ABSTRACT
Poverty is a universal problem rooted in structural divisions and personal differences in every society. But the concept of poverty has changed over time and means different things to different people, not least related to their national context. In the industrialised countries there have been concerns about causes, solutions and how to measure poverty since the nineteenth century, when forerunners of the social professions were engaged in efforts to address poverty, whether at individual or policy levels. The twentieth century has seen the growth of awareness of poverty outside Europe and North America and attempts to respond through international initiatives, particularly in the second half of this century. 1996 was declared the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty, following a World Summit on Social Development in 1994, and there has been some change in approach to development theories and work in the 1990s.
