Throughout the week, I have continued to look for statistics regarding poverty and education on the Census Bureau website. However, there are less case studies about the correlation between poverty and education and more on that of work and poverty. But if you think about it, education plays a factor in a person's type of work. Higher education leads to a more prestigious job while a lower level of education leads to a less prestigious type of job. The higher the level of education, the higher the level of thinking. The higher level of thinking, the higher prestige of one's job (typically, of course). I have also found out that poverty is usually found in specific areas, those living in poverty are less likely to be spread out, but more likely to live in an environments that have people with a similar economic background. Therefore, studies on work and poverty will also be incorporated into my overall project.
Since my last post, I have searched for different articles and studies regarding the correlation between poverty and a person's level of education. There is no doubt that someone's opportunity to get an education affects how they will succeed in the future. Much of this is due to the social class or status that one hold. If someone is not fortunate enough to come from a family that can afford to give them a good education, or even from a good neighborhood, they can easily be deprived of fundamental factors or knowledge that can give them hope for a good future. I have found statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau having to do with poverty population in the U.S. in terms of different personal characteristics. These characteristics range from a person's age to a person's race, which are interrelated with their level of education. These are very interesting and provide an understanding of why people with less education usually end up living below the poverty line later in life, or are currently living below the poverty line. Of course, education is not the only factor that affects one's economic state, but it does make a significant difference.
I will continue to look for more studies and perhaps even videos regarding this material for my project.
I have decided to explore the correlation of poverty and education through case studies. Education is a major contributing factor to the type of job that a person acquires. Higher level education leads to more prestigious jobs and opportunities. People who have graduated college tend to have better paying jobs that require them to think abstractly. However, those who have had only some high school education are usually only hired for low-end jobs that do not have much prestige. These people to get paid much lower than people who have college degrees. The group of people that has had little education is also the group that is most likely to live in poverty.
Therefore, I will look through the online data collected by the Census Bureau about poverty and the possible factors that contribute to it.
I have decided to use archival research as my research method. I will analyze studies that sociologists have made in order to develop a better understanding of poverty and its impact on society as a whole. I think that this type of research method is perfect fit for me for a number of reasons: I would not be able conduct a survey because I do not know many people living in poverty, and those that are probably do not have access to participate in internet surveys. Secondly, naturalistic research may involve me watching others living in poverty, which is something that I do not come in contact with every day and I would not be comfortable asking complete strangers questions about their economic status. Through archival research, I will have access to information that I would not have been able to collect on my own, making it a lot easier for me to delve into the issue at hand.
This article explains the correlation between work and a person's economic status. By creating programs that promote the security of people's job, the chances are that there would be fewer low wages. If people have enough money to provide for their basic needs, mainly food, poverty would be reduced.
Although many people complain about having to pay taxes with their hard-earned money, these taxes are what help support numerous families living in poverty around the world. If people earn enough money to support themselves, pay their mortgage, rent, and have money left over so that they can eat. An organization called Bread for the World supports the protection of tax credits that help low income families to have food on their plates. It is great to see that programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit work to protect the needs of other groups in society that many view as helpless.
By using taxes to support those living in poverty, not only does the poverty rate go down, but the child hunger becomes less prevalent. This article identifies the undeniable correlation between poverty and hunger. Lower income means less food.
The following video is about Shays' Rebellion, an effect of America's debt after the Revolutionary War.
Poverty is not just something that affects the people living in it. In this video, it is evident that poverty has played a significant role in the way that history plays out. Shays' Rebellion is a perfect example of a widespread popular revolution. England refused the buy American goods, resulting in lack of trade revenue for Bostonian merchants. Farmers were so oppressed by the taxes imposed upon them that they would have to sell their farms. Those who were incapable of paying off their debt were thrown into debtor's prisons. Their wives were unable to sustain their family without work, they had to care for their children. They were helpless.This was the last straw.
With so many people living in poverty, a numerous amount of poor farmers living in Massachusetts worked together to continue in the revolutionary spirit and rebel against their government once again. It almost seems like a repetition of the causes that led to the Revolutionary War in the first place, does it not?
Poverty influenced the outcome of historic events back in 1786 and does so even today. Many of the people who got laid off from their jobs during the recession probably ended up living below the poverty line. The protesters in the Occupy Wall Street movement definitely had concerns about financial services and economic issues.
If there is support, or strength in numbers, people will develop "groupthink" and fight for a cause they deeply care about, regardless of alternatives.
The previous article describes a program started by the Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that involves teaching young Jamaicans methods in order to cultivate their own food. By doing this, young Jamaicans learn valuable skills that allow them to overcome the perils of hunger. Without having to worry about when their next meal will come, Jamaican teenagers can focus on their careers, typically involving agriculture.
After reading this article, I was reminiscent of what was discussed in class pertaining to the Agricultural Revolution. I think that it is outstanding how something that has happened numerous times throughout history can still occur in this modern era. Although most present-day societies are postindustrial societies, certain areas in countries like Jamaica are still in an agricultural revolution "stage." The UNDP is not only helping Jamaican teens struggling to succeed, but also fueling a modern-day agricultural revolution.
As a result, more jobs will come out of this new advance, and, perhaps, steer much of Jamaican society into a more technologically-advanced generation.
Now, when I found this website, at first glance I thought that the map would probably be about countries and their percentage of people living in poverty. But when I took a closer look, I realized that this website was actually counting the number of deaths per HOUR due to poverty. It was horrifying to actually see the pictures of people who died pretty much every second all around the world. This website does not just place people into categories, it turns statistics into a more personal level by letting the audience see the individual faces.
It was an eye-opener to see that poverty causes so much harm, from people dying of hunger, to those dying of pneumonia. This definitely brings to light Herbert Spencer's idea of "survival of the fittest." It is so primitive in a way to admit that that is true, but it is something that is currently happening in the world, many people die if they are unable to provide for themselves.
As I continued to explore this website, I clicked on International Aid. I was shocked that one of the the few countries that do not have a set schedule to reach an International Aid goal is the United States. Despite that fact, I think it's great to see that European countries are making a difference in the world.
In my previous post, I embedded a video about a young boy describing a day in his life of poverty. In the following scene from the movie the Pursuit of Happiness, based on a true story, a father, played by Will Smith, and his son, played by Jaden Smith, find themselves without a place to spend the night.
Parents do a lot as it is to protect their children and keep them safe, but imagine trying to provide for your child, but having no means of doing so. People living like this feel helpless, they feel like they have no one and nowhere to turn to. If a parent is worried about when their next meal will be, the child is most certainly not going to get as much attention as a typical child would like to have from its parents. A child may get the impression that the parent is purposefully neglecting them. Even in this emotional movie clip one can see how distraught the father is and how snappy he gets when his son asks where they are going. However, the father thinks of a creative way to distract his son from the harsh reality that they are going through. It is so incredible to see how these characters manage to make it through the night. It is so moving to see the father's desperate attempts at keeping anyone from finding him and his son spending the night in a public bathroom. It is a sad sight to see, but this sort of thing happens everyday and we don't even know it. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
What do you think of when you hear the word 'poverty?
When I think of poverty, I think of people suffering, not necessarily physically, but also spiritually. I think of people in tattered clothes, asking for charity. I think of people living life day by day not knowing what will come next.
But that's just me being stereotypical.
The last thing I would think of is a well-dressed little boy with a big imagination. In the following video, you hear a young German boy recounting the wonderful day he had last week.
After watching this video, I was truly in touched by the way that the little boy described his day with such a positive attitude. He is actually living a life of poverty and makes it seem like such an extravagant lifestyle. I just really think that it is interesting to see poverty from a more innocent and child-like perspective. Of course, he probably felt the pressure to exaggerate in order to prove himself to the rest of his classmates. Maybe he really wishes to live a life like the one that the describes. It was a bit sad to hear the girl at the end of the video call him a liar because "it is not possible to have such a nice day." The way that she says it makes the girl sound so spiteful, but at the end it almost sounds like she's jealous of his "nice day." This comment visibly upsets the little boy, not only because it makes him feel guilty, but also because it makes him feel like an outcast in his own classroom.
In a much broader perspective, the little boy telling the story symbolizes all the people in this world living in poverty. His classmates are the rest of society and how they are so quick to judge. The fact that this video is from a powerful European country shows the universality of poverty. It comes in many shapes and sizes. In all sorts of different situations.
How did you react to this video? Did your image of poverty change?
With the upcoming presidential election, a variety of social and economic issues have been put in the spotlight. Recently, Christian leaders of "The Circle of Protection" asked the two candidates for presidency, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, about their plans to reduced poverty in the U.S.. Poverty is such a serious issue that it is influencing the future outcome of the 2012 presidential election. In the following article, Jim Wallis, a Christian leader, writes about this ever-present moral issue that is playing a part in America's future.
First of all, I think that it is great that Obama and Romney are addressing the problem and discussing their ideas to end poverty. After reading the article, I found it interesting how Christian leaders from different groups and associations are brought together by their common concern about poverty. They all responded to the recent statistics from the United States Census Bureau that 15% of people in the U.S. are currently living at or under the poverty line. To put this in monetary terms, the typical income for a family of four living at the poverty line is $23,021, while the annual income of an average American household is $50,054. Can you imagine living on less than half the average income? Can you imagine having to choose between those shoes you've been planning to buy and a week's worth of food for your family? Can you imagine relentlessly searching for work while keeping up with the two other jobs you have so you can take care of your family's needs?
Can you imagine the courage and humility it takes to ask a stranger for food?
That is the cruel reality of 46 million people in our country.
Poverty is the state of having little or no money to support oneself. I decided to choose this topic for my research because it is a worldwide issue that I really want to address. Poverty is everywhere. When I was little growing up in Ecuador, I would always see small children selling candy on the streets so that they could afford a meal that would last them the entire day. Even though I saw that sort of thing every day, the real reason for my interest in poverty began when I started volunteering at my church's food pantry. That experience really opened my eyes and made me wonder how difficult their day-to-day lives must be. Therefore, I would like to learn more about it and its effects on society as a whole.
