Unit 2 Test: Social Justice - Poverty
Why can we say that poverty is a manmade problem?
"Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings." Nelson Mandela - In 2020, there are enough resources on earth right now to provide for the entire global population. Therefore, radical transformation can happen.
What does it mean to say Christians are called to be Neighbors not Saviors?
(use example of Native American Boarding Schools) - Christians view Jesus as the Messiah, or Savior. - My neighbor is another human with whom I am equal - All charity and justice work must be carried out with this in the forefront of our minds
The Image of the Black Circle
*Black circle* - everyone who is poor in the USA White circle - *everyone who is experiencing homelessness in the USA* Yellow circle - *everyone who is experiencing homelessness and is living on the streets in the USA* or can represent the chronically homeless (those with mental illnesses or addictions) The vast majority of poor people are *not* homeless at any given time (relationship between black and white circle) and the vast majority of homeless people *do not* sleep on the streets (relationship between white circle and yellow circle). The point of this diagram is to *break stereotypes.*This matters so that from a justice work perspective, we can address the root causes of poverty and homelessness → so we *do not generalize*
What does it mean to say there's "a high cost to being very poor"? Be able to explain with specific examples (e.g security deposit).
*Emotionally & Physically* From a *health* perspective (diet, disease, cognitive development, etc.) From an educational perspective Literally . . . being poor actually costs more money! - lives paycheck-to-paycheck - Germania never has $2,150 at once to pay the security deposit and the first month's rent so she could move in and save money in the long run. - too poor to afford *health insurance* - many poor people live paycheck to paycheck, they *never have large amounts of money at one time to buy in bulk or pay upfront*
The Sanctity of Human Life
*a principle of Catholic Social Teaching* All humans are *sacred* (holy) and have *dignity* (value) because we are *created in the image and likeness of God* as stated in the book of Genesis (1:27). This belief is the foundation of all the other principles of our social teaching. We believe that: 1) every individual person is *precious*, 2) people are *more important* than things. It is appropriate to use things; it is *never acceptable* to use people, and 3) the *measure of every institution* is whether it harms or enhances the lives of people.
The Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
*a principle of Catholic Social Teaching* As Catholics we are always supposed to *stand with the poor and vulnerable.* We are to judge the morality of a society (or any institution or community) based on *how well it treats the least of its members.* Every social policy must be judged from the *perspective* of the poor and vulnerable. In the Hebrew Bible, God took a special interest in *protecting the vulnerable* (See the commandments in Exodus Ch 21-23). In the Gospels, Jesus directly *identified himself with "the least of these"* (Matthew 25:31-46), or the most vulnerable and excluded in society. Accordingly, when we stand with the poor and vulnerable, we see ourselves as *standing with Christ himself.*
Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
*a principle of Catholic Social Teaching* Money (and the economy in general) must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than just a way to make a living and provide for your family; it is a way of participating in God's creation. *Every worker is valuable.* If the dignity (value) of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected. Catholic Social Teaching defends the right to: 1) *productive work,* 2) *decent and fair wages*, 3) *organize and join unions,* 4) *safe working conditions,* and 5) *reasonable hours,* with Sundays and religious holidays off. 6) CST also advocates for *strict limits on child labor.*
Solidarity
*a principle of Catholic Social Teaching* We are *one human family* whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, political, and ideological differences. We are *our brothers' and sisters' keepers* (Gen 4:9, the story of Cain and Abel), wherever they may be in the world. When our neighbor is hurting, we too should *hurt.* Catholic Social Teaching rejects the idea of a winners-and-losers society in which people focus on only the good of their group or family. The Christian vision is of a world in which all people cooperate to *bring about good for everyone.* At the core of the virtue of solidarity must be the *pursuit of justice and peace around the world.* Pope Paul VI taught that "if you want peace, work for justice." The Gospel calls us to be *peacemakers.* Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.
Basic Human Needs
- Food - Water - Healthcare - Shelter - Safety - Education - Work - Political involvement/Self determination in government - Clothing - Sanitation Our corresponding responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 1) use all of one's gifts for the betterment of society and 2) create a more just community.
Why don't we use the term's Third World and First World in this class?
- This labeling system began during the Cold War and communist countries were then "Second World Countries"? Since communist countries no longer exist, *the system is out of date* - *Solidarity*: Labeling ourselves the First World conveys that we see ourselves as the 1st place winners, while poor countries are the 3rd place losers - Sanctity of Life: This is *superficial, materialistic*, and contrary to Catholic social teaching. It only measures winning in terms of economic and technological development and says nothing about cultural, spiritual, or human development. - *Social Sin*: It also *ignores that history of colonialism and imperialism* that is the background for the current economic situation. Many Developed countries became the rich and technologically advanced winners by exploiting developing countries (and using racist ideology to justify it) thereby creating the poor, "losers."
Jobs that are exempt from the Federal Minimum Wage
- worker for a company that has a revenue of *less than $500,000* per year while not engaging in any interstate commerce - Most *Farmworkers* are still exempt from aspects of FLSA. - Under the federal law, *workers that receive a portion of their salary from tips, such as wait staff,* are required only to have their total compensation, including tips, meet the minimum wage. $2.13 is the minimum wage for tipped workers. The employer must pay the difference if the total income does not add up to $7.25 per hour
Overrepresented Groups Among the Poor
Blacks Hispanics Native Americans The Disabled Immigrants LGBTQ+ Youth Veterans
How often does a child die of malnutrition somewhere in the world?
Every 10 seconds, a child dies of undernutrition or malnutrition somewhere in the world.
How is the poverty line calculated?
In the 1960s, buying food require about 1/3 of a family's income. So the dollar amount that adequately fed a family of four was multiplied by three to arrive at the national poverty line. We still calculate the poverty line in this way. *Cost of Food X 3 = The Poverty Line*
What were your advantages when you looked for low wage jobs and apartments?
Literacy Fluent English speaker Have a computer/ phone/Wifi to research and apply online No kids (or other dependents) No criminal record Legal Status to work Health Visual identifiers (Race and/or Ethnicity, Religion/ perceived religion, Gender expression) Have a bank account (to cash checks for free, keep money safe, and pay rent) Savings to pay a security deposit* Family and friends to fall back on/borrow money from Access to public transit Others? Taxes, Being paid for the hours you work/ No Wage Theft
Be able to explain why the average Native American or African American is over 50% more likely to be poor than a white person in the USA.
Nationally, Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans are overrepresented among the poor in the USA in comparison with their proportion of the population. As a large group, Blacks and Native Americans have a *1 in 5* ( Black) or 1 in 4 (Native American) chance of being poor, while white people have a *1 in 10* chance. White poverty rate (1/10) x 2 = ⅕ (Black poverty rate) and 1/10 is 50% of ⅕. Therefore, Blacks and Native Americans are 50% more likely to be poor.
Can anyone get SNAP (or food stamps)?
No. SNAP helps households with very limited means meet their nutritional needs.
Is Section 8 free?
No. Section 8 provides very low-income families with vouchers to find their own housing in the private market but requires them to pay 30% of their income.
Disproportionate
Not proportional - Too large or too small in comparison with something else
Who makes up the greatest numbers for the poor in the USA?
Race: White Gender: Woman Age Group: Children Location: Southern States Type of Community: Suburban
People Experiencing Homelessness
Saying people experiencing homelessness, rather than the homeless or homeless people, reminds us that we are *referring to real individuals who each have complex identities and personalities like every human*.
What is an underlying assumption of the American dream and much of US social policy? Is this assumption true? Explain.
The American Assumption: many people believe, and much of the U.S. social policy assumes, that *hard work is the ticket out of poverty*. There are many factors (lack of education, race, etc.) that impede people from achieving financial success or stability. Working full-time jobs does not guarantee financial stability. There is a high cost to being poor. The vast majority of people who are poor work, and their *wages are too low compared to the high cost of living.*
What are four reasons why we ought to let poor people speak for themselves?
The poor know their situation the best because they live it every day. The leaders of social change have historically been those most impacted by, and therefore familiar with, the injustices that need to be transformed (e.g. the Women's Suffrage Movement, the Disabilities Rights Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, etc.). According to Catholic Social Teaching, we are all made in the image and likeness of God, therefore we all have dignity and we are all equally valuable to God. We must listen to others and respect their perspective as equals with agency and special insight into their situation. As Christians, we are called to be Neighbors not Saviors. We all have "Embodied Knowledge."
The Unhoused
Using the term the unhoused can *avoid* some of the *negative connotations* and *misconceptions* associated with the label homeless. From the perspective of CST, unhoused also *reminds us as a society of the basic human need we are not helping to secure.*
Why can Wal-Mart be accused of "using the system"?
Wage theft Took advantage of workers' needs for money and their poor circumstances in order to get them to do more for less. Even though they had many applications and had the opportunity to hire more people in order to even out work, they had their employees work far more than they are supposed to for less → no overtime Their provided health insurance was not substantial since it was incredibly expensive.
Underrepresented Groups Among the Poor
Whites Asians Men
Homeless
an individual or family who *lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence*
Food Deserts
are defined as parts of the country *without access to fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods*. They are found in both impoverished urban and rural areas. This is largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers' markets, and healthy food providers found in these poor communities
The Near Poor
are low-income individuals whose incomes are less than *50 percent above the poverty line* → not officially "poor" but "live *paycheck to paycheck*, and thus one extra bill or health crisis away from not being able to make ends meet → *30%* of Americans are Near Poor (93.4 million)
Affordable Housing
defined as housing that is *30% of a household's income, or less* → This means, if a family's monthly rent or mortgage is more than 30% of their monthly income ( $ X .30) it is not considered "affordable"
Developing Country
is a nation with a lower standard of living and less developed industrial base compared to other countries
Embodied Knowledge
is different from the knowledge you obtain through intentional, book learning → is knowledge *acquired from living day-to-day in your particular body/identity* and encountering all of the different, specific life experiences that you have had → *no one else possesses the exact same Embodied Knowledge* that you have because no one else has your exact identity and your exact same life experiences.
The Poverty Line
is the *threshold* (in $ amount) set yearly by the U.S. Census Bureau below which families and individuals are lacking the resources to meet their basic needs for healthy living → Those who live below the poverty line have *insufficient income* to provide the food, shelter and clothing needed to preserve health and safety.
Welfare
is the term used to describe *government benefits* distributed to people in need to enable them to maintain a minimum standard of living. This "safety net" is a mark of a developed country.
Low-Wage Work
jobs that pay *median annual wages of $18,000* → The U.S. has this job-quality problem that affects nearly *half* the population since 44% of U.S. workers are employed in low-wage jobs
Wage Theft
means *not* paying earned wages to workers who either do not know their rights or are afraid to assert them → This can be done by paying workers less than the legal minimum wage, not paying time-and-a-half for hours worked beyond 40-hours-per-week, and a variety of other illegal methods
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
nationally ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. I is considered one of the crowning legislative achievements of the civil rights movement. The SCOTUS expanded this act to include sexual orientation this summer. However, discrimination still happens.
Poverty
not being able to meet your basic needs and the needs of those dependent on you
Overrepresentation
numbers that are disproportionately high
Developed Country
or an industrialized nation) is a sovereign, self-governing country that has a highly developed economy and advanced technological infrastructure relative to other less industrialized nations
Federal Minimum Wage
the amount of money a non-exempt worker for a business or company has to make per hour - is *$7.25* per hour effective July 24, 2009, for all nonexempt jobs covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
Food Insecure
the state of being *without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of nutritious food* → being unsure where your next meal will come from → includes: hunger, having to skip meals, having to compromise on nutrition, relying on emergency food sources such as food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens
Subsidize
to pay part of the cost of producing something to reduce prices for the buyer
Living Wage
wage that is *based on the actual cost of living in a particular area*, rather than an arbitrary minimum → With a living wage, people who work a full-time (40-hour per week) job would be able to afford shelter, food, health care, and other basic necessities of life in their area for their family.
The Working Poor
working people whose incomes still fall below the poverty line due to low-income jobs and/or low familial household income → Contrary to misconceptions and stereotypes, the *majority* of able-bodied adults who are poor work (at least one job, and often more) and thus are part of the working poor.
Why is the poverty line calculation problematic?
✓ *Housing, childcare, transportation, and medical costs are not factored into the poverty line* at all, even though these costs have increased dramatically in the last 50 years. ✓ The poverty line is a "*one-size-fits-all*" number, whether a family is struggling to make ends meet in urban Manhattan or rural Mississippi. ✓Today, buying food only makes up about about 1/6th of a family's budget yet the poverty line still assumes it is 1/3rd. The poverty line is an *inadequate/dated* measure of real poverty in the USA. Many *more people* are poor & struggling than official numbers reflect!
