Comparing The Behaviors Of The Able Family And The Binges Family

Poverty. Unemployment. Potential foreclosure. Words all too familiar to Americans everywhere. The PBS Frontline documentary, Two American Families, is the heartbreaking, yet hopeful look at the struggles of two Milwaukee families, the Neumanns and the Stanleys, over roughly two decades, 1991 to 2012. While ideally the concept of meritocracy would indicate the efforts of these hard working families should influence their social standing, the reality of social stratification remains, with their wealth, power, and prestige, or lack thereof, used to cement their place, and primarily that of their children, in society.

There are arguments that individuals may benefit from living in poor neighborhoods. This is because they are able to share coping strategies as well as well as benefit from geographically based networks that provide support to people living in poor neighborhoods. The coping strategies employed include reducing expenses,

In the United States, there has been a long debate over whether or not students without means are more disadvantaged in life than those that do have the means. This has historically been a very conflicting topic when it comes to the data that has been gathered. This is because of a variety of different factors that have been studied to try and explain the phenomenon. After volunteering with the pantry and the distribution center, I feel that there is something to be said when coming from a place of means.

In the movie Perfect Sisters, the theory that best applies is strain theory. According to Siegel and Welsh (2012) “strain theory suggests that while most people share similar values and goals, such as a good education, a nice home, a great car, and stylish clothes, the ability to achieve these personal goals is stratified by socioeconomic class. While the affluent may live out the ‘American Dream,’ the poor are shut out from achieving their goals. Because poor kids can’t always get what they want, they begin to feel frustrated and angry, a condition referred to as strain.” Sandra and Beth were discontent that their mother could not keep a job due to her alcohol dependence. They were upset that the mother kept spending money on alcohol. Leaving them with money troubles. Both became irritated that their friends had better materialistic items than they did. For example, Ashley, the popular girl in school, had big house and hosted big parties. Sandra admits to her that she is sort of jealous of her lifestyle and popularity. Sandra wants to be popular but doesn’t have financial means to obtain such status therefore; she dresses provocative to achieve popularity. Both teens previously talked to their aunt Martha who is “loaded” about moving in with her but she declined. They talked with their father about his obligation he has as their biological father but he lets them know he has a family and can’t take the girls in. They called social services but can’t get any help from them

America is said to be one of the greatest countries in the world. Advanced technology, thriving agriculture, the so-called land of opportunities all obtainable in our beautiful America. So why then do we still have people going hungry every night? Why does such a disparity exist between a person who has an abundance of food and routinely discards food that is perfectly edible and one who digs for those same scraps in trash bins? At times, these people are living within a few miles of each other.

Sykes (2015) had found that families felt a relief from financial stress when it came to receiving their yearly lump sum from the government. They were able to pay back many of their debts, just as a responsible family should. This allowed them to enhance the amount of consumption they were given leeway for. Such as toys or brand name foods. For families in Welfare who were given limited room to grow, EITC left enough money to lift dreams off the ground and making it possible for families to invest in their futures. All of these factors made it easier for the families to feel a sense of citizenship. Social inclusion plays a larger factor than once thought. Using government programs like SNAP (food stamps) ostracized people in public areas; making it difficult to feel proud or in a sense “normal”. I strongly believe that this article found what they set out to look for. The results clearly show that EITC gave low wage families a sense of dignity, but since the population interviewed and tracked was so small it’s difficult to believe that all families in the same program live entirely the same.

The way higher income families degrade the poor or even the lack of support given to help is mainly due to the negative stereotypes that are placed on social status. In the article “Monsters and Messiahs,” UC Riverside professor Mike Davis examines how and why

Demand for jobs decreases and the cost of housing in America continues to rise, making it hard for people to afford it. According to United States Home prices and Values, the median home value in the United States is $182,500 and the cost of housing has increases by 3.7% over the past year and predicts that the cost will increase by 2.4% within the next year. Clearly from this data, we can tell that people living below the poverty line are unable to afford the houses. Also, with their meager income, they have spent it on other things such as food, clothes, schools that are necessities for their survival other than housing. So many things to spend on with their income makes it impossible for them to make a decision and ended up abandoning their

For many individuals the difference between their current income and the cost of increasing housing in their neighborhood puts them at a risk, houses need to be affordable for people with even lower incomes before they consider being homeless. As stated in the Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders it has been said that, “ Homelessness is an acute version of residential instability, which can be compared or contrasted with definitions of poverty” (Homelessness). Homelessness and poverty have similar factors, difficult choices have to be made when individuals have a limited amount resources to provide for themselves and their families. The problem of insufficient incomes has been attributed to the growth of homelessness in the country. Those individuals that are employed are continually at risk of being homeless because by the time they pay their rent and utilities, there is not enough money to buy food or necessities. It is a disparaging thought that many homeless people are living on the streets due to them not receiving an equal opportunity to afford housing. It is equally discouraging when you have a job and still unable to sustain a valuable life, that will not lead you to being homeless. In a recent study, authors Doug Smith and Shelby Grad wrote that, “More than 2 million households in L.A. and Orange County have housing costs that exceed 30% of income, according to data from

Some parents do not understand that they won’t get everything they want in life and similarly, they should not be buying expensive items just to fit in with others. Also, having a low income means not getting what you want whenever you want it. For example, when you want the brand name shoes because everyone else has them, but you do not have enough money, you will look and feel like an outcaste because you don’t have the shoes that everyone in your friends circle has. This leads to social inequality, which then leads to the loss of connection between people in our community. Therefore, income inequality often leads to social

The Binges spend too much money on unnecessary things that makes their life so based on technology. It distracts the family from having bonding time, and even interacting with their fellow community. On the other hand, the Ables is involved with the community more, and gives participation in conserving energy and the environment that surrounds them. Although this family saves money by not purchasing items such as makeup, they know how to take care of their health and prevent themselves from anything that is harmful to the

A disorder is a disruption of normal physical or mental functions. There are several disorders that have affected my family. ADHD is a mental disorder passed on by family genetics, abnormal brain development, or brain injuries, occurring before, during or after birth. ADHD has passed throughout the generations in my family and has varied in severity.

Ironically, the Homeland generation is the first to experience homelessness rates rivaling those of bygone times. We have to look back to the 1930s depression years to see a Gini-coefficient as high as it is today. To this generation the American Dream is a pipe dream and the idea of “upward mobility” an illusion that will be viewed through the lens of vintage nostalgia. Several generations feel the effects, but only the Homelanders grow up in a time after the terror, after the crash and after our trust in the institutions supposed to keep us happy were shattered. From Occupy and Piketty they learn the cruel realities of economic distribution, which reveals that their bounty in life might not be determined so much by their willingness to work hard as by their kin or by chance. Gone is easy credit and sub-prime financed McMansions. Instead we get multigenerational households and multifamily dwellings. Gone are the gas guzzling Hummers and its reputation as status symbol. Instead we see a new generation of parents who may be content using the subway or car-sharing networks. And while rich kids celebrate their birthdays more extravagantly than ever, a new crop of children, sensitized to world problems, often find meaning in

You should become like me so you can afford whatever you want”, it’s difficult. While most are out working to provide for themselves and/or their family, there’s a lot of outside influence whether it be through music and isolation. Or social media, where everyone is flaunting. Everyone is working and spending less time with the children. To compensate we are just buying… and turning them into consumers.

Our nation is a first world country, yet poverty is still a universal dilemma faced in modern society. I would not have ever expected a human being to suffer from such horrific circumstances because even though I do not live in the wealthiest community, impoverished citizens are not as prevalent as they are in the city. I have watched films and television shows with poverty as the centralized theme, however, I did not take it seriously until I had the opportunity to witness it in its true form. Through my work with the Upward Bound program, I had the opportunity to volunteer at a homeless shelter known as the Hannah House during my weekend at the Wanda Hendricks-Bellamy Student Leadership Conference.