Diana George Poverty

What is poverty? The word poverty produces many different ideas and images in people’s minds depending on their past socializations. Words can create images in people’s minds out of preconceived ideas they have developed through their life experience. In her article titled “Changing the Face of Poverty; Nonprofits and the Problem of Representation” Diana George examines the semantics and the imagery of the word poverty. While also addressing the issue of how people perceive poverty and what people living in poverty truly look like (676). Prof. George is arguing that organizations like Habitat for Humanity, which were created to help people in poverty actually perpetuate the wrong image of what someone in poverty looks like (678). Most organizations created to help those in need, especially those in the

In Diana Georges “Changing the Face of Poverty”, she uses various examples of ads, brands, and organizations  to show that the way poverty is portrayed has corrupted the understanding Americans have on poverty and what it really is. I agree with Diana George’s statement that the impression of poverty through visual imagery is distorted. Her essay examines many aspects of the misrepresentation of poverty. Society believes that they are doing more than what is actually being accomplished. The effect of her explanation allows for the audience to alter their opinion on the true image of poverty. Her use of real organizations within the community strengthens her approach.

As a main point of her argument, she argues that poverty is generally stereotyped into the poverty that would only be seen in Africa, or another third world country. To support this, she establishes a sense of ethos for her readers by citing other individuals that have also noticed the poverty representation gap. Seeing that poverty is a complex issue to begin with, George addresses this complexity by simply suggesting that it should be represented as such in the media. Nonprofit charities may now have to reconsider their

The purpose of this essay is to inform the reader of a real problem, media misrepresentation, and to try to have the reader change the way the think, feel, and perceive the poor. She gives examples of encounters she has had that are a result of the damaging depiction and conveys to the reader why those thoughts are wrong by using her own personal experiences. She mentions that before entering college she never thought about social class. However, the comments from both other students and her professors about poverty were alarming to her. Other people viewed the poor as, “shiftless, mindless, lazy, dishonest, and unworthy” indigents. Hook opposes that stereotypical image of the poor, referring back to being taught in a “culture of poverty,” the values to be intelligent, honest, and hard-working. She uses these personal experiences to her advantage by showing she has had an inside look at poverty.

The reason that people think like this is because all organizations depict the worst of the issue, hoping that people will reach out and donate to their projects. Even though this may be helpful and they do reach their set goal, they are not portraying the other side of poverty that may not be as severe but these people need money and help as well.

To many Americans, poverty is merely a synonym for ‘not rich’. Even those who understand the definition may struggle with the concept that poverty is not a distant, foreign, concern; poverty can occur in any country, region, neighborhood, and household. In a study performed by Carroll et al, 60% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “poor people are poor because of laziness and lack of will power (2011, p. 116). In the same questionnaire, 77% of respondents felt most poor people have the ability to escape poverty without government assistance (Carroll et al, 2011, p. 117). As above facts show, despite the widespread nature of this issue those not living in poverty often have

Words provoke preconceived ideas and images in the mind, when it comes to a situation like poverty these preconceived notions can have undesirable and unintended consequences. Diana George examines the semantics and the imagery of the word poverty in her article titled “Changing the Face of Poverty; Nonprofits and the Problem of Representation. While also addressing the issue of the perception poverty and what someone in poverty truly looks like (676). Prof. George is arguing that organizations like Habitat for Humanity, which are created to help people in poverty actually perpetuate the wrong image of what someone in poverty looks like (678). Most organizations created to help those in need, especially those in the US tend to portray poverty as what is seen and thought of as living conditions in Third World countries (683). In reality, poverty is all around each and every one of us in this country on a daily basis, and people might not always recognize it for what it is (681,682). Furthermore, the majority of people living in poverty in the United States do not live like or look like someone living in a Third World country. But in reality they are still living in poverty nonetheless (682,683). Organizations that portray people living in poverty here in the US as totally devastated and completely impoverished are doing a disservice to the people they are attempting to help. Consequently, by doing this they are giving a limiting idea of what someone living in poverty

Poverty is a main part of life for many people in the world, more specifically the United States. Jeanette Walls displays how immense of a problem poverty is in her memoir, “The Glass Castle”, with her stories of how she grew up and her family’s struggles. How her family was treated along with what the people living around them found important unmistakably shows their economic class. The problem of food scarcity, or not having the bare necessities are some of poverty’s key problems. In “The Glass Castle”, the issues of poverty are displayed through not having the basic necessities, not being able to provide for children, and how there is not always enough food to feed everyone in the family.

The author describes various solutions to fighting poverty across the U.S as well as how poverty can affect individuals. The authors research focuses on the life of Tianna Gaines- Turner and her husband in that even though they both work. It's not enough to cover the expenses they are having to do for themselves and children. And since they can’t sustain the family they can get food benefits such as SNAP. Furthermore, the author also mentions some solutions to fighting poverty. Like increasing federal aid, federal housing programs, as well as individuals that have businesses can help to ease poverty in the U.S.

The final chapter of Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich, “Evaluation”, states about low income families being almost invisible to the mid to high income families. This observation is valid because walking around places, Walmart, Kmart, etc., a person cannot distinguish what class the person is in. Poorer families are also rarely portrayed on television or other forms of entertainment, unless the show is about people getting arrested, since most people only find higher class, comfortable people interesting.

Poverty in the United States is an ongoing issue that needs more attention than it currently receives because a bulk of Americans are trapped struggling to survive in unbearable living conditions. Although the government has funded programs and there are organizations that donate to the poor, there are still numerous poor people who are suffering to get through another day. People usually disregard these issues simply because they do not understand how oppressive poverty. Jo Goodwin Parker, a writer who has decided to remain anonymous, presents the relevant issues of poverty in current day in her essay “What is Poverty?” to describe the conditions she has to live in. Parker reveals poverty’s oppressiveness

In the article in the textbook (Changing the Face of poverty) by Diana George represents the children who are going through poverty by showing an image of a little girl. Who is used to present the world on how poverty can really traumatize the people who are living through it, so the viewers can consume a better understanding for those who have never witness the terrible outcome of what poverty can do to men, women, and children. Also, mentions an organization called Habitat of Humanity who she highly appreciates for helping the poverty in incredible ways. In the research article (Helping People Escape Poverty) by Jane Jennings explains the stats and income on how the United States is handling poverty. Also, focuses on the main impacts on

Major social problems such as poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, violence, and oppression in the United States seems to be on the minds of many American people. For some, the problems seem to be getting worse. People are feeling increasingly helpless and frustrated. According to Wilson (1996), there has been an increase in the amount of research being done that is based on the public’s perception of social inequality in America. One such issue is that of housing for the poor. Many believe that poverty in our society is created and maintained by individuals and passed down from generation to generation, thereby creating a culture of poverty. Others believe that our social policies regarding the poor are structurally broken and this creates a continuation of poverty within our

When I’m driving, or walking, or riding a bike, or taking whatever type of transportation and I see a person who is homeless I do one of two things: 1) Avoid eye contact and act as if they don’t exist or 2) I give them some extra food or my loose change. Poverty is something that most people tend to ignore, or act like someone else is there to fix it. This image critically argues that poverty and/or homelessness isn’t something that can be fixed with some coins it requires an actual change. This image makes this argument with its size and color, play on words that targets a specific audience, and interconnecting logos, ethos, and pathos.

All around the world, the majority of the population’s lives are lived in comfort, but very little action is taken to support those who cannot support themselves. Certain comforts are taken for granted in today’s modern society, and so many everyday citizens that are seemingly unaffected by the low-income population forget that there are people who may have never had a roof over their head or a full stomach. Such conditions are commonly tied to low income and homelessness. Poverty is the canopy under which similar circumstances fall, but the category is actually quite specific. Poverty is a despicable set of circumstances that needs to be terminated and can be eradicated with assistance from kindhearted citizens that can spare time, money, and any resources that can be found helpful to rid planet Earth of such a repulsive dilemma.