This week we focused on topics such as minimum wage and living wages, health impacts of social inequality, and the increase of poverty in the United States. This assignment asks you to focus more on poverty among one particular group, children.
1. What the documentary Poor Kids:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/poor-kids/
2. Explore the "By the Numbers" section on the website above.
3. Also explore the data available from the Center for Children in Poverty:
https://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_1170.html
Then, write a reflection based on this material, as well as the other material from class this week. Consider the following questions:
1. What percent of children in the U.S. are considered to be living in poverty? Near-poor households? Low-income households?
a. How does this vary by different demographic factors? Choose three factors (such as age, race, region, etc.) and explain those factors in detail.
b. Place the rate of childhood poverty in the U.S. into a global context. How does the rate of childhood poverty in the U.S. compare to that of other countries?
2. How does material from $2.00 A Day fit with the experiences of childhood poverty?Unnatural Causes?
3. In some ways, the kids in the film give faces to the numbers. What was life like for them?
4. What is your reaction to all of this?