Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 9 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 22 years, 9 months ago by
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I volunteer as an assistant leader with Inner City Outings, an outreach of the Sierra Club. We take kids from urban settings on nature trips. I have noticed that some of the kids come from families not at all like mine. They are very large, many times with four or more kids. This seems peculiar to me considering their economic standing. Is there a correlation that links poverty and large families?
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Name : Marcus P., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 25, City : Orange Park, State : FL, Country : United States, Occupation : Student-Teacher, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I think it’s the other way around. Large families were the norm just about everywhere until about 50 years ago. Then families started to shrink among the middle and upper classes because of birth control, women entering the work force, more time spent on education and careers leaving less time for kids, etc. Sometimes it’s also related to religious beliefs against birth control. Be careful about blaming poverty on large families. It’s rarely that simple and it’s one step away from blaming the victims.
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Name : ACC24006, City : W. Lafayette, State : IN, Country : United States,There are many reasons people are poor, having nothing to do with common sense or a person’s intelligence. Many people in this country, possibly including yourself, are just a lay-off or an illness away from the poor house. Try to have a little compassion for those less fortunate than yourself. And remember that you could be in the same situation someday.
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Name : Jacqueline-C20992, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 25, City : San Jose, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Engineer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,You answered your own question. Because of their financial situation (or lack thereof) of being poor, the grand majority of these people cannot afford birth control. You would think that common sense would dictate that if you have no money, you should try your best to prevent having more children. But then again, to me, these people are poor because they have no common sense.
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Name : Murray C., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Unitarian, Age : 31, City : Halifax, Nova Scotia, State : NA, Country : Canada, Occupation : Draftsman, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Middle class,Murray, in many states, welfare recipients’ medical coverage does not cover birth control, and many of the working poor do not have insurance at all. So what are you suggesting? If you’re poor, you should be celibate? Maybe the poor should be sterilized? Considering that you identify yourself as middle class, just how far removed are you from ever being destitute?
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Name : annonymous, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 34, City : Detroit, State : MI, Country : United States,Murray C., it’s not that easy. I’ll agree that they lack ‘common sense’ because they lack our common experience. Their ‘world’ is so different from ours that it’s a foreign country. We need to do more foreign exchange with them like what Marcus is doing. I volunteer at a local school where I would not send my own children. The students are wonderful, loving people who are abused, neglected and worldly beyond their years. If they’ve ever lived someplace else, it’s probably because someone else had custody of them. The teachers have to teach them family relationships because cousins are referred to as brothers, as in anyone else their age living in the house. So to answer the original question, I wouldn’t be too sure that all of those children are blood siblings. Remember that we are all a product of the way we were raised. Probably the best thing this country could do for that economic group is a student exchange or other opportunity that helps them see a different world and a different way of thinking (what we are all seeking on Y? Forum).
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Name : Colleen, Gender : F, Age : 40, City : Quantico, State : VA, Country : United States, Occupation : teacher's aide, Education level : 2 Years of College,Interesting issue. I asked this question one time and heard (or read) that for many poor families, having lots of children is a strategic decision. Every child is a potential income-earner once he or she grows up, and who traditionally takes care of elderly parents but their own adult children? The more children you have, the greater the chance that someone will be there to take care of you in your old age. Seems pretty sensible to me in that case. Of course, this reason is only offered to complement the other ideas posted … I wouldn’t say it’s the only explanation.
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Name : Mary, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 28, City : Kanazawa, State : NA, Country : Japan, Occupation : English Teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Really, who would ever have thought that people are poor just because they’re a little spacey? How novel! Of course, maybe the person who lacks common sense is the one who suggests that people who can’t afford contraception should just ‘try your best to prevent having more children.’ How exactly should they do that? By wishful thinking?
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Name : Andrew, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 35, City : Huntington, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : Reporter, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I read through all the comments on the original question because I’ve thought about this problem a bit. Someone said it’s unfair to ask the poor to abstain, but I think that if I were in that position, I would prevent a pregnancy in any way I could. I realize that I probably live in a world that is much different, but how do we get these overburdened mothers to reduce the number of mouths they bring into the house? And why do they do it constantly? In Alex Kotlowitz’s There Are No Children Here, about a Chicago family living in public housing, the mother is having child after child with a dead-beat dad who comes around when the welfare checks come in. How do we teach someone like her not to do this? Is it an issue of self-respect? I don’t buy the idea that it’s a survival technique for bringing more bread-winners to the household. Shouldn’t we be making birth control more available or making abortions more available or something?
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Name : Jennifer30859, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 22, City : Lane, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class,Those who responded to Murray’s post don’t seem to be thinking things through. I have no idea how much contraceptives cost in the US, but in Australia they are very affordable but large poor families continue to exist. More importantly children cost so much more than contraceptives and it doesnt matter where you live! If you cant afford contraceptives you certainly cant afford a child.
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Name : k26960, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 22, City : Sydney, State : NA, Country : Australia, Occupation : Educator, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,
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