Beyond the stereotypes: An exploration into the perceptions of childhood poverty in Scotland and Malawi

The justification for this choice of topic was influenced by both personal experience and professional commitment. Through two significant placements, one in Malawi as part of the Learning for Life program and another in one of Dundee’s most deprived areas with a Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) ranking of 1, I was confronted with the reality of childhood poverty. Despite the geographical and cultural differences, I observed similarities between the two placements, challenging my admittedly naïve previous perceptions of child poverty as a distant issue. My ultimately simplistic misperception of poverty in Scotland influenced the line of inquiry for this assignment. It will explore the perceptions of childhood poverty from the perception of the Global North (GN), interchangeable in this article for the term Western, and also from the Global South (GS). This essay will begin by exploring these perceptions, highlighting how child poverty in Scotland is often framed through relative deprivation and social exclusion, while poverty in Malawi is depicted as absolute and focused on survival. Next, it will examine why these differing perceptions exist, applying three key theoretical frameworks of Social Constructionism, Orientalism, and Stigma Theory, as well as looking into the role the media plays in perpetuating perceptions. Finally, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs will be used to challenge these perceptions, arguing that all children regardless of location and external perception of the poverty they endure, require the same basic needs. Through a comparative analysis of children from both countries’ access to food security, housing, and healthcare, including support from government or aid interventions, this section will critique how perceptions can obscure the reality and severity of deprivation in both contexts.