Goodreads Mobile | see what your friends are reading

Jul 10, 2010

Malbadeen rated it:

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 continu More...

15 comments like (8 people liked it)

Mar 08, 2008

Don rated it:

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 More...

10 comments like (8 people liked it)

Aug 22, 2007

Kristine rated it:

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.

0 comments like (7 people liked it)

Dec 17, 2009

Kelley rated it:

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 :-)

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 16, 2009

Cat rated it:

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.

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 13, 2009

George rated it:

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...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Oct 17, 2009

J rated it:

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 fo More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 21, 2008

Natalie rated it:

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 difference i More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Feb 06, 2008

Mason rated it:

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 t More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Apr 02, 2009

Algernon rated it:

Some of the comments and reviews here on GoodReads are surprising, almost as if they had read a different book than the one I read.

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 demonstrate in More...

1 comment like (5 people liked it)

Mar 05, 2009

Claire marked it as to-read

My Mom mentioned this book in relation to some local non-profits she is very involved with, so have been planning to read it.
I understand where the criticisms come from to an extent, but I know from being involved with our local (big terrible horrible) public school system that paradigms of reality are subjective, and talking about them is often very difficult, especially across paradigms with an absence of trust.
In her book, she talks hers, and the listener can hear widely differe More...

0 comments like

Mar 15, 2010

Avrila rated it:

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 peop More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jun 09, 2009

Nez rated it:

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 More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 30, 2011

Naftoli rated it:

This book is aimed at educators though it is quite useful to anybody working with the public, especially with individuals who come from generational poverty. Dr. Ruby Payne explains the differences among the lower class, middle class, and upper class with regard to time management, communication styles, views on money, relationships, and so forth. After drawing a framework for understanding the culture and framework within which social classes in America work, she guides the reader with exampl More...

1 comment like

Dec 10, 2010

Kristen rated it:

Not necessarily a book to be read by everyone. And definately not a pleasure read. I read this for work. That said, it was laying on the counter and my husband picked it up and read it, commenting that it was interesting. Pretty soon my oldest son was reading over his shoulder, and the next day my daughter read it. They all finished it. It is short. It is quick to read at only 120 pgs with lots of diagrams and graphs.

So why read it? Read it if you want to understand more about why pe More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 06, 2010

Connie rated it:

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 thei More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 02, 2008

Bridget rated it:

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.

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 05, 2010

Ellyn rated it:

I first read this book in college and decided to reread the updated edition to see if I could gain any insight into some of the families who are currently on my caseload at work. The book deals mostly with the thought and behavior patterns common to people in poverty, middle class, and wealth. I like the author's focus on poverty as a lack of resources in a broader sense, not just financial. The book is mostly directed towards people working in schools, but I think the ideas in it could be he More...

0 comments like

Dec 10, 2008

Nelson rated it:

Quotes: “An individual brings w/ him/her the hidden rules of the class in which he/she was raised…..Schools and businesses operate from middle-class norms and use the hidden rules of middle class…..For students to become successful, we must understand their hidden rules and teach them the rules that will make them successful at school and work” and “Two things that help one move out of poverty are education and (caring) relationships”

POVERTY is defined as the extent a person lives w More...

0 comments like

Jun 22, 2011

Katelyn rated it:

This book gave an interesting insight to the lives of those living in poverty: what drives their decisions, choice of language, reasons they might not be able to excel, lack of support systems. It is a good book for anyone working with children, students, parents or patrons in low socioeconomic areas.

Payne gives examples of responses from children/students of poverty to being disciplined, gives possible reasons behind those responses, and gives suggestions on how to interpret and rea More...

0 comments like

Sep 16, 2009

Carma rated it:

I had heard great things about this book, and was inclined favorably towards it. But the more I read, the more I felt that a more accurate title would have been "Outdated Stereotypes for Oversimplifying Poverty." Although the book has many references, and thus "looks scholarly," if you peruse the bibliography, you will see that much of Payne's substantive material comes from one book published by Sage, which she cites repeatedly. She also cites a number of books about poverty More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 22, 2010

Peter rated it:

This was one of those books hovering over me for years.

A quick read, but groundbreaking in its discussion of the hidden rules of poverty, the middle class, and the wealthy class. Teachers typically operate from their own middle class rules, realizing that not all student share their same values, but admittedly not understanding why. Teachers should value the rules of poverty at the same time explicitly teaching the hidden rules of the middle class. This is imperative if students o More...

0 comments like

Jul 30, 2007

Donnie rated it:

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.

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Apr 15, 2011

Sam rated it:

Essentially, the book was a re-hashing of virtually every class I had as an undergraduate dealing with poverty. That isn't to say that it was a bad read, mind you. Rather, I say that it's a re-hashing because it simply is. Ideas about "hidden rules between and among classes" and the role of language are themes not unheard or unread by me. It's a concise, readable telling of one contemporary view of poverty and how it can be overcome.

The only thing slightly off-putting about More...

0 comments like

May 03, 2008

Michelle rated it:

This book was really a toss for me because I could see that it had a great case in the school that I was student teaching in, but when it came to my own classroom, I felt like it had only labeled society and not tried to dig to the deeper cause

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 16, 2009

Laura rated it:

Lots of people seem to really hate this book -- that it seems racist or perpetuates stereotypes. I see that, but I don't quite agree. So many people really only know about the class in which they live. This is a good step to understanding that people's choices are driven, at least to some extent, by their economic standing.

I wish more people would read this book. Not because I want them to feel sorry for poor people or think that middle class people are close-minded or so we ca More...

0 comments like

Apr 18, 2009

Stormy rated it:

A principal of an inner city school recommended this book. Learned a lot about differences in the hidden rules of the different classes: poor, middle class and wealthy and the need to teach to those differences. Learned a lot about my attitudes needing to be expanded to understand our differences and how best to work with those differences to achieve better results for our input and their needs and growth. Eric Berne's work on inner parent, child and adult voices is expanded to teaching use of More...

0 comments like

Jul 20, 2011

Jamila rated it:

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 E More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 23, 2011

Alex rated it:

I picked this one up on the recommendation of an acquaintance (thanks, Kelly!), because my summer program this year is comprised of inner-city, poor youth, and as a very very very lucky middle class white woman, I knew I didn't understand where they were coming from and wanted to try to do so, if only a little, before the summer started. Reading this book was definitely one of those experiences like I had when taking anthropology class in college: I recognized just how constructed my version of More...

0 comments like

Dec 17, 2011

Lisa rated it:

Well, I'm giving this one 3 stars because I think it does have some merit to it, and I did enjoy the read. A good friend has gently let me know that Dr. Payne has her fair share of critics, and so I'm searching those out as well and highly intend to read texts that offer a more inclusive perspective.

One critique I'm finding especially interesting and informative can be found at the following link, and addresses some of the concerns I did have while reading. One is with regard to Dr. Pa More...

2 comments like