1. A Framework for Understanding Poverty Chapter Four: The ‘Situated Learning’ Reality of Generational Poverty: How it impacts Navigation of One’s Life
By: Daniela Denis

2. 2 Types of Poverty
Generational Poverty: having been in poverty for at least two generations
Situational poverty: lack of resources due to a particular event
Death, chronic illness, divorce, etc.

3. Prevailing Attitude
Key indicator of whether its generational or situational
Generational: society “owes me a living”
Situational: one of pride and great reluctance to accept charity.

4. Reality of Generational Poverty
Instability of housing
Violence
Food insecurity
Unemployment/ underemployment
Unaddressed health issues
Frequent exposure to addiction
Predators (both inside and outside the group)
Periodic homelessness
Crowded housing/lack of personal space
Lots of time at agencies getting assistance
Uneducated/ undereducated adults
Limited knowledge bases
Death
Incarceration

5. Case Studies Walter (Caucasian male) Humor involved in story
Way to mask the deep pain and disgust for what happened
Sandy Smith
Following the path of others
Turned life around after being held gunpoint (6 months pregnant)
Believes her way out of poverty is to complete education

6. Lack of Understanding of Money in G.P.
Difficulties in learning how to handle money
How to manage what you never had
Ex: Checking account, checks bouncing
Not knowing checks represent money but arent cash

7. Organization of Space and Paper in G.P
Space is where your body goes and how often you keep track of things.
Skills may have not been learned
Middle class homes= space assigned a function
Ex: bedroom people sleep
Organization function
Ex: drawer will have the silverware, drawer for plates
Moving= less space and no time
Homework, organization

8. Characteristics may surface with adults and students from poverty
They…
Get mad and quit their job/work. If they don’t like the boss/teacher, they will quit. The emphasis is on the current feeling, not the long- term ramifications
Will work hard if they like you
Either use humor as a conflict-resolution tool or physical assault
Use survival language, tending to operate out of casual register
More opening display feelings and emotion. They don’t have the reserve of wealth or the caution of middle class.
Have an extreme freedom of speech, enjoy a sense of humor, use the personality to entertain, have a love of stories about people.

9. Role of Gender Identity/ Rite of Passage
Primary role of real man:
Physically work hard
Be a physical fighter
To be a lover
Of the three responses to life- to flee, flow, or fight
He can only fight or flee
Stress gets high he fights flees from the law and people closet to him leaves his home heat dies down returns home cycle continues.

10. Generational Poverty’s Family Structure Synonymous with Dysfunctionality
Dysfunctionality is to which an individual cannot get his/her needs met.
Fewer the resources= greater change of dysfunctionality because of the scarcity of resources
Many financial resources but have dysfunctional household.
Resources not available
Emotional resources
Relationships or role models

11. What does it all mean?
Education is the key to getting out of and staying out of, generational poverty.
Individuals leave poverty for one of the four reasons:
A situation that is so painful that just about anything would be better
A goal or vision of something they want to be or have
A specific talent or ability that provides an opportunity for them
Someone who “sponsors” them
An educator or spouse or mentor or role model who shows them a different way or convinces them that they could live differently

12. How to help your students
Keep your expectations for poor students high. Poverty does not mean ignorance
Your rules may be different than the rules they have at home
“At school we …”
Listen to them and help when you can/they allow
You value your students character and not possessions

13. Resources
A Framework for Understanding Poverty By Ruby Payne