Ullucci makes claims in
this case study that students from low income backgrounds are less likely to
have medical care. This can cause
students to have vision, hearing, dental, and other health ailments, like asthma
( Ullucci, 2014). Not having medical
care can affect their academics greatly because if students cannot see how can
they soak up the knowledge they need? If students cannot hear they won’t be
able to comprehend what they need without the proper supports.
Ullucci also suggests that children who come from an
impoverished background move from place to place or are homeless (Ullucci,
2014). When children move from place to
place they miss out on the proper academics that they need year to year because
they are only getting bits and pieces of what they need without any support. Without
a home and a place to do their work it would be hard for any child to flourish
without a guiding hand in the environment that they live in.
Many children living in poverty are seen as the “other”
(Ullucci, 2014). Many people feel that
those living in poverty are lazy or don’t want to live a different life than
what they are in right now. The more
those that do not live in poverty downsize those that do and boast about how living
in the middle class is better and know more than those in poverty, we take the
power away from those in poverty to better themselves because then they feel
like they don’t matter; those in poverty become marginalized.
Poverty might impact a youth development space because
those living in poverty will need different supports and activities to help
them learn in a way they can understand.
Those students living in poverty in a youth development space need to
have what they can do highlighted than what they can’t.
When
I begin my career I can see myself working in either a suburban or urban area
in a preschool or head start setting. I can
see myself working in a place which will guide me and support me through my
career as a youth worker. I want to be someone a child can look up to and be the person to help guide them, so they can eventually be on the path that is right for them.
Here is a great link for anyone working with youth to see what they can do to help disadvantaged students: Click here
I believe that people look at the many citizens who are living I poverty as others as well. When they look at someone who is "poor" as many people call them, they look at how they can never get out of the hole they are in. This is why as youth workers we have to help these children see the potential they have to get out of that hole they were born into and become something great. We are the ones who need to help them make a change in the community.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more about youth in poverty losing their voices when continually being surrounded by stereotypes and myths about their class status and how it "effects" them in their lives. When getting continuous feedback on your faultiness and never positivity it effects especially youth in a negative way. They tend believe in the negativity since this is what is spoken to them everyday and believe it is the truth about themself.
ReplyDeleteI agree that youth and children are just that-youth and children. There should be no 'other'. All children need proper love, care, and support. I also liked the article that you posted a link to, it provides good tips!
ReplyDeletei actually came across the same article interesting stuff, GREAT READ!
ReplyDeleteYes I strongly agree, me coming from a Catholic School where we learned everything, and sometimes the principal and teachers would get mad at us for missing a couple of days out of school. There was one student in my senior class who was a diabetic and sometimes he had to go home because his blood sugar was through the roof. And of course he missed those couple of classes, but the school did not care she was more concerned with his health. I believe that youth and or children should not have these medical problems affecting them while they are trying to learn and deal with personnel problems as well.
ReplyDelete