On Poverty

A few weeks ago, I attended a two-day workshop on poverty. The workshop focused on key points from Ruby Payne's "A Framework for Understanding Poverty". I think these ideas are important for everyone to understand, especially people who have regular contact with people living in poverty. Here's what I learned:

The causes of poverty are: 1) behaviors of the individual; 2) human and social capital in the community; 3) exploitation; and, 4) political and economic structures.

Poverty is relative.

Poverty occurs in all races. (Rural Poverty vs. Urban Poverty)

Generational and situational poverty are different.

Research on poverty is based on patterns, and all patterns have exceptions.

Schools operate from middle class norms and values.

Focus of people living in poverty: survival, relationships, and entertainment.
Focus of people living in the middle class: work, achievement, and material security.
Focus of people living in the wealthy class: political, financial, and social connections.

Individuals bring with them the hidden rules of the class in which they were raised.

There are cultural differences in poverty.

To move from poverty to the middle class, one must give up (for a period of time) their relationships for achievement.

Two things that help one move out of poverty are: education and relationships.

YOU can build relationships through HIS: high expectations, insistence that they will succeed, and support.

Four reasons one leaves poverty: too painful to stay, vision or goal, key relationship, special talent or skill.

Resources include: financial, emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, support systems, relationships/role models, knowledge of hidden rules.

What can YOU do?
Analyze the person's resources, and make interventions based on the resources that are present.
Understand that failure is often related to missing resources, and identify ways to provide for missing resources.
Remind the person that you're not trying to change them, but you're trying to give them options.