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Inequality In East Portland

Decent Essays

Poverty can be defined by a multitude of factors, and can be displayed in different forms in different regions. No two regions have identical dimensions of poverty, thus making it interesting for human geographers to explore, while also making it difficult to find a perfect solution. Portland is an interesting subject for studying poverty, given its lack of ethnic diversity but political progressiveness. It is curious to see how Portland’s politics and state of being conflict to create the inequalities present in the city today. According to Social Explorer, the city’s neighborhoods are mostly affluent, especially in the west, and in parts of Central Portland. East Portland consists of the poorest neighborhoods in the city, where, on an average, …show more content…

An education- qualification divide can also be seen in the city’s map. Residents with a bachelor’s degree or more live in West Portland, while the less educated parts of the population live in the West and Southwest parts of the city. Central Portland has the highest education levels in the city, with over 90 percent of the population having a bachelor’s degree or more. Correlating this map with the “Living in Poverty” map, we can surmise that residents with higher education are not poor. This can be attributed to their opportunities in tertiary or quaternary activities, that make more income per capita, which could create a class divide, thus explaining the darker colors separated from the lighter shades on the education map. Furthermore, populations that are less educated may not have the ability to migrate to a wealthier region, as explained by NYU sociologist Patrick Sharkey. Therefore, mapping the population’s achievement in obtaining a bachelor’s degree, one can notice the relationship between education of poverty: the more educated you are, the less likely you are to live in a poor …show more content…

Portland, known as the largest “big city” lacking ethnic diversity (Atlantic), poses a really interesting question about the relationship between race and poverty. Given the lack of racial diversity in the city, it isn’t easy to make connections between race and poverty rates; however, after acute observation, it is possible to notice a trend in Portland: West and Northwest Portland comprises of a population greater than 85 percent that is white, who have decreased levels of poverty when compared to other parts of the city. Additionally, they have greater rates of the population with a higher education, and over 90% of this population are homeowners. While race does not directly affect poverty levels in Portland, it does determine other conditions in a region that may have an effect on poverty

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