The poor in American Society are the victims of the social theory referred to as CONFLICT THEORY. The theory explains that the social STRATIFICTION SYSTEM is not functioning properly and the rich benefit more from the governmental decisions at the expense of the disadvantaged, those who rightly need the assistance. This theory is shockingly apparent in the Frontline documentary “Poor Kids”. This film follows the lives of three families’ struggling to deal with life’s most crippling situations the best way they can. The film demonstrates that being poor is not always a question of a PERSONAL PROBLEM related to the ABUSE of drugs or alcohol, but of a SOCIAL PROBLEM with unemployment, lack of job opportunities, and in this particular film, recession.
…show more content…
In the same way the emotional condition of poverty alters the individual living in poverty, they too are confronted by physical challenges. The LIFE CHANCES of individuals living in poverty is severely reduced. Most families experiencing poverty are not provided adequate nutrition, which impedes both their physical and mental health. The CONSUMER PRICE INDEX does not take into account the continual fluidity of the expense of gas. The consumer thereby suffers this rising cost of fuel as stores pass along the outlay in higher prices at the grocery store. Kaylie and Brittany’s families suffer the influence of poverty in the form of MALNUTRITION because they are not in a homeless shelter like Jonny’s family where a balanced diet is afforded. The idea that all poor families are on assistance, or homeless due to their lack of desire to work is a FALLACY OF COMPOSITION, which states that what is true for one poor family must be true for every poor family as this movie has presented. Due to Barbara’s inability to provide a stable home environment and enroll Kaylie and her brother Tyler in school creates the situation of SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY. How can Kaylie be expected to live differently than her current environment if she is not given the proper skills and education to be successful? All of the families in this film are attempting to maintain traditional American VALUES of living in a home, …show more content…
The American society, as a whole, needs to evaluate the system that is enabling these families to fail. These failures create problems in the emotional state of both the adults as well as the children. The physical detriment of poor nutrition, a secure environment, and proper education ensures the pattern of poverty will be repeated. Unless the financial difficulty these families encounter on a daily basis is minimized, the children in this film will never know what it is like to live a “normal”
In the same way the emotional condition of poverty alters the individual living in poverty, they too are confronted by physical challenges. The LIFE CHANCES of individuals living in poverty is severely reduced. Most families experiencing poverty are not provided adequate nutrition, which impedes both their physical and mental health. The CONSUMER PRICE INDEX does not take into account the continual fluidity of the expense of gas. The consumer thereby suffers this rising cost of fuel as stores pass along the outlay in higher prices at the grocery store. Kaylie and Brittany’s families suffer the influence of poverty in the form of MALNUTRITION because they are not in a homeless shelter like Jonny’s family where a balanced diet is afforded. The idea that all poor families are on assistance, or homeless due to their lack of desire to work is a FALLACY OF COMPOSITION, which states that what is true for one poor family must be true for every poor family as this movie has presented. Due to Barbara’s inability to provide a stable home environment and enroll Kaylie and her brother Tyler in school creates the situation of SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY. How can Kaylie be expected to live differently than her current environment if she is not given the proper skills and education to be successful? All of the families in this film are attempting to maintain traditional American VALUES of living in a home, …show more content…
The American society, as a whole, needs to evaluate the system that is enabling these families to fail. These failures create problems in the emotional state of both the adults as well as the children. The physical detriment of poor nutrition, a secure environment, and proper education ensures the pattern of poverty will be repeated. Unless the financial difficulty these families encounter on a daily basis is minimized, the children in this film will never know what it is like to live a “normal”