Poverty and Children in America - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1845 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/09/13 Category Advertising Essay Topics: Childhood Essay Childhood Memory Essay Did you like this example? Poverty and Children in the United States Who are America’s poor children? How many children in America are poor? What are some of the hardships that face poor children in America? These are only a few questions that we can ask ourselves when considering children who live in poverty in America. Children face monumental hardships in our country because of poverty or the condition of not possessing the means to afford basic human needs. The economic crisis that we find ourselves in today threatens to cause a dramatic increase in the number of America’s poor children; however poverty in America has long been a crisis that has faced the children of our nation. This essay will investigate the previous asked questions and research the challenges that poverty plays on the sociology of children in the United States. Who are America’s Poor Children? According to the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) 14 million American children live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level, which is $22,050 a year for a family of four. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Poverty and Children in America" essay for you Create order They also state that the number of children living in poverty increased by 21 % between 2000 and 2008 and it is estimated that there are 2. 5 million more children living in poverty today than in 2000. (Wright, 2010) These numbers are staggering and are estimated to grow significantly in the next few years considering the current economic crisis facing the United States. The NCCP explains that current research shows, on average, families need an income of about twice the federal poverty level to survive. Children who live in homes with incomes of $44,100 or less, for a family of four, are considered low income. This means that forty one percent of children in the United States live in low income homes. Children represent 25 % of the population and 41 % of all children live in low income families and nearly one in every five live in poor families (NCCP, 2010). Families in the United States are facing challenging economic times where workers are seeing decline in wages and the loss of jobs. Many cannot afford basic human needs with increased costs on food, gas, and of homes; these economic realities have a profound sociological effect on America’s children. The NCCP goes on to state that some of the characteristics of children who live in poverty in the United States are race and ethnicity related. They note that 11 % of white children live in poor families, 35 % of black children live in poor families, and 31% of Hispanic children live in poor families. These figures show that black and Hispanic children are disproportionately poor in the United States. Also children who live in single parented homes are more likely to live below the poverty line especially those who live with single mothers. â€Å"Female headed households live in poverty more than all other household types† (Poverty, 2001). Single mothers have been labeled the â€Å"new poor† most often because of changes in family composition such as divorce, separation, and remarriage, driven by a series of events in their lives. Who are America’s children living in poverty? They are the kids who live in the confines of these statistics generated by levels of income and they are often children which we see every day. Unlike the torturous pictures we see of poverty stricken children who live in underdeveloped countries, the children of the United States who live in poverty are struggling to survive in a society where poverty goes very often unnoticed. Hardships Facing Children who live in Poverty Hunger In the article â€Å"In America Today, hunger is very real†; Yolanda Young quoted President Obama saying â€Å"Hunger rose significantly last year. † Mr. Obama said that he hopes to alleviate childhood hunger by 2015. (Young, 2009) What does that mean then for the children who are going hungry today? These children eat less healthy meals, they visit shelters, they get help from school food programs, and they eat at emergency kitchens. The U. S. Census Bureau states that nearly 14 % of all American homes were afraid they might not be able to put enough food on the table this past year. Fortunately there are programs that assist families in crisis and can help to feed the children of the United States; however the number of hungry children is growing. Child hunger in the United States has been described as an increasingly complex problem and has been called the â€Å"silent epidemic. † (Goldstein, 2009) Malnutrition is being reported by medical professionals everywhere and is of major concern in almost every state in the nation. Children who suffer the effects of malnutrition contribute to a high number of those with negative health problems. Obesity is being associated as a side effect of malnutrition, as children ho don’t get enough to eat regularly eat foods that are less healthy. Childhood hunger also contributes to health conditions like a deteriorated immune system, chronic fatigue, developmental problems, and behavioral issues. Many poor children in the United States today, experience an uneasy or painful sensation caused by lack of food, or hun ger. Homelessness â€Å"The National Center on Family Homelessness currently estimates that as many as fifty U. S. children (1. 5 million) are homeless or â€Å"precariously housed† in temporary quarters such as motels and shelters† (Cohen, 2009). Today’s economic crisis is not helping this growing number of families that are being relocated as home foreclosures and loss of jobs add to the overwhelming number of homeless children in the United States. The result of homelessness can cause children to feel disassociated with those around them, they feel a sense of loss and privacy, and they ultimately feel an overwhelming sense of insecurity. Although these temporary quarters put a roof over the heads of millions of children in the United States, children often are left with psychological issues that last a lifetime. It is reported that homeless children are sick more often, go hungry more often, and repeat more than one grade in school over kids who have a home. Also, children who are homeless are more apt to have been exposed to sexual or physical abuse. The government has instituted many programs to help with the homelessness crisis in the United States; however for a child who has no home to call his own, this is little consolation. Inadequate Healthcare More often than not, children who live in poverty do not have adequate health care and comes as a result of a parent losing a job. We have discussed in this essay how the current economic crisis has affected families. With so many people losing jobs comes those same people who are losing the option of healthcare for their families. Government programs exist in order to provide healthcare for those who cannot afford it; however many argue if it is adequate. Preventative health care is essential for healthy living and the lack of this care affects children their whole lives. The NCCP reports that 17% of poor children lack health insurance, whereas 10% of all children (poor and non-poor) lack health insurance. In the ten most populated states, the percentage of poor children who lack insurance options ranges from nine percent in the state of Michigan to 31% in Florida, showing that state to state healthcare options are significantly different. The Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Program (CHIRP) was instituted in 2009 and is intended to give additional Medicaid benefits to children of low income families. Without programs like this, and others many children who live in poverty would have no insurance coverage at all. Many low income families lose insurance coverage every day because of job layoffs or employers who can no longer afford to offer insurance to their workers. Along with the health issues that come from living in poverty, inadequate health care coverage threatens the youth of our society. Education Children of poverty are more likely to fail in school achievement and are twice as likely to have repeated a grade, been suspended, or dropped out of high school. The effect of poverty on children as it relates to education clearly demonstrates the possibility of poor outcomes. Children who are hungry are less likely to learn, children who are homeless are far less likely to adapt socially to a classroom setting, and children who consistently miss school because of illness will be unable to pass the tests of authorized curriculum. Children who live in poverty are more likely to have learning disability and are more likely to fall prey to gangs and crime. Children of poverty are also more likely to be exposed to lower quality schools as neighborhood conditions often determine the quality of schools. Many poor children are at a disadvantage when it comes to education and struggle their entire lives because of this problem. Poverty contributes to low self esteem and causes a lack of confidence in children leading to lifelong deficiencies that threaten their economic futures. â€Å"Poorer health and social behavior due to poverty undermine education achievement† (Moore, 2009). Researchers also suggest that chronic stress due to poverty undermines children’s working memory. It is evident that childhood poverty compromises educational prospects of children. Conclusion Child poverty is a significant and growing social problem as poverty negatively affects children’s development, health, home life, and educational goals. Children, who face these monumental hardships in our country because of poverty or the condition of not having basic human needs, are rapidly growing in numbers. The sociological implications of children living in poverty in the United States threaten the very social structure of our country. The stability pattern of social behavior in the United States can be uprooted by the problems associated with children who live in poverty. If we truly believe that the children are our future, then we must address the issues that low income children are faced with and we need to more than hope that childhood poverty will be alleviated by 2015, as efforts to reduce the child poverty rate commands the nation’s attention today. This crisis in which children in the United States live in poverty, demands efforts to reduce the child poverty rate, and command the nation’s attention today. References Cohen, Aaron M. , Child Homelessness on the Rise, the Futurist Aug. 1, 2009. Vol. 43, Issue 4, p7, Retrieved March 1, 2010 from EBSCOhost Goldstein, Amy, 2009 Child Hunger and increasingly complex problem, Washington Post, Retrieved March 1, 2010 from https://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article. html National Center for Children in Poverty, Mailman School of Public Health, NCCP, 2010, Retrieved March 1, 2010 from https://www. nccp. org. html Moore, Kristin Anderson, Ph. D. , Zakia Redd, M. P. P. , Mary Burkhauser, M. A. , Ashleigh Collins, M. A. , Children in Poverty: Trends, Consequences, and Policy Options, Trends Child Research Brief, Retrieved March 1, 2010 from https://www/childtrends. rg/files/child_trends-2009-04-07-rb-childrenin Poverty. pdf Poverty, (2001), In World of Sociology, Gale. Retrieved March 1, 2010 from https://www. credoreference. com/entry/worldsocs/poverty Wright, Vanessa R. , Chau, Michelle, Yumiko Aratani, 2010, Who are America’s Poor Children? The Official Story, National Center for Children in Poverty, NCCP, 2010 Retrieved March 1, 2010 from https://www/nccp. org/publicatio ns/pub_912. html Young, Yolanda, 2009, USA Today, In America today, hunger is very real, News, pg. 13a, Retrieved March 1, 2010 from EBSCOhost

Influences of Attachment Theory on Personality Development

The concepts proposed by attachment theory have been very influential to the field of personality psychology. Over the years, many studies have supported the notion that mother-child attachment styles during childhood can impact future styles of behavior. Research conducted by Festa and Ginsburg (2011) examined the impact of parental and peer factors on the development of social anxiety amongst children. Further research conducted by Li and Chan (2012) examined the specific impact of anxiety and avoidant attachment styles on the development of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral indicators in determining the quality of romantic relationships amongst adults (Li Chan, 2012). Individuals that possess social anxiety disorder (SAD)†¦show more content†¦Individuals that portray secure attachment styles tend to value relationships that provide trust, comfort, and availability. 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Chaucers The Knights Tale free essay sample

An introduction to and discussion of Geoffrey Chaucers The Knights Tale from his well-known Canterbury Tales. This paper provides an introduction to The Knights Tale. Points of literary analysis are discussed, as well as mention of previous work that may have influenced Chaucer in his writing of this story. Theories of understanding the intended meaning of the story are offered. The Knights Tale is one of the most memorable in Chaucers Canterbury Tales. It tells the story of two young knights, Palamon and Arcite, who are imprisoned together in a tower, and both fall in love with the same girl, Emelye. Chaucer wrote it in Middle English, which, unlike Old English, is fairly easy to read and understand by modern readers. For example, at the end of the story, Chaucer has the lines, The Firste Moevere of the cause above,/ Whan he first made the faire cheyne of love,/ Greet was theffect, and heigh was his entente. We will write a custom essay sample on Chaucers The Knights Tale or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For with that faire cheyne of love he bond/ The fyr, the eyr, the water, and the lond/ In certeyn boundes, that they may nat flee (The Knights Tale, 2987?2993). They show Emelye why she must marry Palamon, and they are extremely poetic in their talk of `air, water, and land, and the fair chain of love.` The meaning is not lost, even though the words may look unusual.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Quotes

'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' Quotes Mark Twains novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), is the famous tale of Huckleberry Finn, who journeys down the Mississippi River with an escaped slave, Jim. The wit and wisdom of Mark Twain shines through in this novel. Here are a few famous quotations from the novel: There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. The average man dont like trouble and danger. The pitifulest thing out is a mob; thats what an army isa mob; they dont fight with courage thats born in them, but with courage thats borrowed from their mass, and from their officers. But a mob without any MAN at the head of it is BENEATH pitifulness. Music is a good thing; and after all that soul-butter and hogwash I never see it freshen up things so, and sound so honest and bully. All I say is, kings is kings, and you got to make allowances. Take them all around, theyre a mighty ornery lot. Its the way theyre raised. Its lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened. We said there warnt no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft dont. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft. Pray for me! I reckoned if she knowed me shed take a job that was more nearer her size. But I bet she done it, just the sameshe was just that kind. She had the grit to pray for Judus if she took the notionthere warnt no back-down to her, I judge. I haint ever seen her since that time that I see her go out of that door; no, I haint ever seen her since, but I reckon Ive thought of her a many and a many a million times, and of her saying she would pray for me; and if ever Id a thought it would do any good for me to pray for HER, blamed if I wouldnt a done it or bust. Then away out in the woods I heard that kind of a sound that a ghost makes when it wants to tell about something thats on its mind and cant make itself understood, and so cant rest easy in its grave, and has to go about that way every night grieving.