Submitted by: Erica Mitchell
In America we have different social ranks; which are the upper class to those who are poverty stricken. These classes separate’s the “haves and have not’s”. Social class is an important factor of poverty. It’s been reported that one in seven Americans are poor. What does it mean to be poor in America? For most Americans, poverty is the failure to provide their family with nutritious food, clothing, and a reasonable shelter. This is called absolute poverty. Another type of poverty is called relative. The poor are those who lack what is needed by most Americans to live decently because they earn less than half of the normal income.
The media infects world news with celebrity pop culture and events that are very insignificant to most people’s daily lives. The story of celebrity Charlie Sheen, who continues to get into trouble, receives more news coverage or the focus on what President Barack Obama’s real middle name is. This raises an important issue.
This photo was taken in the Philadelphia; People stand in line waiting for free food.
Another vital fact there is about 20% or more single mother’s living in poverty. The welfare system was created to help them. But, due to lack of education and self sustainable jobs, they still suffer. However, there are people who take poverty seriously. Barbara Enhrenreich, a journalist took an experiment to see just how people live in poverty. She saw how living off of minimum wage is impossible. I feel helping people out of poverty is critical. The media should assist with awareness globally, because poverty isn’t just single mothers on welfare, it’s anyone who struggles to make a way.
Erica this is a very important topic you chose. Many people may think that the cause of poverty is laziness. The term poverty may have many different meanings to people from different countries or backgrounds However, when some people hear poverty, it will mean to them to have lack of enough income and resource to live adequately by community standards or in other words the situation of being poor. This does not mean that lazy people are poor because they did not study well or work hard. Some people that are in poverty work hard and they are still poor because they have no fortune with them. Each individual in this world has a different cause for being in poverty.
ReplyDeleteIt really is a major issue to know that there are families who live an impoverished life. It’s difficult to live like that and participate in society. When you’re left behind, you lack the necessities to be on an equal level with the rest of society. It all boils down to the poor not getting their basic needs for life. Those in poverty cannot improve their well-being, if society as a whole cannot efficiently move in new directions to end it.
I mean E…Could you even imagined a life where you don’t have the basic essentials to send your daughter to school? This is a reality for many parents living in poverty. I can only imagine that the meaning of poverty would change every day, according to where you live. It’s a sad situation and sometimes it makes you think twice before you complain. I don’t understand how anyone would not want to help those lacking the basic human needs which include: clean and fresh water, nutrition, health Care, education, clothing and shelter, and knowing their inability to pay for them. Whether it’s absolute or relative, it still is called poverty.
There are some small things we could do as a whole, to help these families out. The first thing I’d recommend is that people educate themselves about poverty. Once you do that, you can be an advocate for those who struggle. We can look around our houses and collect possessions that we aren’t using and donate them to the thrift shop or the Red Cross, so they can be used by those who need it. Donate to organizations that work to provide food, clothing, shelter, health care, educational training, and other assistance to those who are in need. Volunteer services are also vital. If we do this few hours a week it can make a difference of a lifetime to someone else. Whatever people chose to do, be it working to help end hunger, or to educate, or provide opportunities to others, just believe that small thing will really makes a big difference.
Why are they poor? Could it be a plan?
ReplyDeleteErica's research and information serves to further highlight the harmful affects of poverty on a nation that we have been studying in class.
I have been hard pressed to take any one view point on these subjects because I believe that each one of the four theories, the functionalist theory, the conflict theory, the interactionalist theory and the feminist theory all come into play when addressing why the poor are poor and why they continue to remain poor.
A conflict theorist would say the poor are poor because of government interests and multinational corporations who move jobs to countries where they can pay a lower living wage, which caused devastating job losses to industrial working Americans. They are limited by laws and regulations designed to keep them subservient. This social status in many poor Americans breeds stress, anger and frustration.
A functionalist might say that the poorer classes serve society by creating jobs and careers for better educated members of the broader society. Okay, now I know I don't agree with most of the functionalist theory.
Erica points out how many children are living in poverty and not receiving the basic necessities of life, like food, safe and clean living arrangements and health care. This is true in many of the neighborhoods I have lived in.
We can help our neighbors as Diane pointed out by donating food and clothing if we can, but you know, recently, the media has been reporting that the economy is so bad,food banks and institutions such as the Salvation Army have seen donations decline. Poverty is ever reaching. In the long run it hurts everyone.
When our children are malnourished, both mentally and physically, they cannot imagine a better day. They only know the pains of hunger that accompany them to sleep at night.
Parents know the anger and frustration of not being able to provide adequately for themselves and their children. Sometimes parents take out their anger and frustration on their children.
This can be a very bad thing. Every day children are beaten, abused and killed by the parents who are supposed to love and protect them because they are angry, over worked, underpaid, stressed out and at their wits end.
Do you think the socioeconomic status of being absolutely poor can cause some good people to do very bad things? Why do children have to die before society (the ones who make all the rules) realizes the damage and pain hunger and poverty inflicts?