Poverty and Social Programs in Mexico

Abstract

From the 16th to the 19th century, approximately, the conception of poverty had a strong moral content. The poverty of those who were healthy and did not work came from lust, vice, laziness and arrogance. That is why the work acquires a rehabilitative character. Thus, the problem of poverty has been present, in the western world, for almost five centuries, as well as the concern of how to alleviate it, of what to do with the poor. The content of poverty, as well as its conception have changed throughout historical times. The emergence of anti-poverty programs is contemporary and goes through the guidelines proposed by international organizations, mainly the World Bank. In Mexico, for example, the conditional cash transfer programs were implemented as of 1997, we refer to Progresa-Oportunidades-Prospera. Poverty is functional to the system, therefore, it could not and cannot be canceled by a program. Thus, many efforts have been made to alleviate poverty, never to cancel it.