A Framework for Understanding Poverty
By Ruby Payne
Previously when I had thought of poverty I had only considered the financial aspect. Payne’s text looks at all the different ways people can be impoverished. Poverty extends to emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, support systems, role models, knowledge of hidden rules as well as financial poverty. After reading chapter one I realized that most people in poverty are lacking more than just money. The scenarios in chapter one all show people that are in poverty in more than one way. I think as educators it is important to remember that students of poverty may be lacking in resources other than just financial resources.
Another thing I found interesting that I would share with a colleague were the check lists that asked, “Could you survive in poverty? Could you survive in middle class? Could you survive in Wealth?” I was so surprised that I could not check very many boxes for poverty or wealth. Before I looked at the check list I assumed that being in the middle class I would have enough life skills to survive in poverty, middle class or wealth. After looking at the check lists I realize how different the survival skills are for each class.
One of the most interesting things Payne’s text discussed was the hidden rules of the middle class. Growing up in the middle class I take for granted that students know some of the middle class norms. It is important to remember that all of our students come from different back grounds and we must account for that with our unwritten rules and expectations.
