SOJO Unit 2: Intersectionality, Poverty, and the Rights of Workers
federal minimum wage
$7.25 per hour for all non exempt jobs covered by the federal Fair Labor Standard Acts
There is a high cost of being poor, because when someone makes very little money, they do not have the same opportunities as those who make a livable wage. Poverty affects a person's physical health, education, sense of dignity and mental health, and many other aspects of life. It is evident that there is a high cost to being poor when looking at the physical health of someone living in poverty. When someone is living in poverty it is most likely that they do not have the money to pay for healthcare. Germania, who lives in Orland, Florida, works at McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts part time. She works 70 hours a week but since she works at these restaurants only part time, she does not receive any benefits. Germania has migraines and needs to take an estrogen pill everyday so that she can work with less pain. Since she has no health insurance, she must pay $9 per estrogen pill. This adds up to $270 per month for one medication. The amount that Germania pays for her mediation is 30 times the amount that someone with healthcare would pay for the same medication. Because Germania is too poor to pay for healthcare, which would be around $350 a month, she ends up paying more than those who are wealthier than her. This is an example of how there is a high cost to being poor. Poverty also affects education because children who live in poverty do not have the access to things necessary to learn. In the A Place at the Table Documentary, one of the young girls who the documentary focuses on says that she is always hungry at school. She says that she finds it hard to focus when her stomach is grumbling and all she can think about is food. Even her teacher said that she notices she does not pay attention like other children. The girl's education is being sacrificed because she is experiencing extreme hunger that is caused by her living in poverty. Because her parents do not have enough money to feed the family sufficiently, her education is suffering. Being poor is causing the girl's education, something of extremely high value, to be lost. In the 60 minutes documentary about kids living in cars in Florida, one of the moms of a family living in their car experiences a loss of dignity because of the fact that her family must live in a car. The mother says that she never cries in front of her children, despite daily hardships, because she does not want them to worry. The mother's emotional well being is lost at the cost of being poor. One example of it literally being more expensive to be poor than to be rich or of the middle class is the process of getting housing. In Germania's Story, it explains that Germania pays $2,250 per month to live in a motel with no kitchen. She can't cook, can't do free laundry, and doesn't have the room to save hand-me-downs for her kids. On the other hand, a woman named Paulina pays $1,075 for a newly renovated apartment. This apartment has a bathroom, kitchen, large living room, and washer and dryer. Germania pays more than twice the amount Paulina does for an apartment that is much less nicer. The reason for Germania and Paulina's extreme differences in living situations is that Germania lives paycheck-to-paycheck while Paulina does not. When renting apartments, one must usually pay a security deposit that is often 100% of the first month's rent. Security deposits often limit people living in poverty, like Germania, from being able to find a good apartment because they never have money saved to pay a deposit. Germania never has $2,150 at once to pay the security deposit and the first month's rent because she makes minimum wage, while Paulina makes more than minimum wage and can afford to pay a deposit and first month's rent. The high cost of being poor is evident in this example because Germania is living in poverty and pays more than double Paulina does for a low quality apartment because she is unable to afford to pay a security deposit and first month's rent at the same time. Those who are wealthy or middle class are able to find cheaper housing that they can afford even with the security deposit. Overall, there is a high cost of being poor that can be seen through examples of housing, education, healthcare, and mental health.
37. Explain in detail why we can say "there's a high cost to being poor." In your explanation be sure to use specific examples of how poverty impacts a person's: 1) physical health, 2) education, 3) sense of dignity/emotional well-being/mental health and 4) how it is literally MORE expensive to be poor rather than rich or middle class. Note: your specific examples for # 1-3 may come from the 60 Minutes video about kids living in cars in Florid, A Place at the Table Documentary, or the "Children in the Shadows" article. Your example for # 4 must come from The High Cost to Being Poor: Germania's Story.
Child Tax Credit
A benefit paid to people who are in low-paid work, to help with the costs of bringing up a child. a tax credit given for each qualifying child under 17
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.
According to CST, what are the protected rights of workers because all work has dignity?
According to the World Bank, about 50% of people in the world are poor (3.4 billion people). Every 10 second a child dies of undernutrition somewhere around the world
According to the World Bank, what percentage of the world is poor? How often does a child die of malnutrition somewhere in the world?
No, most poor people in the USA are not homeless. Most homeless people do not live on the street and instead sleep in cars, shelters, or motels.
Are most poor people in the USA homeless? Do most people experiencing homelessness at any given time live on the street? Where do they sleep?
The average Native American or African American is over 50% more likely to be poor than a white person in the USA. The national percentage for poverty is 11.4%. Only 10% of white people are poor while 25% of Native Ameircans and 20% of Black Americans are poor.
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.
Jobs that can be exempt for the Federal Minimum Wage of $7.25 a common exception 1) A company having a revenue of less than $500,000 per year while not engaging in any interstate commerce. 2) Most Farmworkers are still exempt from aspects of FLSA, 3) 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.
Be able to recognize jobs that can be exempt from the Federal Minimum Wage of $7.25 an hour.
Big Black Circle = the poor in the USA Small White Circle = people experiencing homelessness now. Tiny Yellow Fleck = people who sleep on the street and/or are chronically homeless.
Be sure you can explain this image, what the 3 circles represent, and why it's important!
Children who are hungry can't focus in school With less money children can't afford all the resources for food Children are unable to do their work because their families have to sacrifice certain needs like electricity for food or rent.
Explain three specific ways you saw/learned how poverty impacts a child's education.
People experiencing homelessness: this is a better term than homeless because it recognizes that each person experiencing homelessness is a person with a life. Also, for the majority of poor people, being without housing is a temporary experience. 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. People automatically don't have the assumptions that they carry when the word homeless is said
Homeless Vs. People experiencing homelessness Vs. unhoused
Low-wage jobs are very common. This is a problem because then people can't meet their basic needs
How common are low-wage jobs? Why is this a problem?
Wage theft is the most common form of theft in America. Walmart carries out wage theft as they do not pay their workers for working overtime. Some Walmart managers would go into the system and remove hours from the clock so that overtime didn't have to be paid.
How common is wage theft? What are some specific ways wage theft is carried out? Who is most susceptible to wage theft?
In America as a whole Asian Americans are unrepresented, Asians are overrepresented in NYC. There percentage of people living in poverty in the US is less than the percentage in NYC
How does the amount of poverty in New York State and NYC compare to the national average?
The OPM is calculated by the price of food from the 1960s. Since the price of food has decreased 40% so this is problematic. Also the price of food in each state differers.
How is the poverty line (and OPM) calculated? Why is it problematic?
The age group with the greatest number of poor people in the USA is children under the age of 18
In what age group is the greatest number of poor people in the USA?
The region of the country where poverty rates are the highest is the South. The type of community that poverty has risen in the last 20 years is suburban communities.
In what region of the country are poverty rates the highest? In what type of community has poverty risen in the last 20 years?
5 groups that are overrepresented among the poor are children, black americans, Native americans, hispanic americans, and women. 2 groups that are underrepresented among the poor are white americans and asian americans.
Name 5 groups that are overrepresented among the poor and 2 groups that are underrepresented among the poor?
Nationally, white Americans are the race with the most poverty. The racial group that is most likely to be poor is Native Americans (¼) are poor.
Nationally, what race has the greatest number of poor people in the USA? What racial group is MOST likely to be poor?
Four reasons why we ought to let poor people speak for themselves is that each person has their own embodied knowledge. Embodied knowledge is knowledge acquired from living day-to-day in your particular body/identity and encountering all of the different, specific life experiences that you hold. Poor people know more about being poor than other people so people should not try to speak for them.
What are four reasons why we ought to let poor people speak for themselves?
Developing countries are those most impacted by climate change
What countries are most impacted by climate change?
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed an estimated of an additional 88 to 150 million people into extreme poverty in 2021. Thus, extreme poverty rose for the first time in over 20 years as the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic compounded the forces of conflict and climate change.
What do we know about COVID-19's impact on Extreme Poverty, which has been decreasing each year for the last 20 years?
Disproportionate: Not proportional. Too large or too small in comparison with the percentage of the population in the group Disproportionate representation means that too many or too small numbers of people are represented in comparison with the percentage of the population in the group. Ex: Black americans are disproportionately represented
What does "disproportionate representation" mean?
To "live below the poverty line" means to have insufficient income to provide the food, shelter and clothing needed to preserve health and safety.
What does it mean to "live below the poverty line" in the USA?
To be poor means to not be able to meet your basic needs
What does it mean to be "poor"? Who are dependants and what are the basic human needs?
Are low-income individuals whose incomes are just above the poverty line (specifically, less than 50 percent above the poverty line so $39,750, for a family of 4 in 2021).
What does it mean to be near poor?
To be on welfare means to receive government subsidies of assistance. Several examples of social welfare benefits are medicare, section 8, WIC, and SNAP. Section 8 is not free, instead if you qualify for section 8 you only have to pay 30% of your income for housing. Landlords can deny section 8. Households of very limited needs can qualify for SNAP.
What does it mean to be on Welfare or public assistance? What are several examples of social Welfare benefits? Is Section 8 free? Can anyone get SNAP (or food stamps)?
Peoples whose income falls below the national poverty line. 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.
What does it mean to be part of the working poor? How common is this and why is it important to understand in order to accurately identify and effectively address the root causes of poverty in the USA in 2021?
The Civil Rights Act of 1964. Despite this law discrimination still occurs.
What federal law protects people from being discriminated against based on their race, religion, ethnicity, or sex when applying for a job or seeking housing? Despite this law, does discrimination still happen?
The gender that is the majority of the poor in the USA and around the world is female
What gender is the majority of the poor in the USA (and around the world)?
Underlying assumption: a job is a ticket out of poverty This assumption is not true because not all jobs pay fair wages. Also for a specific example, in the documentary, Barbie was finally able to get a job after not having a job for a year but when she got one she struggled even more. After she got her job she no longer qualified for welfare systems that she relied on to get food for her family. More evidence of this assumption not being true is the existence of the working poor, which are people who work but still live under the poverty line. Huge advantages: good health, no dependents, no criminal records
What is an underlying assumption of the American dream and much of US social policy? Is this assumption true? Explain.
The gap is growing by globalization and the capitalist market, and higher demand than supply.
What is happening to the gap between the rich, developed countries and poor developing countries?
Many essential workers are paid low wages.
What is the connection between low-wage jobs, "essential workers" and COVID-19?
Obesity and hunger go hand in hand because if you don't have enough money to buy whole foods then you need to buy cheaper processed foods which leads to obesity. Food deserts are places that do not have access to fresh produce because 18 wheelers are not able to reach the towns off the beaten path The cheapest food to buy in our country today are processed foods
What is the connection between obesity and hunger in the USA? How does this relate to food deserts and the types of food that are cheapest to buy in our country today?
A living wage: is a wage that is based on the actual cost of living in a particular area, rather than an arbitrary minimum wage Minimum wage: The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009, for all nonexempt jobs covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. A just wage according to CST is something that allows people to meet all basic needs.
What is the difference between a Living Wage and the Minimum Wage? What is a just wage according to CST?
The government subsidizes commodity crops such as corn, soy, beans, and wheat. These are the crops that produce processed foods. This benefits the companies the mega farm and processed food industry This harms americans because it makes the cheap foods the unhealthy ones
What kinds of crops does the government subsidize the most? Who does this benefit? Who does this harm?
My advantages were that I had a good education, a phone and laptop, internet, and an email.
What were your advantages when you looked for low-wage jobs and apartments?
Race: Native Americans, Black Americans, Hispanic Americans Gender: female Age: children (below the age of 18) Region: the south Type of community: suburban
Who are the poor in the USA? (Consider race, gender, age, region, and type of community?).
Wal-Mart is accused of using the system because they pay their workers very little so that their workers can qualify for government welfare benefits and therefore they do not have to offer healthcare or other benefits.
Why can Wal-Mart be accused of "using the system"?
Poverty is a manmade problem it is similar to issues like slavery and apartheid. There are enough resources on earth to meet the basic needs of every single person People are malnourished, not because there is a lack of food in the world, but because they lack the resources to buy or access food Poverty has been being addressed by humans. For example 20 years ago, every 3 seconds a child died of malnutrition.
Why can we say that poverty is a manmade problem?
The calling of countries by a rank began in the Cold War (communist countries were known as second world countries). This system is now out of date and is problematic. It also only ranks countries by economic and technological development. A better way to call countries is saying that they are developed or developing countries.
Why do we avoid using the terms Third World and First World in Social Justice class? What are two other specific terms to use instead of Third World?
food insecure
You do not know where your next meal is coming from. Mississippi is the state with the highest food insecurity rate.
developing countries
a nation with a lower standard of living and less developed industrial base compared to other countries. Also called "the Global South"
developed countries
a self-governing country that has a highly developed economy and advanced technological infrastructure relative to other less industrialized nations
a living wage
a wage that is based on the actual cost of living in a particular area, rather than an arbitrary minimum
the sanctity of human life
all humans are sacred and have dignity because we are created in the image and likeness of God; people are precious, people are more important than things, the measure of every institution is whether it harms or enhances the lives of people
The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers is violated because of the many jobs in America that do not pay decent and fair wages. Many jobs in America that those who live in poverty work at do not pay livable wages. The money that people earn working these jobs is not adequate to pay for the basic necessities of life like food, housing, and healthcare. All jobs, especially those of major corporations, should pay their workers adequate wages that allow them to be able to live comfortably, not just get by barely.
give a specific example of where you saw "dignity of work and rights of workers" violated
The principle of Rights and Responsibilities is violated in this unit if not all of the basic human rights are protected and met. The basic human rights are food, water, health care, shelter, safety, education, work, and political involvement. In the United States, those living in poverty do not have all the basic human rights. Some of the human rights that they lack are food, health care, and shelter. In the A Place at the Table Documentary Barbie struggles to provide her family with food because they do not make enough money to provide adequate amounts of food. The government is supposed to help provide all the basic needs stated previously, but in the United States the government falls short of this duty, therefore the principle of Rights of Responsibilities is violated.
give a specific example of where you saw "rights and responsibilities" violated
The principle of Solidarity is violated in this unit, which can be seen in the opinions of people who believe that poverty is a choice and that those in poverty are lazy. This opinion is one held by many Americans across the country, but this belief is incorrect. The majority of able-bodied adults who are poor work at least one job, and often more than one. This belief that people who are poor are lazy and put themselves in that position is not an example of Solidarity. Solidarity means that when you hurt I hurt and that humans are one family. People who believe this stereotype of those living in poverty are not feeling the struggles that those who live in poverty feel. Therefore solidarity is not evident in the issue of poverty in the United States.
give a specific example of where you saw "solidarity" violated
The Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable is violated because of policies created by the government that affect those living in poverty. One specific example can be seen in the A Place at the Table Documentary in Barbie's section. Barbie lived without a job for a year so she was eligible for food stamps. She did not have to worry about being able to pay for her kids' dinners because she had money for dinner. She did not have to worry about lunch or breakfast because her lack of income qualified her kids for receiving free lunch and breakfast at school. When Barbie got a job, which she was very happy about, she was no longer eligible for food stamps and the lunch and breakfast of her children was not longer paid for by the government. After getting a job Babrie could barely afford small meals for her children. The baseline income needed for people to receive food stamps and free lunch and breakfast for children at school is not an accurate number because people like Barbie who are just over that income level struggle deeply when they no longer have those government benefits. The government must change its calculation for those who can receive food aid or else people like Barbie will continue to struggle to feed their children and themselves each day.
give a specific example of where you saw "the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable" violated
We can see the Sanctity of Human Life being violated in how the government does not do enough to help those living in poverty. In the definition of this principle it says that the measure of every institution is whether it harms or enhances the lives of people. The US governments subsidizing mega farm industries that produce the ingredients for processed foods harms the lives of people in America. The subsidizing of these mega farms makes processed foods the cheapest, therefore making the overall health of the nation worse than if they subsidized healthy whole food industries.
give a specific example of where you saw "the sanctity of human life" violated
affordable housing
is defined as housing that is 30% of a household's income, or less
low wage work
jobs that pay median annual wages of $18,000
the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable
judge the morality of society based on how well it treats the least of its members
embodied knowledge
knowledge acquired from living day-to-day in your particular body/identity and encountering all of the different, specific like experiences that you have had
the near poor
low-income individuals whose incomes are just above the poverty line, not classified as "poor," live paycheck to paycheck
global south
lower-income countries on one side of the equator
the dignity of work and rights of workers
money must serve people, work is a war of participating in God's creation
poverty
not being able to meet your basic needs and the needs of those dependent on you
wage theft
not paying earned wages to workers who either do not know their rights or are afraid to assert them (paying workers less than legal minimum wage and not paying overtime)
food desert
places that don't sell fruits and vegetables because 18 wheelers can't afford to go to small rural towns. 75% of food deserts are urban
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. Also, for the majority of poor people, being without housing is a temporary experience.
1) food, 2) water, 3) healthcare, 4) shelter and 5) safety, as well as 6) education, 7) work and 8) political involvement/self-determination in government. 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
review "rights and responsibilities"
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.
review "solidarity"
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. 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.
review "the dignity of work and the rights of workers"
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.
review "the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable"
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). 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
review "the sanctity of human life"
basic human needs
subsidies/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
welfare
term used to describe government assistance
the unhoused
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.
the poverty line
the threshold below which families and individuals are lacking the resources to meet their basic needs for healthy living; one size fits all
subsidize
to pay part of the cost of something
solidarity
we are one human family, all in this together
the working poor
working people whose incomes still fall below the poverty line due to low-income jobs and/or low familial household income
