Perspective Open Access August 14, 2024

Handing Money to the Poor Is Never Enough: The Impact of Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns

Shervin Assari 1, 2, 3, 4,* and Hossein Zare 5, 6
1
Department of Internal Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, United States
2
Department of Family Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, United States
3
Department of Urban Public Health, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, United States
4
Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns (MDRs) Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
5
Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
6
School of Business, University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), College Park, United States
Page(s): 34-43
Received
May 12, 2024
Revised
July 30, 2024
Accepted
August 12, 2024
Published
August 14, 2024
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright: Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Scientific Publications
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APA Style
Assari, S. , & Zare, H. (2024). Handing Money to the Poor Is Never Enough: The Impact of Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns. Current Research in Public Health, 4(1), 34-43. https://doi.org/10.31586/gjeid.2024.1026
ACS Style
Assari, S. ; Zare, H. Handing Money to the Poor Is Never Enough: The Impact of Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns. Current Research in Public Health 2024 4(1), 34-43. https://doi.org/10.31586/gjeid.2024.1026
Chicago/Turabian Style
Assari, Shervin, and Hossein Zare. 2024. "Handing Money to the Poor Is Never Enough: The Impact of Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns". Current Research in Public Health 4, no. 1: 34-43. https://doi.org/10.31586/gjeid.2024.1026
AMA Style
Assari S, Zare H. Handing Money to the Poor Is Never Enough: The Impact of Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns. Current Research in Public Health. 2024; 4(1):34-43. https://doi.org/10.31586/gjeid.2024.1026
@Article{crph1026,
AUTHOR = {Assari, Shervin and Zare, Hossein},
TITLE = {Handing Money to the Poor Is Never Enough: The Impact of Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns},
JOURNAL = {Current Research in Public Health},
VOLUME = {4},
YEAR = {2024},
NUMBER = {1},
PAGES = {34-43},
URL = {https://www.scipublications.com/journal/index.php/GJEID/article/view/1026},
ISSN = {2831-5162},
DOI = {10.31586/gjeid.2024.1026},
ABSTRACT = {Recent US studies such as Baby’s First Years have again demonstrated that unconditional cash transfers and guaranteed income do not lead to significant improvements in the health, economic status, and well-being of individuals living in poverty. In this perspective article we review the emerging literature on this topic and offer explanations for the observed outcomes. We then apply the theory and empirical evidence on marginalization-related diminished returns (MDRs) also called minorities diminished returns (MDRs) to elucidate the weak or null effects of cash transfers in the lives of marginalized populations. According to the MDR theory, marginalization not only reduces access to resources but also reduces their utility. Individuals who experience long-term poverty and marginalization exhibit smaller than expected benefits from new resources, such as cash, in adulthood. This is due to the deeply entrenched structural barriers and systemic discrimination that persist throughout their lives. The existing literature suggests that socioeconomic changes in adulthood have limited impact on the health and well-being of populations that have been raised in poverty. This is because the advantages of increased socioeconomic status (SES) are often undermined by ongoing marginalization and limited access to supportive resources and opportunities. As a result, simply providing cash transfers is insufficient to create substantial and lasting improvements in the lives of those living in poverty. To address these challenges, we recommend a multifaceted approach that includes childhood poverty prevention, interventions aimed at reducing marginalization, and comprehensive multi-sector strategies. By focusing on early intervention and addressing the root causes of poverty and marginalization, we can create more effective and sustainable solutions to improve health and well-being among disadvantaged populations. This holistic approach recognizes the complexity of poverty and the necessity of addressing both immediate needs and long-term structural barriers to achieve meaningful change.},
}
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%A Zare, Hossein
%D 2024
%J Current Research in Public Health

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%T Handing Money to the Poor Is Never Enough: The Impact of Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns
%M doi:10.31586/gjeid.2024.1026
%U https://www.scipublications.com/journal/index.php/GJEID/article/view/1026
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AB  - Recent US studies such as Baby’s First Years have again demonstrated that unconditional cash transfers and guaranteed income do not lead to significant improvements in the health, economic status, and well-being of individuals living in poverty. In this perspective article we review the emerging literature on this topic and offer explanations for the observed outcomes. We then apply the theory and empirical evidence on marginalization-related diminished returns (MDRs) also called minorities diminished returns (MDRs) to elucidate the weak or null effects of cash transfers in the lives of marginalized populations. According to the MDR theory, marginalization not only reduces access to resources but also reduces their utility. Individuals who experience long-term poverty and marginalization exhibit smaller than expected benefits from new resources, such as cash, in adulthood. This is due to the deeply entrenched structural barriers and systemic discrimination that persist throughout their lives. The existing literature suggests that socioeconomic changes in adulthood have limited impact on the health and well-being of populations that have been raised in poverty. This is because the advantages of increased socioeconomic status (SES) are often undermined by ongoing marginalization and limited access to supportive resources and opportunities. As a result, simply providing cash transfers is insufficient to create substantial and lasting improvements in the lives of those living in poverty. To address these challenges, we recommend a multifaceted approach that includes childhood poverty prevention, interventions aimed at reducing marginalization, and comprehensive multi-sector strategies. By focusing on early intervention and addressing the root causes of poverty and marginalization, we can create more effective and sustainable solutions to improve health and well-being among disadvantaged populations. This holistic approach recognizes the complexity of poverty and the necessity of addressing both immediate needs and long-term structural barriers to achieve meaningful change.
DO  - Handing Money to the Poor Is Never Enough: The Impact of Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns
TI  - 10.31586/gjeid.2024.1026
ER  -