http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/09/opinion/kristof-the-decline-of-white-workers.html
This article by Nicholas Kristof discusses a rising issue in rural America - the increasing prevalence of what is turning into a white working underclass. Though this term has historically been used to describe African Americans unable to secure a lifestyle above the poverty line because of racist policies and paradigms, the evidence that a poor white working class is following similar trends.
Painful to me was the discussion of the cycle of an underclass: limited educational opportunities, drugs and criminal records, low-paying to no-paying work, welfare dependence, repeat. One of the contributing factors that Kristof points out as potentially cliche was the stability of marriage. Without a stable marriage, there was greater likelihood for families to slip into this cycle.
An interesting look at poverty and factors from public policy that influence a broadening group that can be defined as an underclass (though this should not be take as a demographic that rivals the hardships that the traditional underclass of African Americans has faced and continues to face).
There are so many factors that play into the problem of poverty. The current economic climate makes it difficult to find jobs, adequate housing, pay for college, buy food, healthcare. Minimum wages has increased but has not increased at the same rate of the cost of living.I feel that there are many white males who have just given up because they have found that the government can pay for their basic needs and that this lifestyle is easier. The key that unlocks the door on the way out of poverty is education.
ReplyDeleteIt was exciting for me to hear a Non-LDS man talk about marriage being instrumental in overcoming poverty. As mentioned in the article, 44% of women who give give birth with only a high school diploma are not married: a drastic increase from 1980. For the underclass especially, marriage seems to stabilize relationships and conditions, and assist people in rising out of poverty. Perhaps this is because they now have a partner whom they can count on, someone with whom they can work with to overcome the cyclical patterns of the underclass. Marriage was especially helpful for men who sincerely loved the women they married (as opposed to just marrying them because they became pregnant, etc.). Although the situation is awful, I love how science is finally catching up with religion in the way they are now promoting marriage. Religion has preached the importance of marriage for many years, and finally science is agreeing that it serves a significant purpose: connecting people emotionally so they can have support to rise above poverty.
ReplyDelete--Melanie Vincent (2:00 MWF)
I agree and disagree with Bryton. The statement that education is the key to unlocking the door out of poverty may be true for many, but there are are some who do not have the opportunity to get out of their poverty-stricken state because they are so far below it.
ReplyDeleteJust as the "Star Power Game" in class suggests, much of where you will end depends on where you begin. There are many families (both immigrant and native) who have been raised in homes where money was pinched to provide food. Without the means to pursue an education, the cycle will continue. Minimum wage jobs do not give enough to help many families out of the situations they are in.
--Bryce Cook (2:00 MWF)