1- Many people think that most of the poor in the United States are Black or Latino, or they think that all Black and Latino people are poor. Both of these statements are false. Using the reading “The changing face of poverty,” describe the relationship between race/ethnicity and poverty in the United States.
2- In Cut Adrift, describe how Laura Delgado and her children fell from a middle-class life into poverty. How does their story reflect the larger trend of the “feminization of poverty” that we discussed in class?
3- From the chapter “Unequal Childhoods,” describe “concerted cultivation” and “the accomplishment of natural growth.” Name a negative outcome for each approach and at least one benefit of each approach. Finally, explain this quote from the chapter: “The benefits that accrue to middle-class children can be significant, but they are often invisible to them and to others. In popular language, middle-class children can be said to have been ‘born on third base but believe that they hit a triple.’”
4- In Cut Adrift, what is Mah family’s “security project,” according to the author Marianne Cooper? Why do they – and many other middle- and upper-class families – invest so much in “security projects” like the Mah’s in today’s economy?
5- According to “Ain’t No Makin’ It,” The Brothers and the Hallway Hangers had vastly different attitudes about school. Describe how each group felt about school and work when they were students. Then tell me about how members of each group did after they graduated and headed out into the labor market. According to the chapter, why did the boys in both groups struggle to obtain upward economic mobility?
6- First, describe one way in which we could try to address problems of unequal opportunity in our educational system. Second, describe why depending on education alone to fix inequality isn’t enough?
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