The ‘Culture of Poverty’ and Other Myths that Harm Low Income Students

by Paul C. Gorski [email protected]

I. What We (Think We) Know

Class and Poverty Awareness Quiz – Humility is key – Cognitive dissonance is inevitable 2

I.

Introductory Blabber: Who We Are • • Who’s in the room?

My background and lens 3

I.

Introductory Blabber: Starting Assumptions 1.

2.

3.

All students deserve equitable access to the best possible education Gross inequities in society and schools mean that all students don’t have equitable access (See handout.) Low-income people bear the brunt of almost every imaginable social ill in the U.S.

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I.

Introductory Blabber: Objectives 1.

2.

3.

Understand class and poverty in the U.S. more complexly -

consciousness

Learn what educators can do to ensure we aren’t contributing to the inequities Learn what educators can do to counter the inequities -

pragmatism

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I.

Introductory Blabber: The Agenda 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Introductory Blabber (in progress) Stereotypes of Economically Disadvantaged Key Concepts The Big Picture: Ten Chairs and a Pyramid Dimensions of Class Inequity in Schools Shifts of Consciousness Being an Anti-Poverty Educator 6

Part II:

Stereotypes of the Economically Disadvantaged

II. Stereotypers Are Us • Pairs: Name all the stereotypes you know about low-income people – And note where they come from 8

II. Stereotypers Are Us

Stereotype: Laziness

Ah, but: According to the Economic Policy Institute (2002), poor working adults

spend more hours working per week on average

than their wealthier counterparts. 9

II. Stereotypers Are Us

Stereotype: Don’t Value Education

Ah, but: Low-income parents hold the exact same attitudes about education as wealthy parents (Compton-Lilly, 2003; Lareau & Horvat, 1999; Leichter, 1978; Varenne & McDermott, 1986). 10

II. Stereotypers Are Us

Stereotype: Substance Abuse

Ah, but: Alcohol abuse is far more prevalent among wealthy people than poor people (Galea, Ahern, Tracy, & Vlahov, 2007). And drug use equally distributed across poor, middle class, and wealthy communities (Saxe, Kadushin, Tighe, Rindskopf, & Beveridge, 2001). 11

II. Stereotypers Are Us

Stereotype: Crime and Violence

Ah, but: Poor people do not commit

more crime

than wealthy people —they only commit

more visible crime

. Furthermore, white collar crime results in much greater economic (and life) losses than so-called “violent” crime. 12

II. Stereotypers Are Us Where, then, do these stereotypes come from, and what are their implications?

…more on this later… 13

Part III

Three Cool Key Concepts

III. Key Concepts 1.

2.

3.

The ‘Culture of Poverty’ Deficit Theory The “Undeserving” Poor 15

III. Key Concept: The ‘Culture of Poverty’

• • • • • What is it?

Who made it up?

What the research says Why it’s dangerous Where you’ve seen it in education 16

III. Key Concept: The ‘Deficit Theory’

• • • • Two Components Example: Payne’s reflections on Katrina (see handout) Why it’s dangerous Where you’ve seen it in education 17

III. Key Concept: The ‘Undeserving Poor’

• • • Herbert Gans,

The War Against the Poor

Deterioration of support for policy “Welfare Reform” 18

Part IV

The Big Picture: Ten Chairs and a Pyramid

Part VI

Shifts of Consciousness

VI. Shift of Consciousness #1

• Must be willing to think critically about those things about which I’ve been taught not to think critically – Corporate capitalism – Two-party political system – Consumer culture • And the relationship between these things and racism – Myth of meritocracy 21

VI. Shift of Consciousness #2

• Must understand the intersectionality of class with race, gender, disability, and other factors. – We cannot fully understand poverty without understanding how it relates to these issues.

– Racism as economic exploitation 22

VI. Shift of Consciousness #3

• Must expose and reject deficit theory and the “culture of poverty” myth – Blame people in oppressed groups for their oppression – Create hostile conditions, then demonize people for being angry or resistant 23

VI. Shift of Consciousness #4

• Must acknowledge class-related inequities and oppressions —and understand them as systemic and not just individual acts and practices – So changing hearts isn’t enough to create equitable schools —must prepare ourselves and others to change institutions and society 24

VI. Shift of Consciousness #6

• Must challenge stereotypes – From students, peers, parents, bosses, whoever… – And if you don’t have the information to challenge the stereotypes, then actively seek it out 25

VI. Shift of Consciousness #7

• Must refuse to mistake socioeconomic class with “culture” – Class is sociopolitical in nature—it’s largely done

to

people 26

VI. Shift of Consciousness #9

• Must be careful to avoid “saviour syndrome” or “messiah mentality” – This is an expression of supremacy and privilege – Who, exactly, is being “saved” in anti-poverty work?

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Part VII

What We Can Do

VII. What We Can Do: Fight for Poor Students • Fight to keep low-income students from being placed unfairly into lower tracks.

• And fight to get them into gifted and talented programs.

• Or fight tracking altogether.

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VII. What We Can Do: Teach About Class and Poverty • • • • Lack of living wage jobs Dissolution of labor unions Growing wealth gap Corporate control of government and schools • Etc. 30

VII. What We Can Do:

Take Back Our Heroes • Resist whitewashing or commercialization of social justice heroes who fought for class equity – MLK – Helen Keller – Mark Twain 31

VII. What We Can Do:

Help Students with Necessities • Keep extra coats, school supplies, and snacks around.

– Distribute them quietly.

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VII. What We Can Do:

Rethink Parent Involvement • Is it equitable? Is it accessible to all parents, such as those who: – Can’t afford childcare or public transportation – Don’t have jobs with paid leave?

– Work multiple jobs?

– Experienced school as hostile when they were students?

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VII. What We Can Do:

Be Assessed • Invite a colleague to observe your interactions with students and give you feedback 34

VII. What We Can Do:

Have High Expectations • Give low-income students access to high quality, higher-order thinking curriculum and pedagogy —the kind usually reserved for their wealthier peers 35

VII. What We Can Do:

Be Relevant • Make sure examples and content are relevant to the lives of low-income students 36

VII. What We Can Do:

Be Persistent • Continue reaching out to low-income families who you experience as unresponsive —and don’t assume you know why they’re being unresponsive – We don’t make up for generations of hostility with one or two phone calls… 37

VII. What We Can Do:

Be Thoughtful • Never assume that all students have easy access to computers and the Internet – Do not assign work requiring these resources without providing in-class time to complete them 38

VII. What We Can Do:

Don’t “Let Them Eat Cake” • Fight to ensure that school lunches offer healthy options – School-served breakfasts are infamous for being unhealthy 39

VII. What We Can Do:

Be Careful with Corporations • Carefully review corporate-school partnerships 40

VII. What We Can Do:

Use Best Practices • Research has shown that there is no set of “best practices” specifically for teaching low-income students —but that “best practices” are “best practices” if we can assess where students are 41

VII. What We Can Do:

Evaluate Materials FINALLY: • Make sure your classroom or office materials or decorations do not stereotype —even if subtly—economically disadvantaged people 42

Paul C. Gorski [email protected]

http://www.EdChange.org