This chapter fits right in with our readings this week on social class. So who are the poor? Overwhelmingly, they are single-parent, mom-headed, minority families. Check out the statistics: The poverty rate reached 10.8% among all families and 31.1% among female-headed families. Compare this to Black families – 24.7%. The children in these families are the innocent victims of poverty: 1.3 million children are living in poverty; 43% of the children in female-headed families are poor (one in three Black children, 3 in 10 Hispanic, one in ten White). I watched a 20/20 segment this week that broke my heart done by Diane Sawyer. It was entitled, Waiting on the World to Change: Children in Poverty. I sat mesmerized as Sawyer took us into the lives of 3 children living in poverty and followed them for over a year. Please take time to watch this incredible documentary: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2826860I don’t know what to say except that this should not happen in our country. Why are children going hungry? Why does not our welfare system provide adequately for these families? I get so tired of people who are not living in poverty saying that these black moms are having babies so that they can make money. This chapter does the math for you – they are not making it on welfare. There must be other reasons. One of the last comments in the book says this: “The author reports that there is little substantial upward social mobility; people usually live out their lives in the same social class from which they came because of the norms learned and the constraints and privileges they experience.” How does social class affect our lives? How do the experiences of these children in poverty set them up for their future?
Crystal Hoffman said,
February 1, 2007 at 1:33 am
The statistics given here are so gripping. It’s sad to see and realize that there are this many people living in poverty within our country. I guess a lot of times I just block them out, when in reality I should be showing the love of Christ to them and doing everything in my power to help.
I went to the videos from 20/20 that you mentioned, and watched “Waiting on the World to Change”, “Poverty in America”, and “The Children Next Door.” All three, but especially the last one, where there was a 6- year old, made me want to cry. They all mentioned Camden, NJ as the most dangerous and poorest city in America. This is only about an hour and a half away from where I live, which makes this reality even harder to believe. Most times when I (and probably a lot of others) think about poverty stricken areas, we think of somewhere in Africa or other nations in the world; not generally our own backyards. In “Waiting on the World to Change,” Billy said, “Greatness requires sacrifice.” That made me think so much of how he was going to school full time and working 5 days a week. He wasn’t working to save money for himself, but to help out his family because his dad could not support them. Another quote that broke my heart was “don’t fall you’ll get stuck by the needles…their evil people,” which was said by Moochie on “The Children Next Door. She is only 6-years old and already has to face the reality of drugs on the streets and so much more than I have ever had to face. So brave, so bold, so dedicated. At the end of the clip she said she was never going to smoke, drink, or do drugs, and that she wanted to graduate from college and be a judge. What great asperations for a 6-year old!
Chrissy Pupillo said,
February 4, 2007 at 5:55 pm
I live less than an hour from Camden, NJ. On the news, we often hear about the drug problems and, of course, that it’s the “murder capital of the nation,” but this is the first time I’ve heard of the extent of the poverty the people of Camden have to live in. It was heartbreaking to hear little Moochie explaining about how drug dealers use hypodermic needles and throw them everywhere, meanwhile, my own 6-year old cousin would never know to associated a needle with anyone but a doctor.
How does social class effect our lives? It completely changes the way we look at things. I watched a more recently posted video on viewers’ response to this 20/20 special, and it seemed many (most likely higher class) viewers couldn’t understand why parents would allow for their children to live like this. On the other hand, there was a recent medical school graduate who grew up in Camden, who wrote to ABC, and was thankful for the attention they gave to this situation and that he can’t wait to go back to his city to make a difference.
Apart from changing the way we look at things, social class changes the opportunities we’ll have available. Like I said, I live about 45 minutes from Camden, in the Philadelphia suburbs, and because of my social class I was able to go to private school, take any sort of extracurricular lessons I wanted, only had to work for the experience and not to survive, and am now able to go to college. Meanwhile, at the same time Billy goes to a public school, has to work a minimum wage job, and still doesn’t have enough to get by at a standard we’d consider “livable.”
The experiences of Billy, Moochie, and Ivan have set them up to have big dreams, but eventually, as I think Billy is finding out, and the others unfortunately will all too soon, they’ll realize how it will be virtually impossible for those dreams to come true. I’m not trying to be a pessimist, but that’s simply how things are going to be if things don’t change in Camden (and other cities like it). This 20/20 special was positive with regard to the amount of people who got to see what life is like in cities like Camden, but time will tell whether it made enough of an impact to get suburbanites out of their safety zone and into the slums of Murder City, which they fear more than they desire to help.
John Durkee said,
February 4, 2007 at 10:48 pm
I watched those videos as well as the “Cyber Begging” video where people who spend beyond their means decide to panhandle online in order to pay off their debts… I think its disgusting the level of decadence and extreme selfishness that can occur in the same nation in which this kind of poverty takes place.
Then I remember my friend on a student teaching job in Thailand where the disparity between the wealthy and poverished is even more extreme. This is where the sex trafficking industry is huge, and yet their are kids who go to private schools with laptops and have wealth just like here, except everyday they walk past extreme poverty.
This does not explain away America’s poverty or make it seem so much less, as much as I realize that their is poverty everywhere. Every country, city and society has poverty on some level.
This is where we need to step in and do something. It’s one thing to discuss this in a class and be outraged, discouraged or sad about it, but it’s another thing to do something about it. The thing we need to remember with helping though is that we can’t just do temporary help and hand out food or something like that, but we need to find long-term solutions. That is the main reason welfare does little to stop poverty, because it does not offer long-term solutions, only foodstamps and monitary elements. If instead of foodstamps it provided some kind of education then I feel it might accomplish something greater.
The thing that I have a problem with is that the Church isn’t nearly as involved in these issues as they should be (by providing food or education supplements for children, or even daycare).
All this to say that these are just ideas, and really until I do something about it, that’s all they will be. At this point I’m not sure what I’ll be doing to help any kind of situation like this, but it is my desire to do something about these different issues.
Kristine Rucker said,
February 4, 2007 at 11:44 pm
The social classes that we are born into really affect our future. These social classes help to form our outlook on life. Someone who is born into poverty and on welfare grows up knowing that is how to survive. If their parents never get off the welfare system, why would their children know how to survive without it? Instead of helping people to better their life situation and helping them to get onto their feet, the government is creating a never ending cycle. Children are born into poverty and they have their children in poverty. It is hard to get out of the social class that one is born into. To get out of the lower social class it takes a lot of hard work and will to break the cycle. It is sad to watch the cycle continue. Our government needs to come up with some new ideas to help this social class survive, and learn how to not need so much help.
Brittany Smart said,
February 5, 2007 at 12:04 am
Social class affects our lives so much. It’s how we view life. The way that we look at the world is by our experiences and how we are brought up. My social class for instance will give me my perspective on life. The way that I view how family life should be is based on how my family was while I was growing up. For example if my family is on welfare I might think that’s the way to live because I don’t know anything else. If my family was an upper-class family with all of this money and I see my parents spend money on anything they want, I might think that I can just throw away money like it’s nothing and not save. If I grow up in a violent neighborhood where I’m always on the look out, I won’t know anything else, and I may become abuse with my friends and family.
Well like I mentioned before if you were born into poverty, you may think that’s the only way to live. For instance when it comes to education, if you didn’t get a good education because you’re poor then you may not ever get a good job and get yourself out of poverty. They have no aspirations or dreams. Some may not even know what it’s like to live in a traditional family and have goals and know how to change the way they’ve been brought up.
Anna Reiskytl said,
February 5, 2007 at 12:39 am
The experiences of children in poverty have taught them that the system is stacked against them, that no matter how hard they try it will be impossible to get ahead, and that those in power will not understand their circumstances and likely take advantage of them. Even those who work hard in school and get a job are rarely able to get much more than a minimum-wage pay. Meanwhile, gangs rule the streets and pressure kids to join them- for protection from other gangs if nothing else. Those who sell drugs are the only ones in the community who seem to have money.
So… how does social class effect our lives? There is a privilege that accompanies the middle and upper classes, that we have the ability to choose at what time and on what terms we will deal with the problems that those who are poor have to deal with every day. We don’t see gangs or streets littered with the needles of drug users. We don’t have to think about it if we don’t want to. Those living in poverty have no choice but to deal with these realities on a daily basis, starting as young children. Consequently, children in these environments are being taught not to trust anyone too much, and that there really is not much in life worth hoping for. Although many may still desire to find a way out of poverty, the reality is that few will really have an opportunity to do so. They may work hard, but it will be difficult for them to succeed academically because life gets in the way. As a result, they are set up for a life of unrealized goals. It certainly would be easy to give up and take the easy way out… through gangs, drugs, and crime. If you have nothing better to look forward to and no legitmate means to achieve your goals, why not just give up and get as much as you can for as long as you can?
Brendon Bayley said,
February 5, 2007 at 5:11 am
The situation in Camden, and in other communities such as these seems so hopeless. The solution is hard to figure out. I was very touched by the hope in Moochie’s eyes as she said “i want to be a judge”. Such a high position of power and prestige, was already sought after and hoped for by a six year old, who minutes earlier wandered through a needle infested park, just to reach her home where her parents were in constant battle over her father’s alcoholism. This picture does not offer much hope to me. I can’t help but think, that when Moochie reaches Billy-Jo’s age, she is going to have to be working 5 days a week as well, staying up late to finish homework, and then leaving early in the morning to get to school. This situation seems inescapable, and as phrased by Billy these are sacrifices he is willing to make to someday achieve greatness. I wish, being outside of those bleak situations that Billy, Moochie and Ivan endure, I could have near as much resolve as Billy. Maybe it is the situation itself that will provide the solution. Maybe enough people will perservere like Billy, and hopefully one day Moochie and Ivan, who, “want[ed] to go to school so bad”. Maybe they will perservere and fight for a way out, and then achieve positions such as Moochie’s dream to be a judge. Then they can mobilize the community from within, and instead of being an outside force of welfare or relief, they can effect change from within. It is those people in the bleakest of situations like Billy, who realize whatever thread of hope they can hold on to, will be the thread that pulls them through that situation. Those inside, hopefully have the hope that I, as an onlooker do not, to change the situation. I think the best thing to do as an onlooker, and individual seeking involvement from the outside is to get on the inside. I know of people who have moved into these communities and are affecting change from the inside out, latching on to the hope that these Billys and Moochies and Ivans have, and helping them pull up their bootstraps and work out of the situation that they have unjustly been placed in.
One thing I am really interested in is different movements in poor communities and nation wide that are headed and operated by the poor, seeking to affect change from the inside out, instead of relying on outside help. I hope that these movements are the key and the hope that I have such a hard time finding in these situations.
If you’re interested in movements like this, visit this link
:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_People’s_Economic_Human_Rights_Campaign
Joe Dugan said,
February 6, 2007 at 2:02 pm
First, I apologize for the lateness of this post; as you know, Dr. Warner, I was in San Diego on a debate tournament for the weekend, and my Internet connection failed on Sunday.
Now, to the matter at hand. In spite of the democratic spirit which supposedly guides Americans, we have a distinct social hierarchy. Our workforce is modeled after certain assumptions about educational levels and job capacity; our educational system is linked directly to social privilege. Blue-blooded kids from blue-blooded families have far more opportunities than lower-class kids from lower-class families. Indeed, even as the federal government extends loan programs in an effort to make college affordable/manageable for every student, our economy has shifted in such a way that a college education alone provides little job security. Actually, all it reallly guarantees is debt.
To be *really* successful you have to be born and bred into the right families, attend the right schools (starting with kindergarten), declare the right major, intern with the right company, and work A LOT. A good sense of fashion doesn’t help. Those few who “make it” outside of these criteria do so either through extraordinary talent or inexplicable luck.
Given all of this, the problem with poverty is its staying power. How can kids, like those featured in this documentary, possibly hope to overcome the boundaries and limitations their parents face? Everything is working against them. Even if they somehow manage to graduate from high school; even if they somehow earn a degree from a community college or some such thing; they are still light years behind the tens of millions of suburban kids graduating from more prestigious colleges, showing up for job interviews decked out in Banana Republic and well-versed in the dialect of wealth.
All this talk in the conservative mainstream of “educating” people (the whole “give a man a fish” scenario) is fine, but it won’t solve the problem. The most passionate, driven kids often still fail to overcome the boundaries of class. The way out is for us to create space in the workforce for a more diverse set of employees–a kind of affirmative action on the corporate level. Anything short of this will only collapse on itself.