Poverty holistically refers to the state or condition of an individual or a community lacking the financial resources and essentials to enjoy a minimum standard of life and well-being that is deemed acceptable in society. The three chosen articles are: (1) Poverty Levels and Debt Indicators among Low-Income Households before and after the Great Recession by Kyoung Tae Kim, Melissa J. Wilmarth, and Robin Henager; (2) The Promise of Economic-Integration: Examining the Relationships Among School Poverty, Individual Poverty, and Reasoning Skills by Michelle Rogers; and (3) Poverty and Brain Development in Children: Implications for Learning by Victor E. Dike.
Summary of Articles
Kim, K. T., Wilmarth, M. J., & Henager, R. (2017). Poverty Levels and Debt Indicators among Low-Income Households before and after the Great Recession. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, Volume 28 (2), 196-212. http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/1052-3073.28.2.196
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The article is a study aimed at analyzing the debt profile of low-income households prior to and after the Great Recession using Survey of Consumer Finances data for 2007, 2010, and 2013. The article utilizes the Heckman selection models to ascertain the three major debt variables; the amount of debt, debt delinquency, as well as the debt-to-income ratio. The findings and results from the selection stage indicated that before and after the recession, the probability of amassing debt increased proportionally to the increase in the income level of the households, that is, advancing into less severe poverty categories. Further findings from the outcome stage revealed that homes in the substantially severe poverty category were less likely to meet debt-to-income ratio guidelines. Ultimately, the authors conclude that after the Great Recession, the lowest income households had higher chances of having higher debt and debt delinquency problems.
Evaluation of the Source
The article significantly makes use of quantitative or empirical data, and as such, empirical evidence to illustrate the findings and discussions of the study. For instance, there is the use of empirical data in the form of a probability table to evidence the probability analysis of holding debt. Indeed, all the terms such as the variables mentioned in the summary and other technical terms such as the Heckman Selection model have been defined. Additionally, the independent variables of the study have also been described. Despite the representation of other cultures and communities such as the Blacks, Hispanic, Asian and others, the authors do not show ethnocentrism. All the evaluations and conclusion regarding these cultures and communities stem from the empirical data presented in the study in lieu of the authors’ personal and cultural standards. Similarly, the perspective presented in the source is based on the empirical data thereby eliminating bias.
Rogers, M. (2016). The Promise of Economic-Integration: Examining the Relationships among School Poverty, Individual Poverty, and Reasoning Skills. eJournal of Education Policy . http://nau.edu/COE/eJournal/
The study aimed to draw the nexus between family income status, school poverty status, and the reasoning ability with the goal of understanding the role of school poverty on cognitive or reasoning skills. To fully ascertain the research inquiries, the authors compared the cognitive ability scores of children from mixed poverty schools with those of students from institutions with low, high, and extreme poverty. Following the analysis of data, the findings indicated that students attending mixed schools portrayed similar reasoning skills to those in schools with low and high poverty. The results also revealed that the most significant disparity existed between students attending the economically-integrated schools and those from schools with extreme poverty. From the discussions, Rogers concluded that regardless of the school poverty status, personal income had a substantial effect on reasoning skills. In addition, the findings had major implications for the economic integration of school policies. Nevertheless, the author noted the lack of conclusive evidence to substantiate the assertion that income-based assignment policies can singularly help decrease performance gaps between middle-class and low-income students.
Evaluation of the Source
The article makes use of empirical data analyzed in the form of statistical tables and graphs to demonstrate the comparison of cognitive skills among schools of different poverty levels. The key terms of the study such as reasoning skills, economic integration, and school poverty have been defined and described and a rationale provided on how they impact the study. However, some statistical concepts such as the cross-sectional national standardization are not defined, but their criteria for the study has been described. All the sentiments regarding race and ethnicity hinge on viable studies such as the racial integration studies. Furthermore, the purpose and research inquiry of the article is focused on how poverty in different schools affects reasoning skills rather than how race or ethnicity affects studies thereby eliminating ethnocentrism. Regarding vested interest of the author or the journal, both parties show no bias in the sense that the article is meant for educational purposes and as such, the perspectives, discussions, and conclusions are directed by the analyzed empirical data in the study.
Dike, V. E. (2017). Poverty and Brain Development in Children: Implications for Learning. Asian Journal of Education and Training, 3 (1), 64-68. DOI: 10.20448/journal.522.2017.31.64.68
The article is a descriptive qualitative study that aimed at ascertaining that living in poverty could put pre-school and school-aged children at health risk and behavioral problems in the classroom thereby affecting brain development. The author addressed the debate regarding the effect of poverty on brain development in children and its implications on learning. The author noted that previous reputable research in the fields of educational neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience and developmental psychology had revealed that living in poverty may in truth alter how the brain develops and the implications could ripple through time to adulthood and professional opportunities.
The research inquiries presented by Dike include the degree to which a child’s environment affects the subject’s brain development, what sections of the brain are affected by poverty as well as what sections are responsible for learning. Discussions revealed that the brain area involved is that responsible for working memory, visuospatial, impulse regulation, as well as language and cognitive conflict. MRI scan findings showed that children from deprived backgrounds had a below-average volume of grey matter in the frontal and parietal lobes. Ultimately, the author concluded that teachers have poor comprehension regarding the basic mechanics of the brain, how it develops, and the functions of each section affected by poverty. This, according to the author, has major implications for learning.
Evaluation of the Source
The article is a qualitative descriptive study, and as such, it is value free. The evidence used in the study is drawn from pertinent literature material and other experiments such as MRI scans. The terms in the article such as the hippocampus, temporal lobe, and frontal lobe to mention a few have been defined. The article’s focus is on poverty and its effects on brain development and ultimate implications for learning. As such, ethnocentrism is not present in the discourse. Additionally, the article is inherently scientific and the sentiments are drawn from scientific literature as they appertain to brain development and education thus eliminating bias and ethnocentrism. To this end, the journal and author have no vested interests other than those bordering on education and awareness regarding brain development and poverty.
Sociological Theories and Concepts
Among the quintessential theories regarding poverty is that of poverty and the undeserving poor. The theory suggests that individual behavior, moral aspects and alleged fecklessness are the key underpinnings of poverty among the same individuals. In other words, the theory holds that individuals are responsible for their poverty, a sociological concept that traces its roots in the 1970s and ‘80s. However, the theory has been expounded by modern-day sociologists thereby widening its scope to include the kinds of opportunities open to individuals as being more salient than mere individual choices and behaviors towards poverty. The theory points out that the close association made between poverty and individual behavior makes it hard to separate poverty from aspects such as unemployment because not all poor individuals are unemployed neither are all unemployed individuals poor.
The second theory that explains the origin of poverty is the cultural turn. Sociologists who advance this theory mention social classes with an economic base as the main reason for poverty. Even though the social distinction has long faded and that now individuals have more control over their destinies, cultural turn maintains that social class has been replaced by consumption which has emerged as an important aspect of satisfaction and distinction. Whereas those in poverty have difficulties in exercising greater consumption, the affluent have wide preference and choices thus increasing their consumption. According to the theory, consumption reinforces social class divisions and distinction, especially in areas such as education, leisure activities, and job attainment.
The third concept in the explanation of poverty is stigma and shame. The deprivation of material and poverty are the primary propellants of stigma and shame. Through stigma and shame, denotations such as ‘the other’ to refer to those in poverty arise closely accompanied by certain labels, images and languages that reflect what it means to be in poverty. In essence, this behavior that is mainly directed to the disadvantaged or the poor is referred to as negative stereotyping. While stereotyping and shame are directed from the top down; that is from those well-off to those experiencing poverty, sometimes the same individuals living in poverty perpetuate the stigmatization. To this end, the concept of stigma and shame also illustrates the struggles and pressure those who live in poverty have to contend with in the bid to disentangle themselves from the shame and stigma associated with poverty.
References
Dike, V. E. (2017). Poverty and Brain Development in Children: Implications for Learning. Asian Journal of Education and Training, 3 (1), 64-68. DOI: 10.20448/journal.522.2017.31.64.68
Kim, K. T., Wilmarth, M. J., & Henager, R. (2017). Poverty Levels and Debt Indicators among Low-Income Households before and after the Great Recession. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, 28 (2), 196-212. http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/1052-3073.28.2.196
Rogers, M. (2016). The Promise of Economic-Integration: Examining the Relationships among School Poverty, Individual Poverty, and Reasoning Skills. eJournal of Education Policy . http://nau.edu/COE/eJournal/
