Bshs 345 - Generational Poverty

Reflective paper

Samantha Jacobs

Diversity and Special Populations BSHS 345

April 16, 2018

Elaine McCullough

Generational Poverty

Generational poverty and trying to understand it can be complicated in understanding why it continues. Those who are facing generational poverty, those families have endured it for more two generations and it is still exist within many families across the United States of America today. Generational poverty is affecting many families and their lives every day. There is a vast amount of families currently facing challenges derived directly from generational poverty. Majority of those families have been affected by a loss of income, unemployment, the elderly are facing not having enough income to support themselves and women facing many diverse situations. The stress cause by generational poverty of middle class families continue to be burdened with trying to maintain their lives and live comfortably. Many of those use to be “Middle Class families” are now dwindling down to lower class families. This is leaving many without hope of ever overcoming generational poverty for their families.

Complex factors involved in overcoming generational poverty

It is not a secret the Unites States of America is one of the wealthiest countries in the world to reside in, but what really is the American dream? That is contrary to how many people are having to live and support themselves these days. Thinking about the homeless population and how they have to live in much more comparable to how many families in third world countries are living, although many live in similar circumstances. The fact of the matter is homeless people are living in as much dire circumstances and those families in third world countries. Despite how much better off the United States of America may be the country is faced with many family generations suffering from generational poverty. Many would assume when considering poverty that those individuals are lacking financial resources to meet their basic needs for living. Those families living in generational poverty may face many different forms of poverty, be it education or even parenting just to name a few. Many may think of poverty as lacking financial resources to meet basic living requirements. Families dealing with Generational Poverty are also challenged with three other forms of poverty. The cumulative effect of these different forms of poverty sometimes creates the most damaging outcome of Generational Poverty many families have the constant presence of hopelessness and feeling like things will always be this way.

Hopelessness is the main factor in creating this cycle of one generation to the next continuing to live in poverty. Without hope and the belief that life can be better, the motivation and energy needed to break the cycle are very low to nonexistent.

Older Adults and the Challenges They Face with the Lack of Employment

Many come to the United States of America for better opportunities and to pursuit of the American dream. What exactly is the American dream if many families are living in poverty for generation after generation? Let’s consider the elderly there is a social stigma that the aging generation not only can contribute to society but they also lack the ability to help themselves. The older generation are being pushed out of employment, many are being made to retire and hiring younger candidates to replace them. Many of those elders are costing companies more /?money because they have worked for the company for so long. Many of those elderly people are also pushed to retire by family members. This may bring their next question in life, what is next for them? In situations where family may not be very supportive this could cause feeling of depression, the diminishing of one’s self and even feel like life is at a t stand still. Many of the elder population find great comfort in being grandparents and can find a sense of self-worth again. There are also many who do not find that balance in life and may struggle to still find a purpose in life after work. Erikson’s theory suggest those individuals in their later years have a natural desire to assist in guiding the next generation (Zastrow & Kirst – Aashman, 2010). This natural desire may give that person to doing this in the community such as volunteering or finding something purposeful to do with their time that they may seek things that make them happy, geared towards the young.