Thursday, February 18, 2010
"Child Poverty Over 30% in Chicago, As Recession Cripples Families" from the Huffington Post on February 16, 2010
This article on the Huffington Post discusses the problematic statistics on child poverty. It was said that nearly a third of Chicago’s children live below the poverty line. Knowing that this many children are living in poverty is tragic, as it is obvious these children are not able to live their life as a “typical child.” They may not be able to get the same toys as their friends; they may not be able to wear their choice of clothing; they may not be able to choose what kind of food they want to eat; they may be being raised in a poverty-struck neighborhood surrounded by other’s who are living in the same conditions as themselves, and so on. All of these issues can greatly affect a child’s well-being.
As stated in the article, over 500,000 children in Illinois were living in poverty and almost 250,000 were living in deep poverty. It is said that this adds up to 1 in 5 Illinois children who live in poverty. Rockford, has a 34% child poverty rate compared to 31% in Chicago. All of these poor innocent children are living day-to-day hoping to just get fed. .”
The article discussed a term called ‘asset poverty’ which is when a person or family doesn’t have enough assets to survive for 12 weeks without income. More than half of single mothers with children at home live in asset poverty in Illinois and jobs are still disappearing.
This is all made worse by Illinois’ budget crisis. The article explains that the state’s deficit is equal to more than half its operating budget. Due to this, Governor Pat Quinn proposed an income tax increase of roughly 50%. It was said that if the state does not do this tax increase then they are going to have to cut vital state services and programs which will create even more harsh experiences for those people and children living in poverty in Illinois.
As stated in the article, over 500,000 children in Illinois were living in poverty and almost 250,000 were living in deep poverty. It is said that this adds up to 1 in 5 Illinois children who live in poverty. Rockford, has a 34% child poverty rate compared to 31% in Chicago. All of these poor innocent children are living day-to-day hoping to just get fed. .”
The article discussed a term called ‘asset poverty’ which is when a person or family doesn’t have enough assets to survive for 12 weeks without income. More than half of single mothers with children at home live in asset poverty in Illinois and jobs are still disappearing.
This is all made worse by Illinois’ budget crisis. The article explains that the state’s deficit is equal to more than half its operating budget. Due to this, Governor Pat Quinn proposed an income tax increase of roughly 50%. It was said that if the state does not do this tax increase then they are going to have to cut vital state services and programs which will create even more harsh experiences for those people and children living in poverty in Illinois.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
My Opinion on Succombe Ch.1- "Critical and Feminist Frameworks"
I agree with Succombe's point of view on pretty much everything she discussed in this section of the chapter. All the issues that feminism brings to light, can not go ignored and there needs to be more of a worldwide understanding of what feminism and the feminist movement really stands for. Gender plays a big part in one's life experiences which should not be the case; however, our society continues to play into and reproduce the social structure in which males are the advantaged population. Many people do not realize this due to a lack of education on this issue, and I feel it is of great importance for all the people who do understand this problem to start spreading their knowledge. The more people who understand the underlying issues associated with gender, the more they will be able to be conscious of it in their own lives, which will hopefully increase their awareness on just how controversial this issue really is.
I also now understand and agree with Succombe when she says welfare is a women's issue. There are obviously also men who are on welfare, but the majority are women, and the reasons she gave makes complete sense. The first reason supporting this is that the vast majority of people who are on welfare live in a single parent household. The mothers are the one's who primarily have custody and raise their children; therefore, women are the one's who make up the vast majority of single parent households. The next reason was that many women are simply one man away or one crisis away from welfare. Many women who are on welfare were at one point in their lives well-off, or at least comfortable; however, for example, if a marriage ends up in a divorce, and the woman did not work during the time she was married, she would now be in a very tough financial situation leaving no other option but to go on welfare to support herself.
The bottom line is that we live in a patriarchal society where male dominance is supported by the way our society is structured. The lives of men compared to the lives of women are two completely different experiences that work to advantage males while disadvantaging females. The truth is that gender really does shape our life experiences which it shouldn't. Succombe's contentions in this section of the chapter discussed these extremely unfortunate situations, which should not exist. But it is books and information like this that needs to be spread-out to others in order for any change in regards to the life experiences of women compared to that of men, to change.
I also now understand and agree with Succombe when she says welfare is a women's issue. There are obviously also men who are on welfare, but the majority are women, and the reasons she gave makes complete sense. The first reason supporting this is that the vast majority of people who are on welfare live in a single parent household. The mothers are the one's who primarily have custody and raise their children; therefore, women are the one's who make up the vast majority of single parent households. The next reason was that many women are simply one man away or one crisis away from welfare. Many women who are on welfare were at one point in their lives well-off, or at least comfortable; however, for example, if a marriage ends up in a divorce, and the woman did not work during the time she was married, she would now be in a very tough financial situation leaving no other option but to go on welfare to support herself.
The bottom line is that we live in a patriarchal society where male dominance is supported by the way our society is structured. The lives of men compared to the lives of women are two completely different experiences that work to advantage males while disadvantaging females. The truth is that gender really does shape our life experiences which it shouldn't. Succombe's contentions in this section of the chapter discussed these extremely unfortunate situations, which should not exist. But it is books and information like this that needs to be spread-out to others in order for any change in regards to the life experiences of women compared to that of men, to change.
Seccombe Ch.1- "Critical and Feminist Frameworks"- What Her Contentions Are and How She Supports This
In the section titled "Critical and Feminist Frameworks" in chapter one, Seccombe makes it clear that her goal is to help us better understand the lives of poor women who are on welfare by providing critical and feminist frameworks to understand their experiences. She continues by explaining that in order to achieve this goal, we need to examine the assumptions, values, and ideologies that are used to justify our attitudes toward these women.
Seccombe brings up an important truth in regards to our society that more people need to be aware of. The way our society is structured makes it seem "normal," to people who are not aware, that social and political arrangements mostly favor the dominant or elite group in society. For people who are not educated on topics such as this, see existing arrangements as reflecting the best interests of all members in society- both rich and poor. Seccombe explains that members in our society internalize these arrangements, which reproduces the status quo, and makes the ideologies become common sense and have shared meanings.
Seccombe states that her ultimate purpose is to reconstuct knowledge designed to empower women and challenge the status quo, which is what feminist research focuses on achieving. She additionally states that she wants to sensitize people to the reality of women's lives. Seccombe explains that research for women emphasizes the importance of context, social processes, and subjective experience.
Also of importance, Seccombe suggests that welfare is a women's issue for two reasons: 1) Only a small percentage of households that recieve cash assistance contain two parents, and most single parent households consist of women; And 2)women are simply one man away or one crisis away from welfare themselves.
Seccombe argues that women face challenges in the gendered workplace. Examples include lower wages for work of comparable worth, occupational segregation, and unequal returns on education. She says that these are the ties that bind women together whether they recognize it or not. Seccombe emphasizes the fact that women's status' are shaped by social, historical, and cultural surroundings that influence the ways in which women experience, interpret, and construct their reality. The bottom line of her argument is that we live in a patriarchal society where male dominance is maintained and supported through law, religion, culture, and societal norms.
Seccombe brings up an important truth in regards to our society that more people need to be aware of. The way our society is structured makes it seem "normal," to people who are not aware, that social and political arrangements mostly favor the dominant or elite group in society. For people who are not educated on topics such as this, see existing arrangements as reflecting the best interests of all members in society- both rich and poor. Seccombe explains that members in our society internalize these arrangements, which reproduces the status quo, and makes the ideologies become common sense and have shared meanings.
Seccombe states that her ultimate purpose is to reconstuct knowledge designed to empower women and challenge the status quo, which is what feminist research focuses on achieving. She additionally states that she wants to sensitize people to the reality of women's lives. Seccombe explains that research for women emphasizes the importance of context, social processes, and subjective experience.
Also of importance, Seccombe suggests that welfare is a women's issue for two reasons: 1) Only a small percentage of households that recieve cash assistance contain two parents, and most single parent households consist of women; And 2)women are simply one man away or one crisis away from welfare themselves.
Seccombe argues that women face challenges in the gendered workplace. Examples include lower wages for work of comparable worth, occupational segregation, and unequal returns on education. She says that these are the ties that bind women together whether they recognize it or not. Seccombe emphasizes the fact that women's status' are shaped by social, historical, and cultural surroundings that influence the ways in which women experience, interpret, and construct their reality. The bottom line of her argument is that we live in a patriarchal society where male dominance is maintained and supported through law, religion, culture, and societal norms.
Reflection on Chicago Coalition Presentation
The speakers of the Chicago Coalition discussed an issue in regards to the homeless that can have a negative impact on their ability to move themselves out of extreme poverty. The issue was that important projects, geared toward helping the homeless, have been cut due to the city's budget crisis. I feel there is something really wrong with our economy when projects are being cut for the most vulnerable population in America.
The two speakers, Stephanie and Jose, who at one point were both homeless, were two examples of many who had a story to tell. To work your way up from being homeless, I can only imagine, is an extremely difficult process for many, as they are not likely to have the proper knowledge, guidance and resources to do otherwise. It is this homeless population that is in the most need. Instead of helping, our city made budget cuts due to the budget crisis, on programs that were used to successfully help this population in one way or another. Why our most vulnerable population? These are the people who have been to hell and back and it was decided to cut programs which had the potential to assist these individuals in a positive direction. The only thing that makes sense to me is that the programs for the homeless were seen as unimportant to give money to when we are in a budget crisis, as the homeless people are viewed by many to be a "burden to society."
The three programs discussed that were cut were: Homeless education, homeless youth programs and homeless prevention. I really feel that by getting rid of these programs is like throwing the homeless down into the tubes. They would get no education, there would be no youth programs which could possibly help to prevent one from living a life of crime, and there would be no homeless prevention. Cutting these significant programs is only going to cause this population to reproduce and increase in numbers. These are the people we need to focus on helping out, not the one's who refer to this severe problem as being of unimportance.
The two speakers, Stephanie and Jose, who at one point were both homeless, were two examples of many who had a story to tell. To work your way up from being homeless, I can only imagine, is an extremely difficult process for many, as they are not likely to have the proper knowledge, guidance and resources to do otherwise. It is this homeless population that is in the most need. Instead of helping, our city made budget cuts due to the budget crisis, on programs that were used to successfully help this population in one way or another. Why our most vulnerable population? These are the people who have been to hell and back and it was decided to cut programs which had the potential to assist these individuals in a positive direction. The only thing that makes sense to me is that the programs for the homeless were seen as unimportant to give money to when we are in a budget crisis, as the homeless people are viewed by many to be a "burden to society."
The three programs discussed that were cut were: Homeless education, homeless youth programs and homeless prevention. I really feel that by getting rid of these programs is like throwing the homeless down into the tubes. They would get no education, there would be no youth programs which could possibly help to prevent one from living a life of crime, and there would be no homeless prevention. Cutting these significant programs is only going to cause this population to reproduce and increase in numbers. These are the people we need to focus on helping out, not the one's who refer to this severe problem as being of unimportance.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
What the Legal Definition of Poverty Should Be
The legal definition of poverty should be that it is a state of living in which a person or people are not able to afford the necessary, needed and vital resources in order to survive, succeed and advance in their lives. Education, health care, food and shelter are a few of the most important needed necessities in which everyone needs to have in order to live a comfortable and healthy lifestyle.
My Personal Definition of Poverty
My personal definition of poverty is difficult to sum up into one sentence. I think poverty means that an individual(s)lives below the given poverty level for their specific state. Additionally, in my opinion, to live in poverty means the person is living without the basic means to survive under normal conditions, such as, education, a home, food, health care and so on. If one does not have the income to be able to obtain the necessary resources for survival, for themselves and their family, is what the definition of poverty means to me.
Poverty Level in Illinois
The poverty level in Illinois is different depending on the number of people living in a single household. As reported on the illinoislegalaid.org website, For one person, the poverty level is an annual income of $10,830.00 or less. For two people, the level is a combined annual income of $14,570. For three people, it is $18,310.00 and for four people it is $22,050.00, and so on. The website gives you the poverty level for households consisting of up to 10 people.
As reported on city-data.com, residents in chicago living below the poverty level was 20.5% in 2007 and 11.9% for the state as a whole. It is stated that residents in Chicago with incomes below 50% of the poverty level in 2007, was at 9.1%. As for the whole state it was at 5.3%. Poor male residents in Chicago consisted mostly of those under the age of 5 up until 18 years of age. This shows that at this time, poor males were mostly children and adolescents. As for female residents, the percentages were more scattered; however, like the poor males, the poor females also consisted of those under 5 years of age up until 18 years of age. The highest percentage for males were between the ages of 12-14 years old, and for females, 6-11 years old.
As reported on city-data.com, residents in chicago living below the poverty level was 20.5% in 2007 and 11.9% for the state as a whole. It is stated that residents in Chicago with incomes below 50% of the poverty level in 2007, was at 9.1%. As for the whole state it was at 5.3%. Poor male residents in Chicago consisted mostly of those under the age of 5 up until 18 years of age. This shows that at this time, poor males were mostly children and adolescents. As for female residents, the percentages were more scattered; however, like the poor males, the poor females also consisted of those under 5 years of age up until 18 years of age. The highest percentage for males were between the ages of 12-14 years old, and for females, 6-11 years old.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Poverty and Homelessness in Boston, MA
For the City presentation, my group was assigned to the city Boston. I focused on the Affordable Housing aspect of the Homelessness issues that are present in Boston, which is what I will discuss during the presentation. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the information I found in regards to this topic. Boston's Mayor, Thomas M. Menino, and his administration has focused on housing as a top priority since January 1999. The mission of the Department of Neighborhood Development (DND)is to make Boston the most livable city in the nation by working with communities to build strong neighborhoods through the strategic investment of public resources. DND uses these resources to support a homeless housing strategy that starts with homelessness prevention, continues to emergency shelter, then transitional housing and ends with permanent and supportive housing.
Boston has many programs aimed to help the homeless. Some important ones include, but are not limited to: 1) “Homeless Set-Aside”- in which part of the housing in Boston is set aside for the homeless. 2) “Housing Development for the Homeless”- with this, DND creates or rehabs entire buildings for the homeless. 3) “Leading the Way III”- which makes providing for the homeless an integral part of the city’s housing strategy. “Leading the Way” and “Leading the Way II” has led to the “Leading the Way III” campaign which is still in the works today. - All three of the “Leading the Way” campaigns were/are the most important forces which helped prevent and decrease homelessness in the city. During my presentation, I will give a more in-depth explanation as to how the three "Leading the Way" campaigns have been and still are successful in an attempt to end homelessness in Boston.
Boston has many programs aimed to help the homeless. Some important ones include, but are not limited to: 1) “Homeless Set-Aside”- in which part of the housing in Boston is set aside for the homeless. 2) “Housing Development for the Homeless”- with this, DND creates or rehabs entire buildings for the homeless. 3) “Leading the Way III”- which makes providing for the homeless an integral part of the city’s housing strategy. “Leading the Way” and “Leading the Way II” has led to the “Leading the Way III” campaign which is still in the works today. - All three of the “Leading the Way” campaigns were/are the most important forces which helped prevent and decrease homelessness in the city. During my presentation, I will give a more in-depth explanation as to how the three "Leading the Way" campaigns have been and still are successful in an attempt to end homelessness in Boston.
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