond the local community
1.14 Profiles of my co-researchers
1.14.1 Miss JM
1.14.2 Mr. S. and Mrs. Z
1.14.3 Mr. T and Mrs. T
1.14.4 Mr. P
1.14.5 Mr. TN
1.14.6 Mr. JR
1.14.7 Mrs. J
1.15. Journey of my life story 
1.15.1 Why share my life story?
1.16 The context of Nellmapius 
1.16.1 Population
1.16.2 Economic aspect
1.16.3 Educational aspect
1.16.4 Health aspect
1.16.5 Early childhood development centers
1.16.6 Taverns
1.17 Outlines of Chapters
Chapter 2: Description of the problem
2.1 Introduction 
2.2 Definition of poverty 
2.2.1 Poor people‟s definition of poverty
2.2.2 Definition of poverty by non poor people
2.2.3 Poverty as a discourse
2.3 Global poverty 
2.4 Poverty trap or structural poverty 
2.5 Africa 
2.6 South Africa
2.6.1 Apartheid
2.6.2 Legacy of apartheid
2.6.2.1 Exclusion of the poor from the riches of the land
2.6.3 The history of inequality in South Africa
2.6.4 Meta-theoretical perspective
2.6.5 Whiteness
2.7 African mind 
2.7.1 Reflection on prelogicality and mysticality
2.8 Measurement of poverty 
2.9 Describing poverty, biblical perspective 
2.9.1 God cares for the poor
1.9.2 Early church
2.9.3 Causes of poverty-biblical perspective
2.9.4 Spiritual poverty
2.9.5 Psychological perspective
2.10 Globalization 
2.11 Impact of poverty
2.11.1 Poverty and identity formation process
2.11.2 Poverty and limitations to opportunity structures
2.11.3 Poverty and stress
2.11.4 Stigma and poverty
2.11.5 How poverty affects identity process
2.12 Conclusion
Chapter 3: Community transformation 
3.1 Introduction 
3.2 Transformation as an action 
3.2.1 Defining the concept of transformation
3.2.2 Transformation on an individual level
3.2.3 Social transformation
3.2.4 Transformation as a story of action in the bible
3.3 Development
3.3.1 Defining the concept of development
3.3.2 Economic development
3.3.3 Post-development theory
3.3.4 What is the post-development?
3.4 Developing and empowering the community 
3.4.1 Defining the concept empowerment
3.4.2 Four elements of empowerment
3.4.3 Empowerment through education
3.4.4 Researcher‟s reflection on empowerment
3.4.4.1 Increasing the capacity
3.4.4.2 Dignified decent life
3.4.4.3 Freedom of choice
3.4.4.4 Participation in the process of empowerment
3.4.4.5 Expansion of assets
3.4.4.6 Entrepreneurship spirit: mpofutsho wa phatla
3.4.4.7 Empowerment-the power of participation
3.5 Transformational development
3.5.1 Convergent stories
3.5.1.1 Biblical stories
3.5.1.2 Creation
3.5.1.3 The story of the fall
3.5.1.4 Exodus-liberation story
3.5.1.5 Story of Jesus
3.5.1.6 The mission of Jesus
3.5.1.7 Death of Jesus on the cross
3.5.1.8 The faith-based organization and social transformation
3.5.1.9 The Holy Spirit
3.5.1.10 Three important theological ideas
3.6 Community story 
3.7 The story of development agent 
3.8 The role of the spirituality in social transformation in South Africa 
3.8.1 Spirituality-the spirit‟s way in social transformation
3.9 My own reflection
Chapter 4: Experiences are listened to and described 
4.1. Introduction 
4.2. How did I choose them? 
4.3. How did I collect the data
4.3.1 The questions have asked the co-researchers are as follows
4. 4 Language used 
4.1.1 Mr. P‟s story
4.1.2 Mr. P‟s understanding of poverty
4.1.3 Mr. P‟s identified causes of poverty in an African context
4.1.3.1 Bantu education as a cause of poverty
4.1.3.2 Mindset has impact on our lives
4.1.3.3 Laziness as a cause of poverty
4.1.3.4 Environment has impact on the lives of people
4.1.3.5 Researcher‟s thoughts on Mr. P‟s narratives
4.2 Mrs J‟s narratives
4.2.1 Mrs. J‟s view on causes of poverty
4.2.1.1 Environment as a cause of poverty
4.2.1.2 Poverty is a chain
4.2.1.3 Grants
4.2.1.4 HIV/AIDS
4.2.1.5 Education and the mother tongue
4.2.1.6 Impact of poverty
4.2.1.7 The church and the community transformation
4.2.1.8 God
4.2.1.9 Researcher‟s thoughts on Mrs. J‟s narrative
4.2.2.1 Church as a business
4.2.2.2 Grants
4.3 Miss JM‟s story
4.3.1 Miss JM‟s view on the causes of poverty
4.3.1.1 Unemployment grants will kill economy
4.3.1.2 Barents‟s role
4.3.1.3 Responsibility
4.3.1.4 Positive thinking
4.3.1.5 Environment
4.3.1.6 Researcher‟s thoughts on Miss JM‟s narrative
4.4 Mrs T‟s story as a co-researchers
4.4.1 Mrs T‟s view on causes of poverty
4.4.1.1 Reasons why people live in poverty
4.4.1.2 Poverty is not only materials
4.4.1.3 Over populated
4.4.1.4 Poor family
4.4.1.5 Education
4.4.1.6 Grants to 14yrs causes poverty
4.4.1.7 Drugs addiction are results of poverty
4.4.1.8 Crime is caused by being in poverty
4.4.1.9 Teenage pregnancy caused by being living in poverty
4.4.1.10 Things are very expensive
4.4.1.11 Poverty has level
4.4.1.12 It kills the family of a person
4.4.1.13 Poverty makes people to feel hopeless
4.4.1.14 Change is always possible
4.4.1.15 Spirituality and God‟s presence
4.4.1.16 Researcher‟s thoughts on Mrs. T „s narrative
4.5 Mr. JR‟s view on poverty
4.5.1 Describing poverty
4.5.2 Mr. JR‟s view on causes of poverty
4.5.3 Some of the impacts of poverty
4.5.4 How to eradicate poverty
4.5.5 Mr. JR‟s experience of God presence
4.5.6 Researcher‟s thoughts on Mr. JR‟s narratives
4.6 Mr. T‟s story
4.6.1 Unemployment causes poverty
4.6.2 Poverty causes stress and depression
4.6.3 Budgeting system
4.6.4 Peer group pressure forced to live wrongly
4.6.5 People who live in poverty need a lot of motivation
4.6.6 Effective education must be given in mother tongue
4.6.7 People feel that prayer is useless
4.6.8 Poverty comes from God
4.7 Mr. TN‟s story 
4.7.1 Mr. TN‟s view on poverty
4.7.1.1 Parents‟s divorce affects children negatively
4.7.1.2 Lack of willingness
4.7.1.3 Curse upon Africans
4.7.1.4 To continue in poverty is a choice
4.7.1.5 Willingness to go to school
4.7.1.6 Making right decisions
4.7.1.7 Most Africans (blacks) lack initiatives
4.7.1.8 Stop blaming apartheid
4.7.1.9 Researcher‟s thoughts on Mr. TN‟s narrative
4.8 Mr. S‟s story
4.8.1 Describing poverty
4.8.1.1 Spiritual needs
4.8.1.2 Physical needs
4.8.1.3 Emotional needs
4.8.1.4 Social needs
4.8.2 Causes of poverty
4.8.3 Impact of poverty
4.8.4 Spiritual
4.8.5 Eradication of poverty
4.8.6 Researcher‟s thoughts on Mr. S‟ narratives
4.9 Mrs. Z‟s story 
4.9.1 Mrs. Z‟s view on causes of poverty
4.9.1.1 Mindset can cause and also can make us succeed
4.9.1.2 Laziness as a cause of poverty
4.9.1.3 The root of poverty is spiritual
4.10 Researcher‟s view on poverty
4.10.1 In Childhood
4.10.2 As a man, husband, and father
4.10.3 As a Christian and pastor
4.11 The themes identifies in the context and conversing with literature and other disciplines
4.11.1 Bantu Education Act as a cause of poverty
4.11.1.1 Personal responsibility
4.11 2 Poverty is not only materials
4.11.3 New perspective on social grants for the needy
4.11.4 Environment as a cause of poverty
4.11.5 The church as a vehicle for community transformation
4.12 Conclusion 
Chapter 5: Description of experiences, thicken through interdisciplinary Investigation
5.1 Introduction 
5.2 Postfoundationalist or interdisciplinary 
5.3 Interdisciplinary conversation 
5.4 Mr. Lekola‟s view (Education) 
5.4.1 When reading the stories of co-researchers what do you think their concerns be ?
5.4.2 Mr. Lekola: How would you for formulates your discipline‟s unique perspective on these concerns and why is it important that this perspective be heard at the interdisciplinary table?
5.4.3 Mr. Lekola: Why do you think your perspective will be understood and appreciated by researchers from other disciplines?
5.5. Pastor A. Spaumer‟s view (Church) 
5.5.1 Pastor A. Spaumer: When reading the story of co-researchers what do you think would be their concerns be?
5.5.2 Pastor A. Spaumer: How would you formulate your unique discipline‟s perspective on these concerns and why is it important that this perspective be heard at the interdisciplinary table?
5.5.3 Pastor A. Spaumer: Why do you think your perspective will be understood and appreciated by researchers from other disciplines?
5.6 Ms Freeman‟s view (Social work)
5.6.1 Ms Freeman: When reading the story of co-researchers, what do you think would their concerns be?
5.6.2 Ms Freeman: How would you formulate your discipline‟s unique perspective on these concerns and why is it important that this perspective be heard at the interdisciplinary table?
5.6.3 Ms Freeman: Why do you think your perspective will be understood and appreciated by researchers from other disciplines?
5.7 Ms Magakwe‟s view( Nursing)
5.7.1 Ms Magakwe: When reading the story of co-researchers, what do you think would their concerns be?
5.7.2 Ms Magakwe: How would you formulate your unique‟s discipline perspective on these concerns and why is it important that this perspective be heard at the interdisciplinary table?
5.7.3 Ms Magakwe: Why do you think your perspective will be understood and appreciated by researchers from other discipline?
5. 8 Researcher‟s reflection on interdisciplinary 
5. 9 Reflection on God‟s presence 
Chapter 6: Alternative interpretation pointing beyond the local context
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Postfoundationalism or interdisciplinary 
6.3 Voices involve in creating the new story 
6.4 An alternative story 
6.4.1 Poverty
6.5. Suggested outcomes for community transformation that can be taken beyond specific 
6.5.1 Development
6.5.2 Empowerment
6.5.2.1 Empowering the individuals
6.5.3 Transformation
6.5.4 Poverty and stress
6.5.5 Stigma and poverty
2.5.6 Sustainable community transformation
2.6.6.1 Ownership of the poverty alleviation projects
6.5.7 Self help
6.5.8 The church and the community transformation
6.5 Community transformation strategy 
6.8 Equipping the poor people with skills for community transformation 
6.9 Poverty has a negative impact on identity formation 
1.10 Future research 
Chapter 7: Reflection 
7.1 Introduction 
7.2 How did feel before research project 
7.3 How did I feel during the research project 
7.4 How did I feel after the research project
7.5 Positioning 
7.6 Narrative approach 
7.7 Excitement of the new story 
7.8 Identity formation and poverty 
7.9 Empowerment
7.10 Conclusion 
Bibliography 

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The marginalized stories of people who live in poverty: a pastoral narrative approach to community transformational development