Introduction
Poverty
is a global issue that limits the development of humanity. However, poverty is
a social phenomenon whose definition is complex and multidimensional. Poverty
is not limited to the economic context, but entails inability for an individual
to take part in social and political life. According to Van (2008), poverty is
defined as “the economic condition in which people lack sufficient income to
obtain certain minimal levels of health services, food, housing, clothing and
education generally recognized as necessary to ensure an adequate standard of
living” (p. 143). People define poverty differently depending on their personal
experiences and what they consider as basic needs in life. There are various
theories developed in the context of poverty and its complex nature.
I.
Hypothesis
Students with poverty limit their performance in schools
due to thelack of stable growing environment.
II.
Sociological
Concepts of Poverty
a. The
individualistic theory describes poverty as a product of an individual’s
inability to compete with others for the scarce resources. The inability to
compete may be caused by lack of intelligence or due to personal attributes.
The theory postulates that one is born with some limitations and that there is
nothing the individual can do about the impoverished situation.
b. The
structural theory elaborates that poverty is generated by external factors
beyond an individual’s control. The
individual gets impoverished due to his or her position in the restrictive
society. The structures within the society limits the ability of people to take
the opportunities, hence they remain poor. The circumstances and the social
forces within society establish the labor market, education system, and
economic growth. These factors play a key role in establishing the standards of
living within the country. Social structures such as race, gender, power, and
class play a key role in establishing the fate of an individual. Inequalities
within society, coupled with structural failures result in some individuals
being poor.
III.
Practical Implications:
i.
Line
of evidence 1:
A. Evidence
and what it means: Children born and
raised in poor families face many challenges that inhibit their performance in
school, unlike those brought up in affluent families. Among the challenges they
face include limited health care, cognitive lags, social and emotional
challenges, and chronic and acute stressors (Jensen, 2009). These children lack
a stable, growing environment, reliable caregivers, and attunement. As a
result, their academic performance is dwindling. The deficits of these children
inhibit development of new brain cells, hence altering their maturity. As a
result, their social and emotional development is undermined.
B. Possible
biases: The structural theory of poverty does
not guarantee poor performance. The causal link between performance and this
theory fails to recognize cases of students born with disabilities, yet upon
being empowered can perform equally as other normal students.
C. An
alternative explanation of what it means: structural
poverty, to some extent, causes poor performance. However, when the student is
provided with the necessary academic input, such a student can perform equally
well as other students.
ii.
Line
if evidence 2:
A. Evidence
and what it means: Capitalism has
triggered inequalities between the rich and the poor. The gap between the two
is more pronounced in economies where the democratic rights of the minorities
are undermined. As a result, the poor attend schools that lack basic education
facilities. These students end up performing lower than other students from the
privileged societies in the national exams (Harris, 2010).
B. Possible
biases: The inequalities between the poor and
the rich have been declining as most economies are adopting strategies meant to
enhance equal distribution of resources. Some scholars argue that the poor
performance of children from poor economic backgrounds is not attributed to
poor infrastructure, but poor upbringing and lack of follow-up with parents,
hence resulting in low grades in tests taken at schools.
C. An
alternative explanation of what it means: although the
structural theory of poverty explains that the poor performance of children
from poor families are mainly caused by inequalities within the society, there
are other factors that make these students fail in class.
IV.
Conclusion
Although there are many other factors
that make students to perform poorly, poverty causing unstable environment, as
explained through structural theory and individual theory, is a major cause of
poor performance in class.
References
Harris, Y. R. (2010). Children
of incarcerated parents: Theoretical, developmental, and clinical issues.
New York: Springer Pub. Co.
Jensen, E. (2009). Chapter
2. How Poverty Affects Behavior and Academic Performance. Retrieved from
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109074/chapters/how-poverty-affects-behavior-and-academic-performance.aspx.
Van, S. C. (2008).Information
communication technologies: Concepts, methodologies, tools, and applications.
Hershey, Pa: Information Science Reference.
|
Points: 120 |
Writing Assignment (Part 3): Investigate a Social Issue |
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Criteria |
Unacceptable Below |
Meets 60-69% |
Fair 70-79% |
Proficient 80-89% |
Exemplary 90-100% |
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8. Weight: |
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