Can Economics really help lower income people on a personal level?

Dan P: Can Economics really help lower income people on a personal level?
I interested in majoring in economics and want to use my knowledge to help people from lower incomes. I’ve been volunteering at a soup kitchen and was just wondering whether economics can really the homeless people who frequent the kitchen.

Thanks!

Answers and Views:

Answer by Nick Z
A Bangladeshi economist has won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his efforts and success in helping the poor people.

Not every economist helps poor people. Perhaps some economists do more harm than good for the poor. But helping the poor is certainly possible if you try hard enough.

Answer by cjr
Economics can help them understand why they are in a soup kitchen, for example.

Economics is the study of greed and how to keep greed from destroying an entire country. It is very interesting, but because most economists worship greed it is also used to exploit people and do great harm.

An economist could help people in a soup kitchen find a niche in the economy that suits them and where they would be least oppressed. For example, if there is an oversupply of laborers.. you could find a job where there is an under supply and point them that way.

What people in a soup kitchen need is knowledge to see what is being done to them and to learn to help each other. Their families are being destroyed and their jobs are being exported to make life easier for other people. If poor people don´t help each other, who will?

Answer by meg
It depend on why they are homeless. Government policies can effect the unemployment rate, wages and income distribution, so those that are homeless because they can not find work, can be helped if economist find and advocate better policies. However many people become homeless because they have mental illness or addictions, so just having more jobs and better opportunities will not be enough to help them.