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A Framework for Understanding Poverty
People in poverty face challenges virtually unknown to those in middle class or wealth--challenges from both obvious and hidden sources. The reality of being poor brings out a survival mentality, and turns attention away from opportunities taken for granted by everyone else. If you work with people from poverty, some understanding of how different their world is from yours
...more
Paperback, Fourth Revised Edition. , 199 pages
Published
February 9th 2006
by AHA! Process
(first published 1995)
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Community Reviews
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3,000)
Building High-Achieving Schools
The book is primarily directed at building a model for combating poverty by tackling them at the earliest level of perpetuation - in schools.
Schools, Payne advocates, should be our first line of defense against encroaching poverty and also our most effective weapon to beat it back. Unlike most economic tools, schools can be fine-tuned and deployed according to strict frameworks.
The thrust is thus primarily on how to deal with poverty in schools and how to equip t ...more
Jul 10, 2010
Malbadeen
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people that love to rank, classify, divide and "educate"
updated review: WAIT!!!!! STOP!!!!!! IF YOU PURCHASED OR ARE CONSIDERING PURCHASING THIS BOOK YOU NEEDN'T DO IT. SAVE YOURSELF SOME TIME AND GOOGLE "MISEDUCATING TEACHERS ABOUT THE POOR: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF RUBY PAYNE'S CLAIMS ABOUT POVERTY"
do you believe that ascribing to a middle class aesthetic is the pinnacle of existence? Do you believe that education is the best, most acceptable, most desired way to gain prominence in our society? Do you believe we should continue down this path?
then ...more
do you believe that ascribing to a middle class aesthetic is the pinnacle of existence? Do you believe that education is the best, most acceptable, most desired way to gain prominence in our society? Do you believe we should continue down this path?
then ...more
Payne's book is a perfect example of what is wrong with the conservative approach to education. In this book, sold to districts all over the country, Payne peddles soft racism and discredited social theory, based on her anecdotal observations, rather than real research.
It’s a pretty appealing formula: rather than address the root causes of poverty in this country or community, demonize the poor through condescension and disapproval rather than outright hostility. I had the misfortune of going to ...more
It’s a pretty appealing formula: rather than address the root causes of poverty in this country or community, demonize the poor through condescension and disapproval rather than outright hostility. I had the misfortune of going to ...more
This was required reading last year at one of my buildings. I would retitle it "Reinforcing Poverty, making stereotypes stick." I found it to be extremely troubling.
Full of generalizations, yes. Entirely wrong- no. The role of language and story; Hidden rules among classes & Characteristics of Generational Poverty are some of the better chapters. There ARE rules of behavior and language in the middle class (and other classes) and trying to function in a middle class atmosphere requires knowledge of these rules. This is not a judgment statement, just statement of fact; just as knowledge of French would be a requirement for success in France. The differen
...more
This is a controversial book, to say the least, featuring some very broad generalizations about poverty that lend themselves to stereotypes that are unhelpful and de-politicizing.
The unexamined will control us, and this book is about unexamined assumptions and the "hidden" social rules of each class that keep individuals pigeonholed and divided. It is ironic, then, that the author is accused by some of doing the pigeonholing and dividing.
She is accused of racism, although what she seeks to dem ...more
The unexamined will control us, and this book is about unexamined assumptions and the "hidden" social rules of each class that keep individuals pigeonholed and divided. It is ironic, then, that the author is accused by some of doing the pigeonholing and dividing.
She is accused of racism, although what she seeks to dem ...more
Mar 15, 2010
Avrila
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Anyone who works with people
Recommended to Avrila by:
A teaching workshop
For those who say it's full of generalizations, my response is "duh." When you write a book that examines social class, which affects EVERYBODY, you have to generalize. To do it in under 200 pages so that busy people can read it, you have to generalize a lot. No one should read this book until they understand the difference between individual traits and group tendencies, because they might pick up stereotypes out of it if they're not ready. However, anyone who works in helping people (teachers,
...more
This book came highly recommended from various TFA types. It is horrible. it is full of subtly veiled stereotypes and essentialization, couched in psuedo-pyschology from someone who claims to understand the lives of people living in poverty because she married someone who grew up in poverty. I think this book could actually be really dangerous for the mindsets it reinforces while presenting itself as a compassionate, indispensible guide to working with certain populations.
There is some useful stuff in here, but there are some huge problematic things going on in this book. Primarily it's very classist.
I also think its a dangerous book in the sense that if one allows oneself to read this book without a questioning mind, one may get sucked into the simple explanations the author offers. It's quite payneful how she explains poverty.
I also think its a dangerous book in the sense that if one allows oneself to read this book without a questioning mind, one may get sucked into the simple explanations the author offers. It's quite payneful how she explains poverty.
I got Ms. Payne's book based on some interesting excerpts that someone posted online. The excerpts had to do with the different types of speech and how they influence learning and even ways of thinking. The poster quoted some sections from the book which assert that the differences in speech between the general classes of poverty, middle class and wealth have much more impact on the brain than most people realize. This intrigued me. The book is targeted at school administrators and employers, bu
...more
Dr. Payne offers outstanding discourse on variations in socioeconomic outlooks and perspectives. I used this quite a bit when dealing with offenders in my work as a probation-parole officer.
Payne has an uncanny ability to vet out subtle cultural nuances and how they relate to one's world-view. I highly recommend this book as a quick study for understanding the things people do - things which might otherwise leave you bewildered.
Now, I understand that there are some folks who dismiss this book a ...more
Payne has an uncanny ability to vet out subtle cultural nuances and how they relate to one's world-view. I highly recommend this book as a quick study for understanding the things people do - things which might otherwise leave you bewildered.
Now, I understand that there are some folks who dismiss this book a ...more
I'd forgotten being forced to read "A Framework for Understanding Poverty" for a PD in my school a few years ago. It's still used in my district as a basis for a class by the same name.
The tone is condescending rather than authoritative. Having been a very poor kid growing up, I resent academics who blame w/out also assigning some personal accountability for individuals' circumstances, which, as I recall, is the case here.
The tone is condescending rather than authoritative. Having been a very poor kid growing up, I resent academics who blame w/out also assigning some personal accountability for individuals' circumstances, which, as I recall, is the case here.
Feb 06, 2008
Mason Wiebe
rated it
liked it
Recommends it for:
Teachers, Social workers, Anyone who works with people living in poverty
During Grad school, I skimmed this book and remembered that it had a lot of good info about the cultural differences between classes (poverty, middle-class, wealthy), so when I saw that a friend was reading it down here, I decided to give it a second look. It is written with educators in mind, so it was only slightly applicable to what I am doing at this point in my life, and it is written about poverty in the US. What I found very interesting is that so many of the things we see here that we th
...more
A good understanding of different value systems and having a broader view. I caution readers to not take it too literally as it is still important to individualize people and not think they fall into on group or another simply because of their income. DON'T OVERGENERALIZE :-)
I've been through this Ruby Payne training twice and each time I am amazed at how helpful it is. I have learned so much about the struggles of each class. It was very practial to use with students or the public in general.
This book was full of implications relating to the population of students I work with. As I read the several case studies, examples, and theories about the cultural differences of people in generational and situational poverty, I was flooded with memories of particular situations with students in the past. Things that have frustrated me that are caused by: different cultural values and priorities, different forms of communication, different family relationships and values, a lack of support syst
...more
This book was eye opening in helping me understand the influence of class on world view and values. For example, entertainment being valued in poverty and exclusivity being valued in wealth.
I am a little bewildered by some of the negative reviews on this book. Ok, the author generalizes -- so there are some stereotypical situations at play. But generalizing and categorizing are how we make sense of things and gain the tools to influence them.
OF COURSE, the generalities and stereotypes do not e ...more
I am a little bewildered by some of the negative reviews on this book. Ok, the author generalizes -- so there are some stereotypical situations at play. But generalizing and categorizing are how we make sense of things and gain the tools to influence them.
OF COURSE, the generalities and stereotypes do not e ...more
The author does follow through on her promise to help you understand poverty better. She provides a lot of insights into how people in poverty make decisions that were quite eye opening to me. They helped make sense of a lot of behavior that I had currently found inexplicable. However, when it comes to "what to do about it," how do you help a child learn the behaviors that will take her out of poverty, the book was lacking. The chapters on application were nothing more than over-generalized, hig
...more
I'm sure I will get some heat for this but . . . This book is part a book study, so I was required to read it. The book was very disturbing. The author goes on endlessly about low-income students and described "low-income" value sets and how these translate to poor academic performance. Her goal is to have students learn middle-class values and communication styles to enable them to achieve a middle class lifestyle. This book is all about getting students to conform to a middle-class European-Am
...more
This book was very disturbing. I was told to read it for my elementary education program and I found it to be poorly written and racist. The author went on endlessly about low-income students and described "low-income" value sets and how these translate to poor academic performance. Her goal is to have students learn middle-class values and communication styles to enable them to achieve a middle class lifestyle. This book is all about getting students to conform to a middle-class European-Americ
...more
Wow. After hearing reference to this book so many times within the realm of education, I finally sat down to read it myself. Let me save you some time - don't bother reading this book! It's misguided and is based on Payne's personal perspectives, not on research. I now understand why I've heard such strong critiques of Payne; ultimately I think not only that is the book ill-informed, but also that Payne's "case studies" and conclusions are more harmful then helpful. It perpetuates stereotypes an
...more
Tom and I had a pretty intense conversation about this book. Tom thinks this book is highly racist. I think this book has a mix of good and bad qualities and shouldn't be the ONLY book you read about poverty. It's a decent start though.
I've seen this book referenced at a lot of workshops and poverty trainings. I think it gives a basic understanding in academic terms for people who may receive "culture shock" (as my mom likes to say) when not use to dealing with people from different socio-econo ...more
I've seen this book referenced at a lot of workshops and poverty trainings. I think it gives a basic understanding in academic terms for people who may receive "culture shock" (as my mom likes to say) when not use to dealing with people from different socio-econo ...more
I think I would like to run this book through a Social-Science version of Mythbusters.
This is a VERY basic, but helpful primer for understanding poverty, esp., in terms of thinking about class in terms of registers. It's not the most exhaustive book you've read, but it's quick and gets straight to the point of what issues our students in poverty may be facing, and the perspective from which they may be engaging school, etc. It is exactly what it claims to be: a "framework," which is to say it is a way of understanding class differences (that of registers), but this is as helpful
...more
This is a non-judgmental book about understanding the differences and inequalities in American society. There are many and Payne does an amazing job of explaining the differences between the impoverished, the middle class and the wealthy.
It is refreshing to read a book that treats the impoverished with respect. It acknowledges that these are the people who have to make hard decisions all day, every day. While it is easy to stand back and judge them, this book invites you into their lives, their ...more
It is refreshing to read a book that treats the impoverished with respect. It acknowledges that these are the people who have to make hard decisions all day, every day. While it is easy to stand back and judge them, this book invites you into their lives, their ...more
This book was from the personal experience and research of doctor Payne regarding the three levels of wealth as identified in the schooling system as ‘poverty’, ‘middle class’, and ‘wealth’. The focus in the book is on the resources that are necessary to change from one class to the next. It helps the reader to identify those resources, understand why one class has some types of resources and the other classes have different resources. She claims that poverty has very little if nothing to do wit
...more
I personally grew up in poverty and I have worked with high-poverty children for 10 years. This book explained a lot of things to me that I already knew to be true about my students. It also explained WHY a lot of things happened the way they did in my own family. I found it interesting that she's found cultural correlations among impoverished subgroups in various countries, not just here.
Some people my disagree, strongly even. On this site, she's even been called a racist though I didn't see t ...more
Some people my disagree, strongly even. On this site, she's even been called a racist though I didn't see t ...more
A short book—only 117 pages before the notes and appendix—that provides precisely what the title says: a framework for understanding poverty. Easy-to-read and full of profound insights. Several chapters had content that led to "Aha!" moments of understanding. I think anyone working with urban poverty in the US would find this a worthwhile book to read.
Some key insights:
From the introduction:
1. Generational poverty and situational poverty are different
2. This work is based on patterns. All patter ...more
Some key insights:
From the introduction:
1. Generational poverty and situational poverty are different
2. This work is based on patterns. All patter ...more
Awesome. Easy to understand and immediately useful. WIN.
Some key points to remember:
1. Poverty is relative. If everyone around you has similar circumstances, the notion of poverty and wealth is vague. Poverty or wealth only exists in relationship to the known quantities or expectation.
2. Poverty occurs among people of all ethnic backgrounds and in all countries.The notion of a middle class as a large segment of society is a phenomenon of this century. The percentage of the population that is poo ...more
Some key points to remember:
1. Poverty is relative. If everyone around you has similar circumstances, the notion of poverty and wealth is vague. Poverty or wealth only exists in relationship to the known quantities or expectation.
2. Poverty occurs among people of all ethnic backgrounds and in all countries.The notion of a middle class as a large segment of society is a phenomenon of this century. The percentage of the population that is poo ...more
This framework informs me every day as an educator and as someone who works with Not-for-Profit Organisations. It helps professionals answer all of those niggling questions on why those who live in poverty or come from poverty behave the way they do without judgement, opinions or discrimination. Working with children from a range of backgrounds, this framework informs me in so many different ways from planning lessons, to interacting and conversing to talking deeply with them about issues at hom
...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forsyth County Pu...: Read to Lead - March 2016 | 1 | 6 | Feb 17, 2016 09:17AM | |
| Generalizations gone wild | 7 | 80 | Mar 15, 2014 11:12AM | |
| Books regarding SES | 1 | 2 | Jan 17, 2012 02:38PM |
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“To move from poverty to middle class or middle class to wealth, an individual must give up relationships for achievement (at least for some period of time). The issue is time; there is not enough time to have both.”
—
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“These are patterns that you see. These are why individuals use these patterns, and here is what you can do to help those individuals make the transition to the “decontextualized” environment of formal schooling, if they so desire to make that transition.”
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Jun 24, 2014 11:36PM
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