The story we tell about poverty

Many people view poverty as a circumstance of one’s own making. Consider this reasoning: Homeless people must not have worked hard enough, tried hard enough, or conformed to society enough. They did it to themselves. Is this perspective accurate, or is it just another way to separate out the worthy and the unworthy?

In this week’s resources, you hear activist Mia Birdsong examine the prevailing story society tells about poverty, how it needs to be adjusted, and how this adjustment could lead to societal change. For this Assignment, you reflect on the story of poverty that you know.

2-3 pages

• Identify two societal beliefs of the poor presented in the video.
• Explain the speaker’s strategy for addressing poverty.
• Apply the speaker’s strategy to a social work interaction you have had or have read about.
• Determine whether you agree or disagree with the presenter’s premise, and explain why.

References