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Face Of Poverty

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The text Changing the Face of Poverty by Diana George and the text Homeless on Campus by Eleanor J. Bader deals with the main idea of poverty in its different forms across America. The authors want to prove that people are turning a blind eye towards poverty because many people do not see it in their everyday lives. If the rising destitution in America would be acknowledged, programs such as Habitat for Humanity and the LeTendre Education fund could be more efficient in tending to the needs of those in poverty. The authors explore how homelessness/poverty is inaccurately portrayed by organizations or people, inhumane and abusive conditions in poverty infused homes, and how the two female authors use similar appeals throughout their…show more content…
Both of these texts provide stellar examples of how the media misportrays homelessness and poverty. In the first text, Changing the Face of Poverty, George includes a visual ad from Children's Incorporated that shows a little girl who looks deprived of the basic needs. Childrens Inc used this picture to get the point across that poverty exists even though you may not see it in your day to day lives, however, poverty does not always look like this. By using stereotypical pictures like this, it is making people feel like this is the only way that poverty exists. In reality, poverty exists in many forms and sometimes cannot be seen. This shows that poverty needs to be paid more attention to so we are not only helping children who fit the stereotypical image provided by Children's Inc. George also talks about the publicity videos put out by Habitat for Humanity. Like the picture ad from Childrens Inc, these publicity videos display the cliche version of poverty in America. George states, “The real trouble with Habitat’s representation, then, is twofold: it tells us that the signs of poverty are visible and easily recognized.” Since poverty, is only recognized in certain ways, only a handful of people in need are receiving help. In the second text, Homeless on Campus, Bader tells the stories of a few college students who struggle to attend school while looking for a warm place to sleep that night. Unlike in the previous text, instead of the inaccurate representation of
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