Due Jul 5
20 points
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17 Replies, 7 Unread
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Discussion Topic: Social Stratification & Poverty – Discussions A 2Social Stratification & Poverty – Discussions A 2
7/10Social Stratification & Poverty
***This discussion board integrates chapter 7, social stratification, with chapter 10, poverty***
Let’s recap: Many different systems of stratification exist–some that allow for social mobility more easily than others (or so we think). In the U.S. we learned that there is a very high correlation between the income and wealth our parents have and what we will acquire in our lifetime, kind of throwing a wrench into the “American Dream” ideal that continues to motivate many of us to work toward success. In summary, income and wealth inequality in the United States is deep, and the divide continues to grow as those who have wealth acquire more, and those who do not, struggle to live check to check.
Poverty is an issue that has been at the forefront of government and politics since the 1960s. In fact, it was the leading issue San Francisco mayoral candidates dealt with during the most recent election. According to 2017 local reports, 69% of the homeless population claim they lived in San Francisco housing before becoming homeless. Links to an external site.Despite the continued efforts to eradicate poverty and homelessness, it is a social issue that continues to plague even the most prosperous cities. Some questions you will want to think about as you develop your discussion post are, why does poverty exist? Who is at fault? And how do we address, and ultimately solve, the problem?
One glaring issue when we discuss poverty and inequality is that we tend to dehumanize the problem–you will often hear politicians and the media speak in terms of dollar amounts, percentages, statistics, and data. As a result, we often don’t discuss what it actually feels like to live in poverty–what people go through and the types of decisions they have to make to provide for themselves and/or their families. For most, being poor is a situation, it is not an identity. So it is important to remember that human beings are complex, situations are complicated, and social stigmas are real and can have lasting effects on people’s self-perceived worth. As you continue on, remember to remain scholarly and compassionate.
There are two parts to your initial discussion post
Step 1:
Before you participate in this week’s discussion board, you will play an online game called ‘Spent.’ This game will help us understand the impact of inequality, and the very crucial life decisions those who live in poverty make each month. Visit the site and play the game.Links to an external site. Read your circumstances carefully and make the decision you would actually make if you were in that position (don’t just try to “win”). For instance, when I played, the family pet got sick and it would cost my entire savings to save the pet, or $50 to put the pet to sleep. I knew it was smarter to humanely put the pet to rest, but I couldn’t, and chose to get treatment–I ran out of money on day 18 :/.
Step 2:
Describe your experience playing the game. What day did you make it to? Were you able to survive the month? What do you think your chances are at being socially mobile and acquiring wealth? What would have to occur for that to happen? How did your experience playing the game relate to the concepts of social reproduction and social mobility? Finally, thinking about the two major social approaches to poverty, the first being that people are poor because they make bad decisions, are not motivated, etc. (a result of their individual doing), or the second, that poverty is a result of unequal distribution of power, wealth, and resources–thus people live in poverty as a result of failed and inadequate societal structures, which one do you think best explains the reality that so many people struggle to survive in one of the wealthiest nations in the world? To support your perspective, consider citing some of the various theories explored from the 1960s-90s (chapter 10).
Initial posts are due by Friday, at 11:59pm.
Peer Responses:
In addition to your initial post, you must reply to at least one of your peer’s initial posts. Your replies should be thoughtful and engaging. Let your peers know what you found interesting, if you learned something new, or have something in common! Your reply should be between 75-100 words.
Replies are due by Sunday, at 11:59pm.
Remember:
Be kind and respectful to others
Use full sentences
Avoid jargon and acronyms
Use language that supports others
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JH
Jamie Huang
Jul 1 5:27pmLast reply Jul 4 2:02pm
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Reply from Jamie Huang
I could not last the whole month and ran out of money on day 22. Playing the game was a very eye opening experience, it made me realize how every decision you make really counts and how hard/unpredictable some decisions can be to make. I tried saving money by doing things like choosing the cheapest options for healthcare and not getting a root canal for my teeth, but some unpredictable circumstances that I felt like I had to spend money on such as my mom getting sick or treating my pet made it impossible for me to pay my bills. The game shows social reproduction because I started off in a bad condition, and it was really hard to get out of poverty because of the decisions I had to make and the job opportunities I could get. I don’t think it would be possible for me to be socially mobile and acquire wealth, when I am busy just trying to survive the month and afford basic necessities. I think I would have to be in a position where I could confidently pay all my bills before I try to acquire wealth/social mobility.
I think poverty can result from both bad decisions and unequal distribution of wealth, power, and resources (inadequate societal structures), but I would say its mostly due to societal structures. For example, if you spend your money unwisely and buy luxury items you can’t afford, then poverty is caused by your bad decisions. But most of the time, it is because of unequal distribution of resources and wealth. According to studies like the “Moving to Opportunity” study or the the study about the effects in Cherokee children that had their families lifted out of poverty from Casino payouts (Costello et al., 2003), families and children who were given better resources (better housing, more money, etc.) improved in health, behavior, happiness, grades, etc. which shows that having more wealth and resources helps.
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JR
Juliette Restauro
Jul 4 11:35am
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Reply from Juliette Restauro
After playing this game, I’ve realized how many expenses people pay on a daily basis. I made it to day 22 but my money kept getting lower and lower. The last few days I was always under a hundred dollars. I made it close to a month but I didn’t survive a full month. This game was really hard to make decisions because it was money being spent one after the other and I don’t think that’s necessarily how it is in real life. You won’t have a bill due everyday of the week but if you are not saving money it can definitely catch up to you. I’ve had two jobs my whole life and I think I have been pretty good with how I spend my money. As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned to save more than spend because it will help you in the long run. So I think my chances at being socially mobile and acquiring wealth would be high because I learned to use my money wisely at a young age because of my parents. I think putting money aside for your retirement is really important and my parents taught me that when I was young. I think someone’s family inheritance can impact their wealth in their future, especially if their family puts money aside for them. People who are born into poorer families may have a harder time because they don’t have money put aside for them ahead of time. I think both approaches can apply to some people’s current living situations. Some people may have fallen into poverty because they made the wrong decisions and they lost their job and their homes. But there is always a way to get back on the right path but it depends on whether or not they have resources, enough help, and motivation to change their life. But I also believe that there is an unequal distribution of power and wealth around the world and it works in other peoples favors more than others. One of the theories that stood out to me was the Bell Curve Thesis, which states that parents who have good genes result in them being good parents. I don’t believe in this thesis because I don’t think someone’s genes have anything to do with their parenting skills. There is so much that parents take into consideration with their children in order to give them the lives they want for their kids. I don’t think an adult’s genes can determine how good or bad of a parent they are.
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Emily Rose
Jul 3 5:38pmLast reply Jul 4 9:27am
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Reply from Emily Rose
When I played the game SPENT, I suppose I survived the month without running out of money. In this game, I was forced to make sacrifices, and decisions that conflicted with my morals and endangered my health. This reinforces what I have learned in our reading about the culture of poverty. The culture of poverty argues that poor people adopt different practices than middle class people in order to survive in bad economic situations. In this game, when I had very limited money, I acted with greater deviance and recklessness than I would have if I had ample money. Everything that my child needed money for, I paid and when my mom was sick, I lent the money. However, I opted out of my grandfather’s funeral and put my dog down. At the end, I hit a car and drove away without offering to repair any damages. I tried paying all the bills at the beginning of the game, but quickly was forced to pick and choose. Electricity was the first to go, then the car. Student loans were ignored once, as was dental surgery. Not having the money immediately to pay these bills caused further damage and resulted in more than double the bills down the line. In this sense, I really didn’t survive the month with money as I was anticipating great debt in the near future.
When constantly worrying about being able to afford necessities, there becomes no time to anticipate and plan for the future. In this way, vertical social mobility is nearly impossible due to the constant struggle to make it through the week. Even if someone manages to save up some money each month, a single, unexpected payment can drain a savings account. The inability to get ahead prevents people from achieving social mobility and therefore reinforcing social reproduction. While I do think there are some people in the lower class who take advantage of the system and do not work to improve their situation, I believe that poverty is a result of failed societal structures. In our readings and through playing this game, it became obvious that inequality in resources and wealth are responsible for the severe difficulty of escaping poverty and attaining upward social mobility. For people living in poverty with limited resources and money, the expectation to function at the same speed and with the same flexibility as the rest of society represents an inequality of opportunity and of condition.
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Caroline Cao
Jul 4 9:16am
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As I was playing SPENT, I quickly came to realize the harsh reality of making difficult decisions to stay afloat and not go completely broke. I was unable to complete the month and failed on day 24. The entire game I was trying my best to save rather than spend, however, I made exceptions for small health bills and for purchases that would improve my child’s quality of life (allowing them to go on a $15 field trip, for example). This conscious choice to give my child a better quality of life is one made by many parents in our world today and reflects the sociological concept of social reproduction. To prevent passing down the same socioeconomic disparity I was experiencing, I made choices so the child would not grow up with a poor living experience even though the finances were dwindling. Of course, this meant I had to compromise on living situations (rooming together with another person for passive income while sacrificing comfort) and opting out of large health bills (dental procedures), which in the long run was the reason why I failed the game.
I think that the reality we live in where so many people live below the poverty line and struggle to survive is more a result not of an individual’s lack of motivation or bad decisions, rather than the result of a systematic and unequal distribution of wealth and power. If I wasn’t as poor in the game, I might not have needed to choose between buying enough groceries or enrolling my child in karate lessons. While I made choices to prioritize my child’s wants over my own needs, many people in the real world would not make those choices. During my reading of Chapter 10, the theories that low socioeconomic status can induce material deprivations (poor nutrition, lack of adequate medical care, and unsafe environments), that poor children are less likely to have educational books or toys in the household, and the parenting stress hypothesis (stress levels caused by the unequal distribution of wealth and power in poor households leads to detrimental parenting practices such as yelling and hitting) explain how tough it is to be raising children in a poor family. The last theory even explains how systematic unfairness can create conditions for an individual to make bad decisions (large scale to small scale).
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Tannia Perez
Jul 3 9:28pm
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Reply from Tannia Perez
This game was highly engaging, and I was fortunate to reach day 30. However , I lost my job and only had $70 left to my name. Managing my money became a precise balancing act, forcing me to choose between different needs. This was not just a physical challenge but also an emotional one, which is something one faces while living under these circumstances. The continuous sacrifices, whether it was my health or ensuring I had food , created an inescapable cycle due to the constant need to pay for something. I think many factors play a part of the failed system such as inequitable economic opportunities due to plenty of factors such as lack of access of network and labor market dynamics, and etc.
I also believe poor decisions play a role because, even under challenging circumstances, individuals can strive to improve their situation. However, this requires immense effort and resilience , which can be incredibly taxing but possible. Living in a high stress environment while trying to escape it makes the process very difficult. Especially given the system that is supportive to some factors , the cycle can continue. I do believe it is both a failed system and poor decisions due to the complexity of living in poverty and the numerous challenges people face daily.
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Ana Maria Velasquez-Ochoa
Jul 2 11:51amLast reply Jul 3 10:39am
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Reply from Ana Maria Velasquez-Ochoa
This game has opened my eyes to the harsh realities many people endure in their everyday lives. Most of the circumstances I found myself in were pretty realistic, I was able to make it to day 30, but I had many problems such as a tooth ache I chose not to fix, and paying my car registration and gas bill. Despite making it to the end with some money, I was still unemployed and having to take care of myself and my kid. All in all this experience was definitely eye opening. There are many people out there who don’t have the support of friends or family to help them through hard times, as many have to push through by themselves. I personally would like to think I can acquire wealth, but after playing this game it almost seems impossible.
I personally believe that both approaches to poverty explain the reality many individuals and families are facing. A person’s choice might not always be beneficial for them, but might be for someone else, for example family. In the game I was given a circumstance where my mom was ill and I needed to pay for her treatment, I of course offered to pay. Just because it wasn’t beneficial to me doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right decision. As such the individuals doing isn’t always something they can control. However, there are those that might make a bad decision and purchase luxury items with money they don’t have. This of course can lead to poverty. As for the unequal distribution of power, wealth, and resources, this to me seems like the major reason many people find themselves living in poverty. Lack of reliable resources makes it difficult for families to ensure that food is on the table and bills are paid on time.
An interesting thesis I came upon while reading was the Bell Curve Thesis. It essentially states that good parenting stems from how good your genes are. I personally found this statement to be false because good or bad genes do not indicate how well a person can parent. Parenting has nothing to do with your genes or I.Q., rather it has more to do with your willingness to sacrifice your happiness for your kids. There are parents out there who have the finances to ensure their children live a good life, but are in turn bad parents. Meanwhile, there are parents who are struggling to make ends meet but are seen as superheroes to their kids. All in all, there is a lot more that comes with being a good parent than one’s genes.
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Text:
‘You May Ask Yourself: An Introduction to Thinking Like a Sociologist’
By: Conley, Dalton
Publisher: Norton
Edition: 7th, 6th, 5th (4th edition also acceptable–do not purchase “core edition”)
