Social Class: Working With Economically Disadvantaged Students Flashcards
1
Q
Definitions of Poverty
A
Poverty - “Lack of means of providing material needs or comforts,” (Yoshikawa, Aber, & Beardslee, 2012). The US Gov’t defines poverty as living in a household with a gross income under the official poverty line (e.g. under $22,000 for a family of four).
2
Q
Impact of Economic Disadvantage
A
- Economically Disadvantage:
• Family, school, and community resources that are insufficient to ensure material, medical, psychological and educations needs of a child.
• Issues of Social Justice:
- Access to necessary and appropriate resources
- Experiences of being treated with respect
- Experiences of being treated with fairness
3
Q
• Rural poverty
A
- occurs in nonmetropolitan areas with populations below 50,000. In rural areas, there are more single-guardian households, and families often have less access to services, support for disabilities, and quality education opportunities.
4
Q
• Urban poverty
A
- occurs in metropolitan areas with populations of at least 50,000 people.
5
Q
• Relative poverty
A
- refers to the economic status of a family whose income is insufficient to meet its society’s average standard of living.
6
Q
• Absolute poverty
A
- involves a scarcity of such necessities as shelter, running water, and food.
7
Q
• Generational poverty
A
- occurs in families where at least two generations have been born into poverty.
8
Q
• Situational poverty
A
- is caused by a sudden crisis or loss; often is temporary.
9
Q
- Children’s Physical Health:
A
- Inadequate prenatal care
- Exposure to Environmental toxins (lead poisoning)
- Poor nutrition
- Exposure to drugs and alcohol
- Low birth weight
- Stunted growth
- Increased health issues such as asthma and anemia
10
Q
- Impact on Development of the Brain:
A
• Examined the impact of SES impact on the prefrontal cortex
- Found that SES predicted thickness of prefrontal cortex
- Data suggests that the brain’s of economically disadvantaged children look different than their wealthier counterparts.
- Differences are reflected children’s working memory, problem-solving and executive functioning skills.
11
Q
- Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Health:
A
- 21% of children ages 6-17 from economic disadvantage have an emotional or behavioral problem.
- Half of these children are uninsured and experience difficulty accessing mental health services.
- 80% of economically disadvantaged youth are in need of mental health services , but have not received services within the span of 12 months.
12
Q
- Academic Impact:
A
• Most economically disadvantaged youth attend under-resourced public schools and fall
academically behind.
- Poor school attendance
- Drop outs and retention
- Learning disabilities
- Suspensions.
- Due to periods of homelessness, children move several times throughout the year.
- Difficulty mastering the curriculum
13
Q
- Impact on Families:
A
- More than half of these children live in a single- parent household lead by teenage mothers.
- Shift to single-parent household reduces financial and social resource available to the child.
- Exposure to chronic stress
- Stress-ridden attachments
- Ineffective parenting skills
- Higher risk for physical abuse and/or neglect due to low parental frustration tolerance.
- Families tend to reside in communities characterized by social disorganization (e.g. crime, violence, unemployment).
- Fewer resources for development (e.g. housing options, child care)
- Period of homelessness
- Fewer opportunities for advancement
- Less cognitive stimulation
14
Q
- Effects on Economic Disadvantage on Schools:
A
- Inadequate funding
- Facilities are not maintained, ill-functioning, and unsafe.
- Teachers often are underpaid, frustrated and unprepared to handle the social/emotional issues of the students.
- Teacher prep program do not prepare teachers to work the economically disadvantaged youth.
- High performing teachers often abandon profession, leaving less experienced teachers to service the students.
