Living in Long-Term Poverty: Intersectionality and Inequality

Abstract

In Iceland, substantial knowledge has developed regarding the scope of poverty in contemporary society, largely due to regular living-standard surveys conducted by Statistics Iceland and research on the conditions of various social groups. Despite extensive quantitative research on the prevalence of poverty, knowledge remains limited concerning the attitudes and lived experiences of people facing poverty. Two women were interviewed who recounted their life stories; both had encountered circumstances that made it impossible for them to earn an income, and they described decades-long struggles with poverty and a welfare system that they felt only partially met their needs. They reported a lack of support in the face of significant life challenges and described experiences of stigma and shame. They also discussed the coping strategies they developed through engagement with charitable organizations and how participation in such initiatives substantially improved their circumstances and quality of life. The analysis draws on Crenshaw’s (1989) framework of intersectionality to understand how diverse factors intertwine in the participants’ lives and how poverty amplifies the inequalities and social isolation.