Poverty Seminar

DUE DATES- ON TIME​​​​​​​

1. Idea Fishing Part 2. DUE: Wednesday, 10/4, Start of Class (9:25 AM). Google Classroom.

DUE DATES- LATE (-10%)

1. Revised College Essay + Display Board. LAST DAY TO TURN IN: Wednesday, 10/4, Start of Class (9:25 AM). Google Classroom.

---

Announcements:

1. Idea Fishing Part 2- Is due TOMORROW at the start of class!  Make sure you have it done.
2. Weds Schedule- 
   1. HONORS MEETING 1st period in Lori’s room.
   2. Everyone else- Be here periods 2, 3, 4. We meet in Lori’s for instructions, then will split between rooms.

When you are NOT in Seminar: Work in here, feel free to wear headphones.  NO TALKING.

1. Read and annotate chapter 2 of Poverty by America.  Due on Thursday.
2. If you finish with that, work on finishing Idea Fishing Part 2, which is due tomorrow.
3. Done with both of those things?  Feel free to work on assignments for other classes.

Seminar Questions
Core Questions

1. Why does poverty exist?
   1. Find a stanza in Fortunate Son that points to this? Made an America? Walking in the Snow?
2. What connections can we find between the 3 texts (songs, Uses of Poverty, Poverty chapter)?

Textual Questions

1. Which text makes the more powerful argument?  Why?
2. Poverty by America
   1. What is the argument of this piece?
   2. What are the effects of poverty on the individuals living in it?
      1. What is the most important or striking piece of evidence or data Desmond uses in this chapter?  What makes it so important? What does it prove?
   3. Desmond defines poverty as “a tight knot of social problems,” breaking with conventional definitions that focus only on low incomes. What are the implications of this view? How would you define poverty?
   4. Desmond defines poverty as a number of things- how are those things connected?
   5. “America’s poverty is not for lack of resources. We lack something else.” What do we, as a country, and as a citizenry, lack in this context?
3. The Uses of Poverty: The Poor Pay All
   1. This was written in 1971- 50 years ago.  To what extent is it still relevant?  Are there any parts that are less relevant?  Why?
   2. Of the different functions Gans argues the poor play, which seem most important to you?  Why?
   3. Gans divides the functions the poor play into two categories- economic functions (1-4) and social functions (5-13).  Which of these categories do you think is more important?  Why?
   4. To what extent do you agree with this argument that poverty still exists because it is beneficial to society? Explain your reasoning using evidence from any of the texts.

Closing Questions

1. Do you think that eliminating poverty would be worth the tradeoffs?  Why/why not?  How would this impact you personally?
2. What kinds of solutions are needed for this type of complex problem?
3. What new questions do you have now about poverty in the United States?  If you could research one thing about this issue, what would it be?