This document appears to be a research paper or project on the topic of how poverty affects social development in Lengua Village, Princes Town, Trinidad and Tobago. It includes an introduction outlining the research problem, purpose, objectives and definitions. It also includes a literature review summarizing several sources on the relationship between poverty and social development. For data collection, the author used a questionnaire distributed to households in the village as well as secondary sources like books and articles. The document goes on to present and analyze the collected data, discuss findings, and provide conclusions and recommendations.

1. 1 | P a g e
Candidate Name:
Candidate Registration #:
School:
School Registration #:
Territory: Trinidad and Tobago
Year: 2017
Subject: Caribbean Studies
Topic: “The extent to which poverty affects
social development within the community of
Lengua Village, Princes Town.”

2. 2 | P a g e
Acknowledgement
This project is the fruit of concerted efforts. A project of this magnitude was effectively
compiled with the assistance and contribution of many individuals; gratitude must be extended to those
persons. I would like to thank God for giving me the health, strength and time to complete my
assignment. I would also like to thank my family, friends and last but not least, my Caribbean Studies
teacher for assisting and guiding me in the completion of this research project.

3. 3 | P a g e
Table of contents
Introduction and Purposeof Research 4
Literature Review 6
Data Collection Sources 9
Presentation and Analysis of Data 10
Discussion of Findings 22
Conclusion, Limitations and Recommendations 24
Bibliography 26
Appendices 27

4. 4 | P a g e
Introduction
PROBLEM STATEMENT
“The extent to which poverty affects social development within the community of Lengua Village,
Princes Town.”
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:
Social development is concerned mainly with the wellbeing of society and the people. Many
developing countries have remained at the forefront of social development issues and several reasons
have been posited for this, such as culture, poverty and geographical location. The community of
Lengua Village, Princes Town has been facing many challenges as they seek to develop as a village
however this process seems to be taking much longer than expected. Although Rome wasn’t built in a
day, the village of Lengua has been established many years and certain services and infrastructure are
still absent. This study aims to investigate the extent to which the level of social development in Lengua
Village, Princes Town is affected by poverty.

5. 5 | P a g e
PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH:
The purpose of research is to investigate the extent to which social development is hindered by the level
of poverty in a certain geographical area; as well as examine measures that can be implemented to improve
the negative conditions caused by poverty in the process of developing the society.
EDUCATIONAL VALUE:
The contents of this study may be beneficial to community members and policy makers in that the findings
could be used to help bring about many positive changes that would foster community development.
Community members may realize that they have a responsibility towards developing the community and
policy makers may realize that they are responsible to help facilitate community development.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES:
1. To what extent are villages socially underdeveloped?
2. To what degree is social development hindered by poverty in Lengua Village, Barrackpore?
3. What measures can be implemented to lessen the effects of poverty on social development?
DEFINITION OF TECHNICAL TERMS:
Absolute poverty - a condition characterised by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including
food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information. It depends not
only on income but also on access to services.

6. 6 | P a g e
Relative poverty - Relative poverty is the condition in which people lack the minimum amount of
income needed to maintain the average standard of living in the society in which they live.
Social development - Social development is defined as prioritizing human needs in the growth and
progression of society.
Literature Review
“There was a strong consensus among participants that social development concerns need to be
placed at the centre of the public agenda in the Caribbean region.” (Arthur, Staff. 1997). Social
development is about putting people at the centre of development. This means a commitment that
development processes need to benefit people, and putting societal needs on the frontline. In 3rd world
countries, particularly in rural areas, social development seems to be neglected.
Rural poverty refers to poverty found in rural areas, including factors of rural society, economy
and political systems that give rise to the poverty found there. Small villages and communities experience
this first hand as most them are underdeveloped due to several key factors. According to a study done on
small villages, (Ahmed and Hossain, 1990) states that there many contributing factors towards the
underdevelopment of small villages, such as, low literacy rates, no or little investment into small villages,
rampant corruption exists which trickle down to the rural area, natural resources not being used to its’ full
potential and lack of infrastructure and schooling facilities.
Poverty hinders the growth of social development in many ways, according to a journal entry
(Bowen, 2007), poverty continues to plague Caribbean territories and small communities, especially in
Trinidad and Tobago due to many factors. The human capital of the poor, and the ‘working poor’ is low,

7. 7 | P a g e
in terms of education levels, this, coupled with low-paid jobs proves that there is an intergenerational
transfer of poverty since most households in small communities lack the financial means to attain a higher
education. Large families and the substantial increase in the number of single-parent households also
remains a problem in developing communities, which then puts additional stress on the government and
the members of the family to provide for the child. Finally, the level of crime committed by juveniles in
developing communities are becoming more of a problem; young people living in a family where the head
of the household are unemployed are more likely to participate in criminal behaviour, according to
research done. Even poor individuals with “low risk” backgrounds were more likely to engage in
violence. Though the information based on his research does hold some truth, there are measures adopted
by the government and the social institutions in Trinidad and Tobago to provide free education to the
young population, widening their scope for success as well as strengthening morals and values of today’s
generation through schools, religious organizations, youth groups etc.
Another study (Arthur, Staff, 1997) analysed the non-economic factors, including a few from the
previous paragraph, that contributes to the increase in poverty levels and by extension, the degradation
of social development in Caribbean territories. They refer to the various non-economic factors that feed
the intergenerational reproduction of poverty, such as, the savings to society if violence and antisocial
criminal behaviour are reduced by improved social integration and cohesion among persons; in the
longer term, lack of socialisation and self-esteem, lack of life skills and productive skills in youths.
These non-economic factors presented by both authors has a tight grasp on the hindrance of social
development since poverty has been seen to have a direct negative impact on the attitudes people portray
towards development, especially since the downsides of poverty deter those who are willing to
contribute towards the development of society.
Various strategies to reduce poverty and thereby lessen its strain on social development have
been put forward. According to a publication by the (IMF, 2001), access to education, basic health care

8. 8 | P a g e
and literacy, provision of infrastructure for the poor are essential to any society, especially developing
countries, allowing for a reduction in the level of poverty. The entrepreneurial spirit among citizens may
also foster and newly introduced small businesses would remunerate employment and contribute to the
economic and social development of the community. The governments’ efficient use of resources when
providing the poor with what they need most at the time, either agricultural land, access to credit or
improvements in health and education would also benefit the poor as they would now have access to
additional resources, allowing for upward social mobility.
All studies, articles, books and journal entries reviewed has provided the researcher with all the
necessary information to fully understand and assess the theme chosen from different perspectives,
giving full context to my research. After closely examining all pieces of literature, the results are
unanimous since it analyses the various aspects of poverty, the driving forces of it and its’ wider
implications to society and exploring sustainable development. Poverty does play a significant role in
where social development stands but, this can be overcome by encouraging social integration and
cohesion. This subsequently leads to a more holistic view of society and encourages humanitarianism
among citizens, mitigating the negative consequences of social development.

9. 9 | P a g e
Data collection sources
Primary Source:
Primary data was collected using the questionnaire, a quantitative approach to research
questions. The questionnaire consisted of twelve (12) close-ended questions and three (3) open-ended
questions. Several advantages of using the questionnaire as a data collection method are: they permit an
unlimited number of possible answers and respondents can answer in detail and can clarify responses,
less articulate or less literate respondents are not at a disadvantage and answers are easier to statistically
analyse. Systematic random sampling was utilized and the sample size consisted of forty-five (45)
households. One questionnaire (1) was placed in the mailbox of every 2nd from the local health centre
and respondents had approximately six to seven days to answer it, to accommodate for their busy work
schedule. Forty-two (42) questionnaires were returned, but only forty of them could have been utilized
to assess data since the others had incomplete answers.
SecondarySource:
Information was also garnered from various sources such as the internet, books, articles,
publications and journals. Information was obtained from the books, journals, magazines and

10. 10 | P a g e
newspapers because the information presented by these sources is pre-analysed and therefore credible
and reliable. Most of the books and journals obtained were based in the Caribbean territory, therefore,
the information would be applicable to my study.
Presentation of Data
Representation of data by text – how many respondents said that their community is
developed/under-developed/semi-developed.
7
8
5
4
3
2
7
4
18-25 26-33 24-41 42-49
Figure 1 - Line graph showing the age and gender
distribution among respondents
Male Female

11. 11 | P a g e
Thirty-three respondents (82.5%) considered their community to be semi-developed in terms of
infrastructural facilities available and seven respondents (17.5%) considered the community to
be under developed (not enough facilities available for residents to improve standard of living).
Representation of data by text – What schooling institutions are available in your area?
100% (40) respondents indicated that the only school facilities available to residents close-by in
the area are primary schools, no vocational, secondary or tertiary facilitiesare available within the
community.
31, 77.5%
9, 22.5%
Figure 2 - Pie Chart indicating the availability of a
health centre in the area and if the services are
reliable
Yes
No

12. 12 | P a g e
Yes, 31, 77.5%
No, 4, 10%
Not sure, 12.5%
FIGURE 3 - PIE CHART SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OF
RESPONDENTS WHO AGREED THAT THE RECREATIONAL
FACILITIES IN THE AREA ARE WELL MAINTAINED BY
AUTHORITIES
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Yes
No
31, 71.5%
9, 22.5%
Figure 4 - Bar graph indicating the number of persons
who think businesses are providing affordable goods to
members/offering emloyment
# of respondents

13. 13 | P a g e
Figure 5 – Diagram showing the several types of businesses and services offered by
entrepreneurs in the community
Types of
businesses
Retail
shops
Seamstress
services
Grocery/Mini
marts
Small-scale
appliance
store
Market stalls
Hardware

14. 14 | P a g e
Figure 6 – Table representing the various total yearly incomes earned by households and
the number of households that falls under each income level
# of households Income Bracket (Total annual income -
averaged)
Fourteen households (35%) $36,000 - $108,000 / year
Seventeen households (42.5%) $108,000 - $360,000 / year
Nine households (22.5%) ≥ $360,000 / year
Representation of data by text – How many dependents are there in each home?
On average, each home consists mainly of two to four (2-4) dependents that are not working while
there was the exception of a few extended family households which consisted of five to eight (5-
8) dependents.

15. 15 | P a g e
Figure 7 – Table representingon average the number of unemployed peoplein the area over
the past 5 years
Responses # of respondents
Yes 14
No 21
It’s generally the same 5
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Yes
No
31, 77.5%
9, 22.5%
Figure 8 - Bar graph showing the percentage of respondents
who think the negative social conditions would improve if
more resources were placed into developing the community
# of respondents

16. 16 | P a g e
Figure 9 – Table representing responses by individuals as to why the negative social conditions in a
community would not improve if resources were placed into the development of it:
 Parents working all the time: poor
socialization of children
 Current crime situation in the country
 Youths not taking advantage of all new
facilities being developed due to them
being caught up with social media,
technology and peer pressure
 Peoples’ attitudes wouldn’t change (in
terms of doing the right thing)
26, 65%
14, 35%
Figure 10 - Pie chart showing respondents' opinions
regarding the use of additional resources to develop
learning institutions for the youths of the community
Yes No

17. 17 | P a g e
Figure 11 – Map showing the area of study
Figure 12 – Table showing suggestions that can be implemented by villagers to improve the
standard of living of the people in the community:
 Small businesses within the area
investing in the community
 Self-employment
 Members raising issues in community
with local MP
 Create a village council
 Active community youth groups

18. 18 | P a g e
Figure 12 – Diagram showing recommendations given by respondents to improve the negative
social conditions in the community and foster sustainable social development.
Suggestions
Educating residents
on certain topics
(health wise,
business etc.)
Annual social
events
Better employment
opportunities
allowing the poor
to 'move up' in
society Motivational
speeches to guide
youths in the right
direction
Creation of
community youth
groups and a joint
effortinto keeping
them active

19. 19 | P a g e
Analysis and Interpretation of Findings
After all, data was collated and calculated, the results were presented graphically to facilitate
further analysis.
Data represented by text indicated that 82.5% of respondents regarded their community as semi-
developed while 17.5% regarded the village as underdeveloped, these responses however can be biased
as it reflects the respondents’ opinions.
Figure 2 indicates that 77.5% (31) of people that have visited the local health centre had good
experiences while 22.5% (9) did not. This can be due to many factors such as the seriousness of the health
issue being experienced by the patient and attitudes of nurses and doctors towards patients. It can be
deduced from figure 4 that the community of Lengua Village, Princes Town has a primary school that’s
accessible to the public.
Figure 3 shows that most respondents, thirty-one of them (77.5%), agreed that the recreational
facilities present in the community are maintained regularly by the regional corporations, thus, it can be
said that residents in the community have equal access to well-maintained facilities, this strengthens social
cohesion among citizens as youths and adults could partake in sporting activities instead of being misled.
Figure 4 shows that 71.5% of respondents (31) believe that all small businesses created in the
community benefit the residents in terms of employment opportunities and the provision of affordable
goods/services, though, 22.5% of respondents (9) disagreed. This can be due to many factors such as
certain persons in the community having an unpleasant experience with an employer, working under poor
conditions or gaining low wages. Despite this, the introduction of various small businesses in the
community benefit the residents as they have easy access to affordable goods, this also increases economic
growth within the community. Figure 5 lists all the several types of businesses that are present in the area

20. 20 | P a g e
– Hardware, retail shops, seamstress, grocery/mini mart, small-scale appliance store and market stalls. The
individuals in the community have an entrepreneurial spirit and they all contribute to the economic and
social development of the community.
Figure 6 represents the average total yearly income for all households, it was found that 35% (14
households) earned between $36,000-$108,000 while 42.5% earned $108,000-$360,000/yr and nine
households earn more than $360,000 altogether. This information doesn’t measure the level of poverty
experienced by these houses since extended families exist and several people would be working and
contributing income towards one household, also persons who live by themselves and don’t need much to
support themselves.
Another text entry to represent data indicated that there were on average, 2-4dependents that aren’t
working in each household while there were a few extended family households which consisted of five to
eight (5-8) dependents living in the home, this can be due to many factors such as: higher number of
children living in the house, more elderly persons that are unable to work and persons not finding
employment due to the current labour shortage.
Figure 7 reveals that 52.5% of respondents agreed that the number of unemployed people has not
increased, 35% said that there has been an increase while 12.5% of respondents says that it’s remained
constant. It can be deduced from this data that, the residents of the community are becoming more
innovative and educated, thus, allowing them to move up in society through employment opportunities or
becoming a small business owner. Though, this data may be inaccurate as it does not account for migration
out of the community due to job opportunities elsewhere or a better standard of living offered.
Figure 8 revealed that most respondents agreed that if more resources were placed into the
development of the community, the negative social conditions, such as crime and mass unemployment,
would improve. Though, 22.5% of respondents disagreed with the statement and gave reasons in Figure

21. 21 | P a g e
9 such as: poor socialization of children, youths not taking advantage of facilities, current crime level in
the country and peoples’ attitudes wouldn’t change. This can very subjective as it deals with not only the
resources being put into the development of the community, but also, motivating and educating the public
to take full advantage of it.
Figure 10 represents the criminal activities that occur in the community as perceived by
respondents. Most respondents (78%) agreed that crimes still occur, but they are less serious. It can be
concluded from analysing the responses, that crime is still occurring in the community, but less serious
offences such as minor theft/shoplifting, trespassing and other misdemeanours are being committed by
persons.
Figure 13 represented recommendations by respondents, who advised that the government and
relevant authorities can provide: better employment opportunities for the poor/misfortunate, motivational
speeches to guide and support youths, provision of better social welfare plans for disabled and elderly
residents while figure 12 indicated responses showing suggestions that can be implemented by villagers
such as: encouraging small businesses within the area to invest in the community, self-employment,
members of the village bringing issues to the attention of the local MP and creating a village council and
an active community youth group to avoid juvenile delinquency in youths and guide them on the right
path.
In conclusion, a correlation between the level of poverty experienced in the community and its’
effects on the improvement of the social development can be seen, though, some of these negative effects
are preventable if the right measures are put in place by community members to monitor the area.
Discussion of Findings

22. 22 | P a g e
This investigation sought to investigate the extent to which poverty affects social development
within a community by measuring the level of poverty (unemployment, crime level etc.) and analysing
the data and information gathered from the questionnaires distributed.
The results obtained revealed that poverty is a problem in the community, but not to an extent where it
hinders social development greatly. The majority of respondents agreed that crime and unemployment
exist in the community but not to a large extent. Though the negative impacts of poverty on social
development exist in the community (unemployment, crime etc.), there are measures and facilities in
place to combat these issues directly. (Bowen, 2007) states that the human capital of the poor and the
‘working poor’ is low, in terms of education levels, data collected refutes his theory as everyone in the
community has equal access to primary educational facilities. He also argued that large families and the
substantial increase in the number of single-parent households also remains a problem, though, this was
not evident in the community of Lengua Village as most homes were regular nuclear family homes with
a small number of dependents living there.
(Arthur, Staff, 1997) states that factors such as a lack of socialisation, productive and life skills
among youths can foster antisocial criminal behaviour which can in turn, hinder social development.
From the results gathered, this isn’t evident as well since businesses provide employment opportunities
to the poor, therefore, they would not be encouraged to turn to a life of crime since they have a legal
form of income for their household, also, there are various religious organizations in the community and
they provide all residents with the opportunity to socialize through annual family days and sports days,
this encourages social cohesion and unity among community members, thus improving the social
development status of the village as a whole and encouraging further development.
By close analysis, it can be inferred that when economic growth within the community occurs,
this directly impacts social development as social cohesion is encouraged and residents within the

23. 23 | P a g e
community become more socialized. The introduction of educational and health facilities in the form of
a health centre in the community has been proven to create a better standard of living for residents as
this gives opportunities to persons of all classes in society an opportunity, as well as the creation of the
many small businesses in the community. This can be corroborated with the IMF (2001) as they suggest
that basic access to health care and access to education is essential for any society to experience social
development.
The investigation revealed that although measures have been put in place by authorities and
villagers to combat the negative impacts of poverty on social development, the negative conditions that
arise from poverty such as unemployment and crime still exists but not to a significant extent as
expected.
Therefore, the extent to which poverty on its’ own affect the level of social development
experienced in a country isn’t determined by economic factors solely, but also the attitudes and mindsets
of citizens of the country towards measures put in place to alleviate poverty and improve social
development.
Conclusion, Limitations and Recommendations

24. 24 | P a g e
 Conclusion
The aim of the study was to investigate the extent to which poverty hinders social development
within a community. After close examination and analysis of data obtained from the questionnaire, it can
be concluded that the level of poverty experienced by persons affects social development in terms of
mass unemployment, leading to dependency on government and other agencies as well as some persons
turning to a life of crime. Since the sample area selected does not show signs of high levels of poverty, it
is not plausible to see the full effect of poverty on social development to its full extent. Although it is
likely that the level of poverty can put a strain on certain institutions in society, the extent to which it
does solely depend on the people and their will to create a better standard of living for themselves and
strengthen social cohesion within the community.
 Limitations
The study does not provide a holistic evaluation for Trinidad and Tobago because of the limited sample
group used. Therefore, the reliability and validity of the study may be questionable. Also, the time
allocated for this research was too short. If more time was given a larger sample group could have been
chosen, hence, producing more reliable conclusions.
Another limitation was that only forty-two (42) of the forty-five questionnaires given out were
retrieved and some were incomplete, thus, limiting the amount of information that could have been used
from them, limiting the researcher to only using data from forty (40) questionnaires. After analysing
responses by individuals, it was concluded that respondents misinterpreted some questions as they weren’t
thinking within the full context of the situation.

25. 25 | P a g e
 Recommendations
1. By creating employment and giving the poor opportunities to gain an income through working for
a local small business, economic growth occurs as well as social development since the poor will
now have additional resources to help themselves eventually get out of poverty through education
or skills training.
2. Since the study was limited to a small geographical area, it can be recommended that the study is
done on a larger scale to get more relevant and generalized responses. From this, a general
consensus can be formed and researchers will have innovative ways of combatting the main
problems faced by most small villages.
Bibliography

26. 26 | P a g e
Girvan, N. (1997). Poverty, Empowerment and Social Development in the Caribbean (1st ed.).
Kingston, Jamaica: Canoe Press University of the West Indies.
Ahmed, Raisuddin, and Mahabub Hossain. Developmental Impact Of Rural Infrastructure In Bangladesh.
1st ed. Washington, D.C.: International Food Policy Research Institute in collaboration with the
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, 1990. Print.
Arthur, Staff, Caribbean Symposium on Social Development, & Consortium Graduate School of Social
Sciences, 1997, pp. 70
Bowen, G. A., 2007, 'The challenges of poverty and social welfare in the Caribbean', International
Journal of Social Welfare, vol.16, no. 2, pp. 150-158
Economic Issues No. 26 -- Rural Poverty in Developing Countries: Implications for Public Policy.
(2001). Imf.org. Retrieved 5 February 2017, from https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/issues/issues26/
Poverty Reduction | UNESCO. (2017). unesco.org. Retrieved 4 February 2017, from
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/international-
migration/glossary/poverty/
Indices of Social Development | Home. (2017). Indsocdev.org. Retrieved 2 March 2017, from
http://www.indsocdev.org/
Downes, A. Poverty and its Reduction in the Small Developing Countries of the Caribbean. SSRN
Electronic Journal. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1817180
Appendices

27. 27 | P a g e
Cover letter for questionnaire
St. Stephen’s College,
Princes Town,
23rd February 2017
Dear Sir/Madame,
My name is ___________ and I’m a form 6 student attending __________________.
One subject that I’m studying, Caribbean Studies, requires that I present a research project. This
involves the investigation of any topic regarding Human and Social Development or issues in the
Caribbean that I’m interested in. My topic chosen deals with investigating the extent to which poverty
affects social development.
To complete this investigation successfully, I kindly request your aid in responding to a
questionnaire before March 5th as I’ll be passing by to collect them at that date. All responses provided by
you will be analysed and used to further investigate my chosen topic.
Please note that this questionnaire is completely confidential and you DO NOT have to write your
name on the questionnaire, your anonymity is assured. I thank you sincerely for your time and your
cooperation.
Yours respectfully,
_________________________

28. 28 | P a g e
Questionnaire
1. What is your gender?
Male Female
2. How old are you?
18-25 26-33 34-41 42-49 50 and older
3. How will you describe your village?
Underdeveloped (lack of infrastructure) Developed
Semi-developed
3. What schooling and health facilities are available in your area?
Schools Level of schooling available: ___________________
Health centre (Is the service reliable? __________________)
Hospital
4. Are there any recreational facilities (parks, grounds, community centres etc.) in your
community? If yes, are they maintained frequently?
Yes, and they are maintained often
Yes, and they aren’t maintained Not quite sure
5. How many businesses are in your area?
__________________

29. 29 | P a g e
6. Do small businesses help the community in terms of employment opportunities and providing
affordable goods/services?
Yes No
Types of small business/services offered by persons in the community; _______________________
________________________________________________________________________________
7. Has there been an increase in the crime rate currently when compared to 3-4 years ago, in your
community?
Yes No Around the same but less serious crimes being committed
8. How many dependents are there in your home? (This includes adults that are not working.)
___________________
9. On average, what is your household’s total yearly income?
___________________
10. Has there been an increase in the number of unemployed people in your area in the past 5 years?
Yes No
It’s generally the same
11. Do you think more resources should be invested into schools to make them better accessible to
the youths in your community?
Yes No
If not, why?
______________________________________________________________________

30. 30 | P a g e
12. What measures do you think can be implemented by the villagers themselves and government
and other authorities to improve the standard of living for people in your community?
Government and authorities:
Access to health facilities Better employment opportunities for the poor
Better access to schools Improved social welfare programmes for the less fortunate
Access to recreational facilities Religious organizations hosting annual social events
Villagers:
Small businesses within the area investing in the community
Self-employment Members raising issues with local MP
Create a village council Active community youth groups