The document discusses representations of third world poverty in various media sources. It analyzes how poverty is portrayed in the film Slumdog Millionaire, videos by the charities Save the Children and Self Help Africa, and what ideologies these representations support. The document also examines how stereotypes of poverty are used and how different representations position Western audiences differently in relation to poverty in the developing world.

1. Issue: Representation of Third World Poverty

2. What is poverty?
"The most commonly used way to measure poverty is
based on incomes. A person is considered poor if his or her
income level falls below some minimum level necessary to
meet basic needs. This minimum level is usually called the
"poverty line". What is necessary to satisfy basic needs
varies across time and societies. Therefore, poverty lines
vary in time and place, and each country uses lines which
are appropriate to its level of development, societal norms
and values.“
The World Bank Organisation

3. Absolute poverty is defined as the lack of sufficient resources
with which to keep body and soul together. Relative poverty
defines income or resources in relation to the average. It is
concerned with the absence of the material needs to
participate fully in accepted daily life.
The House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee

4. Fundamentally, poverty is a denial of choices and
opportunities, a violation of human dignity. It means lack of
basic capacity to participate effectively in society. It means
not having enough to feed and clothe a family, not having a
school or clinic to go to, not having the land on which to grow
one’s food or a job to earn one’s living, not having access to
credit. It means insecurity, powerlessness and exclusion of
individuals, households and communities. It means
susceptibility to violence, and it often implies living in
marginal or fragile environments, without access to clean
water or sanitation.
United Nations

5. Poverty is pronounced deprivation in well-
being, and comprises many dimensions. It
includes low incomes and the inability to
acquire the basic goods and services
necessary for survival with dignity. Poverty
also encompasses low levels of health and
education, poor access to clean water and
sanitation, inadequate physical security, lack
of voice, and insufficient capacity and
opportunity to better one’s life.
World Bank

6. Task:
Write your own short definition of what poverty
means.

7. Representation of Poverty:
Many of us already have a clear picture or stereotype in our
minds when the word poverty is mentioned.
With a partner brainstorm what kind of image you already
have. You may like to consider:
• What a poor person looks like
• What they wear
• Where they live
• What their lives are like

8. Dominant Stereotypes of Poverty
• Often the poor and homeless are represented as ‘other’ –
people who are not like us/ far removed from us – they live in
far away places or from backgrounds unlike ours. This makes
us think poverty cannot happen to us an makes us feel safe
from it.

9. This removal of poverty from
our direct experience can
make us feel distant from
poverty, like it has nothing to
do with us – it can make us
feel it is not our problem. Or,
it can make us feel that it is
our job to help those who
are living in absolute poverty
– we feel superior to the
poor and, maybe, guilty.
Helping may be as much
about making us feel good,
as about making them more
comfortable.

10. Most images of third world poverty are also negative:
1. The Deserving Poor - the pitiable victim – often black,
starving, suffering from disease and living in Africa –
portrayed as helpless, possibly the victims of climate,
corrupt governments or global economics… They need our
help – our help is what will save them from death. This is
negative because it emphasises that they are weak and
inferior to us.

11. 2. The Undeserving Poor – those whose poverty is deemed to
be their own fault- the tramp/ the homeless alcoholic. It is
negative because they are shown to have caused their
circumstances themselves. This stereotype tends to make
us feel justified in not helping them – we shift the blame
onto them.

12. These stereotypes link to two theoretical approaches to poverty:
1. Individualistic Theories – these see the cause of poverty lying
with the individual – it’s their fault – encourages the attitude
‘you’ve only yourself to blame!’
2. Cultural Theories – these see the cause of poverty lying in
forces outside the individual and over which they have no
control. It’s the government/ the forces of nature….
Which stereotype links to which view of poverty?
What attitude to poverty do you think each encourages?

13. CASE STUDY 1: Slumdog Millionaire
How do these stills from the film represent poverty?

16. Task: Now we are going to analyse the opening sequence.
• How does Boyle represent the poverty in Mumbai in this
extract?
• In what ways is his picture of poverty what you expect
(stereotypical) and in what ways might it challenge your views
(create an alternative representation)?
• Why do you think Boyle chose to represent poverty in this way in
the film?

17. Now consider what the narrative development suggests about
poverty:
• Consider what happens to Latika, Jamal and Salim and what
this suggests about those born into poverty
• All three children are born into poverty in the slums of
Mumbai but, later in the film, the slums are being cleared and
wealthy businessman, like the gangster chief Javid Khan, are
building expensive mansions and we see plenty of high rise
apartment blocks – what might this be suggesting about the
solution to India's poverty?
• What do you feel about the ideologies the narrative creates
about poverty?

18. “In 2005, it was estimated that
city held some 3,000 of these
slums housing a total of 6.8
million people—roughly
equivalent to the population of
London.”
(Green, Jen. Mumbai Global
Cities)

19. • Simon Beaufoy, who adapted the
screenplay for 'Slumdog' from the novel
'Q&A' by Vikas Swarup, made three
research trips to India to interview street
children.
• He says he wanted to convey the slums'
"sense of this huge amount of fun,
laughter, chat, and sense of
community".

20. • Boyle used two genuine children from the slums to
portray the young versions of Latika and Salim
• He also used Loveleen Tandeen as his Indian co-
director to try and ensure he got things right
• Yet both director and script writer are British,
writing for a Western audience
• How realistic do you think this picture is?

21. If you read this article from
The Mirror it seems to
corroborate the image Boyle
creates in his film:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/advi
ce/travel/2009/06/06/mumb
ai-a-visit-to-the-location-of-
slumdog-millionaire-115875-
21418322/

22. Bride and Prejudice - Street Scene
It is a far cry from the image of
India usually portrayed in
Bollywood films – why do you
think many Indian-made films
chose to ignore the existence
of the slums and poverty
completely?

23. Is it fair?
The Times called Slumdog Millionaire ‘poverty porn’ – what do
you think it meant?
What do you think about the use of poverty in this film?

24. Does the following story alter your views at all?

25. Slumdog Millionaire director Danny
Boyle has come to the rescue of
child stars Azharuddin Ismail and
Rubina Ali after they were left
homeless following a slum clearing
drive by Mumbai authorities.
Boyle has bought a new home for Ismail, who played young Salim
in the Oscar winning film, and is planning to do the same for
Rubina.After the huge success of Slumdog Millionaire , the film
bosses had established the Jai Ho Trust last year (08) to help fund
their education. However, the kids' recent plight compelled Boyle
and producer Christian Colson to fly to Mumbai this week to see
how they could help the young stars.

26. During filming, Azza, the Mumbai boy who was
cast as Jamal's brother Salim, had his house
bulldozed by the city council a common
occurrence in the slums where much of the
shoot took place. The crew found him sleeping
on a car roof.
The three youngest child leads, who were all
cast from the Mumbai slums, are now having
their schooling funded by the film's producers.
With the promise of a trust fund should they
pass their exams at 16.
Anil Kapoor, who plays Prem Kumar, the host
of 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' in
'Slumdog', donated his fee to Plan India, a child
development NGO in Delhi, devoted to raising
awareness about child abuse, trafficking,
education and rehabilitating deprived children
(The Independent)

27. • Do you think a film can ever change a person’s view
on an issue?
• Do you think Slumdog manages to achieve this?
• You may like to refer to Uses and Gratifications
theory to help you answer this!

28. CASE STUDY TWO: Save The Children Videos
We will now look at two videos embedded in Save the
Children’s UK website.
Aftin's Story
Fill A Truck: the Long Journey to save Children
And an ad for the East Africa Appeal on YouTube:
Advert for Save The Children East Africa Appeal

30. • How do both clips represent poverty? Is it what we expect
– the stereotype – or is it something different?
• Identify the techniques used to create this impression.
• How are we positioned to view these people? How is the
West represented in this video?
• What ideas about poverty does this representation link to?

31. Why do you think Save the Children have
adopted this representation?
How might this tie in with their mission:
Our Mission
Save the Children's mission is to inspire
breakthroughs in the way the world treats
children, and to achieve immediate and lasting
change in their lives.

32. CASE STUDY THREE: Self Help Africa Videos
Look at the Self Help Africa website and try and establish what
their mission is and watch the video below:
Spend a Minute in Africa

33. ‘Self Help Africa works with rural
communities to help them
improve their farms and their
livelihoods.
Our mission is to empower rural
Africa to achieve economic
independence - and on a continent
where up to 75% of people rely on
small-scale agriculture for their
survival, we believe that it is only
by tackling the challenges faced by
rural farming communities that
real and sustained economic
progress can be made across sub-
Saharan Africa.’

34. • How is poverty represented in this charity video?
• Is it what you expect or is it an alternative representation?
• What elements create this image for us?
• What ideologies about poverty does it support?
• Why do you think it has chosen to represent poverty in this
way?
• Out of the two charity videos, which do you prefer and
why? Is it a case or one or the other or do we need both
representations?

35. Final Reflection:
• All three case studies represent poverty for a
Western audience. All three propose very different
roles for the West. What are they?
• Do you think an issue can ever be represented in a
truly fair and objective way?
• What sort of factors govern the way an issue is
represented?