Have you ever noticed a co-worker’s grammar mistakes, such as “I don't have no...,” or, “I axed him to go?” Chances are that if you notice these types of errors, then you are solidly middle class in your values. Use of language is just one of several benchmarks that distinguish between the three economic levels of poverty, middle class, and wealthy.
Ruby K Payne has written this book for educators, with the goal of enabling them to effectively reach their students. She makes the interesting observation that financial resources do not explain the difference in the success with which individuals leave poverty, nor does the lack of money explain the reasons that many stay in poverty.
Generational poverty is defined as having been in poverty for two successive generations. Situational poverty is caused by a sudden financial catastrophic event, such as sickness or divorce. Both types have their own set of problems to overcome.
She explains seven resources other than money that contribute to a person’s social class:
(1) Emotional resources are the most important, because they give you the strength to not return to old habit patterns. (2) Mental resources are the ability to process daily information. If you can read and write, you have an advantage. (3) Spiritual resources are powerful because the individual can draw on a power greater than himself, and life is not destined to fate, but rather a higher purpose. (4) Physical resources refer to having a body that is healthy. (5) Support systems are important for providing such things as child care and emergency money. (6) Relationship resources are needed to provide mentors and role models. (7) Knowledge of hidden rules is essential to understanding the class you are in, and the class you wish to transition to. Each economic level has specific unwritten rules, which can be mystifying to the other levels. For example, a person in poverty is much more likely to know how to get someone out of jail. A middle class person understands term life insurance, and a wealthy person knows how to get their children into selective private schools.
In order to move from one class to the other successfully, it is critical to have a mentor already in that class. Without a mentor, it is almost impossible to learn the hidden rules.
One of the more interesting differences between classes is their world view. Those in poverty see the world in terms of their local setting. The middle class have a national outlook, and the wealthy are much more likely to have an international view.
This book is a great tool for teachers who want to communicate effectively with their students of all three economic levels. It is also useful for anyone who wants to understand why it is so difficult to leave poverty and transition to the middle class.
I was fascinated by the way the three classes treat money. Those in poverty spend and share with each other; the middle class earns and accumulates, and the wealthy preserve.
Which class do you fall in? Have you or your family recently transitioned up or down the scale? What precipitated the change? I’m interested to know.
Ruby K Payne has written this book for educators, with the goal of enabling them to effectively reach their students. She makes the interesting observation that financial resources do not explain the difference in the success with which individuals leave poverty, nor does the lack of money explain the reasons that many stay in poverty.
Generational poverty is defined as having been in poverty for two successive generations. Situational poverty is caused by a sudden financial catastrophic event, such as sickness or divorce. Both types have their own set of problems to overcome.
She explains seven resources other than money that contribute to a person’s social class:
(1) Emotional resources are the most important, because they give you the strength to not return to old habit patterns. (2) Mental resources are the ability to process daily information. If you can read and write, you have an advantage. (3) Spiritual resources are powerful because the individual can draw on a power greater than himself, and life is not destined to fate, but rather a higher purpose. (4) Physical resources refer to having a body that is healthy. (5) Support systems are important for providing such things as child care and emergency money. (6) Relationship resources are needed to provide mentors and role models. (7) Knowledge of hidden rules is essential to understanding the class you are in, and the class you wish to transition to. Each economic level has specific unwritten rules, which can be mystifying to the other levels. For example, a person in poverty is much more likely to know how to get someone out of jail. A middle class person understands term life insurance, and a wealthy person knows how to get their children into selective private schools.
In order to move from one class to the other successfully, it is critical to have a mentor already in that class. Without a mentor, it is almost impossible to learn the hidden rules.
One of the more interesting differences between classes is their world view. Those in poverty see the world in terms of their local setting. The middle class have a national outlook, and the wealthy are much more likely to have an international view.
This book is a great tool for teachers who want to communicate effectively with their students of all three economic levels. It is also useful for anyone who wants to understand why it is so difficult to leave poverty and transition to the middle class.
I was fascinated by the way the three classes treat money. Those in poverty spend and share with each other; the middle class earns and accumulates, and the wealthy preserve.
Which class do you fall in? Have you or your family recently transitioned up or down the scale? What precipitated the change? I’m interested to know.
