When comparing this scholarly article to the CRAAP test and other guidelines set forth for analyzing the quality of a source, Martin Gilens's essay, "How the Poor Became Black: The Racialization of American Poverty in the Mass Media," is a high quality text. Starting with the currency, this text was published in 2003 so it is fairly new, and because its main point is to share information on African Americans from the past, it is okay for this essay to not be as current. Regarding relevance, if one is looking for an article on the financial status of blacks in the United States throughout history, this is a great source. The authority in this text is also very strong because it is published through University of Michigan Press, which is a credible…
While reading “Being Poor”, I was intrigued by the author’s writing format. Rather than having his article structured in a common paragraph format, the author separated each individual sentence in a manner similar to point form. Was this alternative writing structure an attempt to evoke stronger feelings of pathos? Could the use of separating each sentence allow the author to stimulate a greater sympathetic response by excluding distracting content between sentences? Furthermore, by excluding content which would not arouse a compassionate response, is the author persuading or manipulating the reader to experience an emotional response towards his…
Origin: The document “The Crime Poverty” was written by Henry George. Henry George is a traveling typewriter and newspaper editor. He had book called Progress and Poverty that made him super famous. The book made him so famous he ran for mayor twice in New York.…
A common mindset among the rich of the Victorian Era was that those who suffered from poverty had only themselves to blame. The upper-class saw themselves as superior because of their money, and the poor were looked down upon and blamed for their condition. The rich refused to accept any responsibility to help the poor, or even be kind to them, seeing them as “another race of creatures bound on other journeys”. Dickens challenged this outlook, and was disgusted by it, so he wrote the novella A Christmas Carol with the intent to change people’s views of the poor and society’s responsibility to them. Scrooge, who represents the richer class, is introduced as the personification of winter, after which Dickens uses Fezziwig who is the antithesis of Scrooge as an employer; Bob Cratchit and his family; and Ignorance and Want, in an attempt to illustrate the need for a more compassionate society.…
Barbara Ehrenreich’s book Nickel and Dimed illuminates the issues that are surrounded by being an individual that experiences poverty. This essay will take the information that was provided by Ehrenreich’s experience and compare it to social welfare policy in the United states to see if it is helping those who are affected by poverty. The essay will also consider the ideology that surrounds the government and if that has any effect on the social welfare state in the current era. Social welfare policies are important for poverty but often do not have enough traction to accomplish what they are set out for.…
The Unrealistic American Dream The Declaration of Independence sparked a political revolution throughout the American colonies in 1776. “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” is a revolutionary concept that is still instilled in our ambitions today (Declaration of Independence). With that idea came the American Dream; it was believed that everyone can achieve prosperity with hard work and persistence. Today, that can be attributed to economic mobility: the ability to improve one’s economic status.…
Moral Comparability In Famine, Affluence, and Morality by Peter Singer, he argues that we are morally obligated to donate as much money to charity as we can to help limit poverty in the world. Singer explains that there are many people in the world suffering from poverty, and living very poor-quality lives as a result of poverty. He argues that poverty is morally wrong because of the suffering it promotes. Singer believes it is the moral obligation of humans to donate as much as they can to help limit the suffering of the poor in the world, without sacrificing anything moral comparability. In this paper, I will argue that Singer uses vague language to describe what the line is for moral comparability.…
Everyday millions of people around the world suffer in circumstances, in which they could die from lack of proper care and resources. In Famine, Affluence, and Morality, Peter Singer acknowledges this issue facing humanity and argues for the moral obligation to give large amounts of money to those in need. Singer believes that all who are able should be giving up many, if not all of their luxuries to help give the less fortunate their necessities. I will begin by summarizing the argument that Singer dictates in his article and then explain my reasoning for believing his notions to be sound and valid.…
In “Famine, Affluence, and Morality,” Peter Singer discusses the moral obligation of humans to prevent bad things from happening. In particular, Singer focuses on the prevention of the famine in East Bengal during November 1971 where many people were dying from poverty. Singer argues that since global poverty may be inhibited through charitable donations, then individual people ought to be morally obligated to donate what Singer defines as their surplus of money to charities that will aid impoverished nations. Singer writes his article in the format of a thought experiment, in which he presents a number of generally agreeable premises that lead up to his conclusion which is to donate as much money to charity as what Singer determines is reasonable.…
Proverbs 28:6 entreats with these words, “Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways (ESV).” A Song to Lady Poverty is an ode that speaks to the virtues of those who have chosen to live a life devoid of “worldly” pleasures as written by St. Francis of Assisi. I will talk briefly in this paper about it. As I consider today’s church (non-Catholic)…
The Great Gatsby is an excellent example of how social economic status influences people’s behavior and actions toward other individuals. The 1920’s, the time period in which The Great Gatsby takes place in, was known as the “roaring twenties”. It was a time of change in America, socially and economically. During this era there was more mass production and consumption, people spent money freely, and the stock market was rising tremendously. The main character’s in The Great Gatsby are Gatsby, Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson, Jordan Baker, and Nick Caraway, who is also the narrator.…
Billions Cursed by Poverty In this world, there are more than a billion people who are currently living below the poverty line; millions of stories are recorded which manifest ethos, pathos and logos. Poverty is the main cause in this world which is snatching the lives of billions of people. Thus why is poverty extremely atrocious and monstrous? The answer lies in our tiny little brains.…
Members of different social classes typically behave in different ways. The social class that you belong to can determine your way of life and the decisions that you make. In the novella “Goodbye Columbus” by Phillip Roth, the two characters Brenda Patimkin and Neil Klugman come from different social classes. Neil is from Newark, a city in New Jersey, and is lower middle class. Like Neil, Brenda was also born in Newark, but her family eventually moved away to Short Hills, an affluent suburb.…
Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth is a powerful text concerning the struggle faced by colonized people on their journey against colonialism and towards liberation. Rooted not only in psychology but also in Marxism and critical theory, the book provides an analysis of number issues related to colonialism and decolonization. Fanon methodically examines a diverse range of issues including, but not limited to, racial identity formation, language, class, and the way in which they interact with the liberation struggle and alter the relationship between colonizer and colonized. The topic of violence however, is addressed repeatedly.…
What would it be like to become so malnourished that you are forced to seek immediate medical attention? Matthew O’Brien brings this issue to light in his article, “Poverty is literally making people sick because they can’t afford food”. The article’s purpose is to expose us to the reality of poverty. He discusses how low-income people get hospitalized when their monthly welfare benefits run out. O’Brien introduces his point that states that the people at the low end of the income level become ill when they run out of benefits.…