Book Title: The American way of poverty: How the other half still lives
Author: Sasha Abramsky
Reviewer: Marissa Norris
Dr. Moyer
I remained captured within the material in The American way of poverty: How the other half still lives. I had a recent discussion with my site supervisor at my internship and I shared how I felt that housing might be the issue within violent households. Her response immediately had my mind full of questions. She shared that the issue of poverty needs to be solved first. I thought to myself why ideas developed always but never acted upon. Could the issue be more than providing resources. Limited resources are available for individuals in need. When you have adequate income to meet the essential basic needs of food ( water), housing, and clothing, could you still be lacking something. The saying “Money does not always buy happiness” , refreshes my memory on Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
“Poverty is, after all, a web of problems enormous in their complexity. It bubbles up because of systemic failure in how the economy and the political process functions and at the same time, it also emerges because of individual choices and behaviours (Ambramsky. p. 199)". The statement "emerges because of individual choices and behaviours" truly grabbed my attention. Choices are acted upon based on how an individual state of mind is. My personal goals include to not depend on the government for physiological needs. I once lived in low-income housing and had SNAP benefits. Depending on anyone can be a personal burden. Many people get comfortable and are ok with getting by. I choose not to do this.
“There will have to be an expansion in the resources available to meet the needs of the long-term unemployed and jobless, as well as resources to keep the short-term unemployment out of poverty and to preserve the assets of the working and middle classes during particularly acute economic downturns (Abramsky. p. 203)”. Resources are slowly becoming limited, rural area citizens are already at an disadvantages compared to urban area citizens for resources. Support is vital to get over a life crisis. Without proper support one may be at risk for developmental delays, trauma, or health issues. How can we look to resources when the government is stripping the needed of what the mission of social services is. Educators in social services may consider new methods to prevent individual choices and behaviors that led to poverty. I have always felt the home structure needs to be examined more. Issues arise from broken homes. Yes, money is a cause. However, when you have enough money to meet the essential basic needs, having love, safety, and high self-esteem are a factor in happiness in life.
“And in 2009, recognizing the severity of the need, and the unavailability of jobs at the depth of the recession, the authors of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) suspended this Requirement for most receptions of snap nationwide. Yet two groups weren’t exempt from the work requirement for most recipients of SNAP nationwide. Yet two groups weren’t exempted from the work requirement: the first was students. Thus a working-class student trying to better him- or herself by enrolling in college after being laid off will have to work 20 hours a week to get food stamps. If that person could not work, he or she will lose the benefits. But if he dropped out of college, still qualify even without fighting work. It's a catch- 22 poverty trap (Ambrasky. p. 222).” The following point shared by Ambrasky hit home. I am that working-class student trying to better myself by enrolling at Eastern Illinois University. I do not qualify for SNAP because I work more than 20 hours a week. I have had to face hardship to get to my current situation. I found this appalling that working-class student are out under a requirement to receive support not all college students can by on the written way of doing things. I am struggling and have learned to seek other resources while in college. Our government system needs to reconsider this requirement for receptions of snap nationwide
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