2 page paper

Chapter 1: Putting a Face on Poverty

Dee

· Victim of Domestic Violence

· Grew Up In a Impoverished Home

· Economically, Socially & Spiritually

· Use of Social Services to get back on her feet

· Cycle of Impoverished Issues in Her Family

· Alcohol abuse

· Drug abuse

· Doesn’t wish to be dependent on welfare

· Too proud to complain

· Has previous work experience

· Views working as a must to take advantage

· Been out of work for so long

· No Computer Experience

· Dee is willing to work in fast food

· $900 per month

· Other jobs are hard to find

· Kept below a certain amount of hours

· Boss didn’t want to pay for fringe benefits

· Working without healthcare and has a child

Dee’s Poverty

· Makes about $11K/yr

· Below poverty index

· Lives in Trailer Park

· All she could afford

· That’s still $425 a month

· Neighborhood not so great

· No Health Insurance

· Clare left home while Dee works

· Situation makes welfare an option

· Works hard but hard work is getting her no where

Low Wage/Minimum Wage & Poverty

· Full time minimum wage keeps you below poverty

· $10, 712/yr

· 2K below poverty index for family of 2

· 4K below poverty index for family of 4

· Low wage workers are disproportionately female, minority and young without a college education

· Single parent homes

· Work non standard work shifts/schedules

· Greatly impacts single parent households (esp women)

· Non standard schedules are mandatory for certain jobs

· Cashiers, maids, nursing aids, cooks, retail, fast food

· No job security

· Turnover is high

Childcare for Working Poor

· Income is low though childcare is expensive

· 40% of working poor families spend more than half of their income on childcare

· 23% of working poor families spend more than 50% of income of childcare

· Children left home to care for themselves

Kate

· Married with two children

· Children born back to back

· Assistant manager who earned $1700/mo

· Daycare was $1200/mo

· Kate quit her job; husband began working overnight

· Stress ensues

· Divorced

· Goes back to work

· Making $4 less than she previously did

· Rent takes up half her income

· Receives child support

· $600 per month

· Only comes sporadically though

· Sold her car to help pay bills

· Applied for welfare and Medicaid

· Turned down for earning too much

· Couldn’t get health insurance at job because she hadn’t been there for a year

· Applied for subsidized housing

· Waiting list was two years

· Would have to move into housing project

· Safety concerns

· Son would have to go to a new school

Child Support

· Non custodial parent have legal obligation to support children financially

· Usually not a lot

· 40% of single parents receive no support

· Full amount is hardly ever paid

· Even though less than 10% of fathers who work live below the poverty line

Poverty & Transportation

· Transportation plays an essential role in finding and keeping employment

· Barrier to those in poverty

· Can’t afford cars or reliable ones

Robert & Maria

· Both have some college

· Robert left to do construction

· Maria has degree in cosmetology

· Both have employable skills or skills that they can generate income without necessarily having a job

· Home owners

· Large family

· 4 children

· A set of twins

· Robert earned $3000/mo

· Health benefits

· Income supported family frugally

· Retirement plan

· Maria quits job to become stay at home mom

· Recession hits

· Layoffs at Robert’s job

· Had to pay more health insurance

· Benefits eventually eliminated

Health Insurance

· 4 kids under 9 who were always going to the hospital

· Maria gets bladder infection

· Prescription costs $140

· $650 bill for Levi’s ear infection hospital visit

· $4000 in debt after two years of no insurance

· $12000 bill for Robert’s appendix surgery

· surgery forces him out of work

Robert & Maria (continued)

· Robert collect unemployment

· Only a fraction of his fraction

· Maria has to find a job to help out

· Didn’t want to work

· Also has 4 kids

· How will she manage

· Robert cannot do construction due to physical strain

· Maria becomes the breadwinner

· Goes back to cosmetology

· Doesn’t earn much

· Family Living in poverty

Childcare

· $700/mo for each twin

· $1400/month

· Found someone to watch them for $600/mo

· Still a burden on them

· Extended family offered assistance as they could

· Offered to help with some medical expenses

· Donated clothes to children

Robert and Maria (continued)

· Income drops to $1500 per month

· Down from $3000

· Wouldn’t file for bankruptcy

· Wouldn’t sell the home

What makes Robert and Maria different from Kate and Dee?

· Married two parent household

· Marketable skills

· Poverty seems short term

· Illness or unexpected event led to temporary poverty

· Poverty isn’t always long term

· Health insurance crucial to their situation

· Lack of insurance left them in debt

· Ppl w/o health insurance forgo going to the doctor until end up in the emergency room

· Hospital bill more expensive then

· Robert’s appendix issue is an example

Conclusion

· Poverty is diverse

· Poverty is structural

· Most families are poor because of structural conditions not laziness

· Sociological Imagination

· Understanding the importance between individuals and the society in which they live

· We tend to look solely at the individual and not society

· Capitalism aids poverty

· Prejudice and poverty

· People assume blacks and Hispanics are lazy

· Poverty is feminized

· Lower wages to women

· Solution to poverty is structural in nature