Shooting for the Moon

Bates

Shooting for the Moon

Gens 279
Steffani Bates
Ivy Tech Community College

Shooting for the Moon

Bates

Abstract
Shoot for the Moon even if you miss you may land among the Social Workers. The actual quote
is a little different from my improvised version above but for me it fits my story. The goal of my
life has been to help others and my educational journey has contributed much to this desire over
the years. My educational story began when I was 17 years old in Georgia and due to very
traumatic events and abuse I made my way to Tennessee and eventually Indiana where I found
Ivy Tech Community College. I originally majored in Special Education and Speech Pathology
with a minor in Human Services. I held high aspirations of helping children with behavioral
needs, but at the core of my heart I just wanted to help people. While my goals were strong and
clearly planned out, life had other plans for me. Shortly after I had started my second year at Ivy
Tech I was forced to postpone my schooling for major health concerns, including tumors and
surgery. I got married and spent the next three years of my time working with a very highpowered company as an Operations Manager and dreaming about returning to school. I would
dream about finishing my degree in special education or possibly even getting a nursing degree
so I could help others. I knew what I wanted to do with my life but still helping people is such a
broad thing that I was lost on what direction to take to get there. After taking a career aptitude
test and scoring in the 97th percentile for Human Services aptitude I discovered that the answer
was right in front of me with the very subject I had minored in and in the classes I enjoyed the
most. It seems while I kept shooting for the moon I had landed among the Social Workers and I
couldnt have been happier about that. I am hoping to learn skills which will prepare me for the
future school goals towards Indiana Wesleyan and one day carry me on to use my degree in the
field. Outside of my career goals my ultimate dream is to start a farm with my husband where we
can help children, young men, and women to overcome difficult situations just as I have had to
do throughout my own life.

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Shooting for the Moon

Capstone Portfolio
Table of Contents
Title Page:
Page 1
Portfolio Abstract:
Page 2
Table of Contents:
Page 3
Section One: Social Responsibility
Page 4

Abstract

Pages 5-9 Playing Into The Hand that Feeds

Section Two: Diversity
Page 10

Abstract

Pages 11-23 A Personal Look at Poverty

Section Three: Ethics
Page 24

Abstract

Pages 25-31 The Effects of Religion on Geography and Globalization

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Abstract
This paper is an overview of my experiences in volunteering in the community, as well as having
been an individual who had benefitted from social services. I originally wrote the paper for my
Human Services 101 class and it highlights my interest in Social Responsibility, as well as,
explains how important it is to be a part of things like this within the community. In the paper I
detailed my experiences in hosting a volunteer event in Brazil, Indiana. With the help of a
classmate I created and hosted a community wide disc golf tournament to raise money for a local
food bank. The event was part of a project for my Human Services course related to the benefit
of community engagement. The goal was to determine how to use your skills to help others and
to relate that to your future desire to be a part of the social sciences field. I related my volunteer
experiences in community service to not only my previous experiences of service from the
community but my future goals of servicing others. This paper is a narrative of my experiences
related to social responsibility and is written in a first person format. I have used this paper for
my portfolio to fulfill the political, social, or environmental responsibility portion of the
requirements.

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Playing Into the Hand that Feeds

This semester we were given a task, which was to volunteer in the community and then
report our experiences. At the time, I had volunteered for many community events as a member
of Phi Theta Kappa and ISEA; I had also personally volunteered my time for over two years at
the Terre Haute Childrens Museum. We needed to pick an organization other than any current
experiences to broaden our horizons, because of this I chose to volunteer for the Clay County
Emergency Food Pantry. Initially, I planned on volunteering at the pantry itself and I was really
excited about the opportunity to do so because of the personal ties I have to such organizations.
Unfortunately, I not only had to have a surgery, which turned out to be more complicated than
planned, but I also had to move to Indianapolis in the middle of the semester. Because of these
life-changing events I was unable to volunteer the extra amount that I had originally hoped,
however I did volunteer for a community sponsored event through the Crossroads Disc Golf
Club in honor and contribution to the Clay County Emergency Food Pantry. Food pantries are
close to my heart for a few reasons; the first being that I have eaten many meals throughout my
life that were made possible through local food pantries. However the most important reason the
Food Pantry is close to my heart has a history that is a little more detailed.
When I was a young girl I got married to someone I thought I knew very well; but I did
not. The man I married very quickly showed me another side of himself, one that involved terror,
violence, and abuse. I was raised Christian and taught not to divorce under any circumstance,
other than adultery, even if that included abuse. Finally, after two long years of endless abuse that
resulted in the worst event of my life, my miscarriage, I had the strength to leave. For a while, I
was homeless because I had to pay for a mortgage that was in my name, so I couldnt afford to
rent a whole other place to live. I worked three jobs and I lived in my car, sometimes I slept in a

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bathroom at the park, and I would even drive to a 24 hr. Wal-Mart a few towns over so I had
somewhere warm to go at night; I continued to pay my $20/month gym membership so I had
somewhere to take showers. Then someone told me there was a place in my hometown where
women without a safe place to live could go.
I remember the police car that drove me there and in past the gate. I walked up the
secluded driveway, with a small garbage bag of the few possessions I had in one hand, and
looked up at the big white house with open yet fearful eyes. As I went through the front door I
noticed off to one side was a little barn, but I was tired and went quickly to sleep in the little
room I was ushered into. The next morning I was given a tour of the property and the woman in
charge of the facility showed me a room that was filled floor to ceiling with food, which had all
been donated through the Food Pantry. Next, the woman took me outside to the little barn and as
she opened the door I heard her say, Okay what size clothes do you wear. Inside that little barn
was anything you could ever need--from clothes to toiletries, makeup, etc She handed me a
small little tub and as we walked through she filled it with shampoo, deodorant, toiletries,
makeup, a hairbrush, and then they helped me pick out a few outfits for work, some pajamas, and
some casual clothes. I felt like I was on an assembly line for charity but it was a feeling I will
never forget; overwhelmed, grateful, wonderstruck, undeserving, ashamed, indebted, and also
inspired. Everything I saw in the barn that day had been donated by the Food Pantry; whose
mission far outshined feeding the hungry as they continually held fundraisers and donation
events to support the little shelter I once found myself living in.
Im sure it is evident from my detailed synopsis why food pantries are extremely close to
my heart. As I mentioned earlier, I was unable to commit additional hours to working in the
actual Food Pantry itself; but I volunteered at a community wide event in collaboration with the

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food pantry to raise funds in a fun and interesting way. The fundraiser was a disc golf tournament
that was held on multiple dates and locations to generate funds for the Clay County Emergency
Food pantry through community involvement. I volunteered at this tournament sponsored by the
Crossroads Disc Golf Club with, a fellow classmate, Jerod Stultz and our work supervisor for the
event was Jason LaBella. On that Friday evening, February 15th, 2013 Jerod and I went to Forest
Park in Brazil, IN to organize discs, registration cards, and do a partial set up of the event. The
next morning, February 16th, we arrived early to finish set up of the event and begin the
registration process. My duties throughout the day for this event included: set up
registration/signing people up for the tournament, charging funds and admissions for the various
types of game play involved in the tournament, getting permission slips to photograph from
individuals, disc distribution, during play making sure groups moved in the right direction,
following tournament members in order to photo-shoot the event, while maintaining records on
completed tickets/players/ funds for the organization, managing the delivery of food services to
members involved in the event, and tear down/clean-up of the event.
I was completely exhausted by the end of the second day but I was beyond happy to
know that my time was contributing to resources for the Clay County Emergency Food Pantry.
This food pantry makes such a difference in the lives of citizens within the community. I, myself,
have family members in Clay County who have relied upon the food pantry to help them feed
their children, my cousins. The Clay County Emergency Food Pantry was established in 1984
and their mission statement is to provide food to needy. Their mission is pretty straightforward
but I like that it says to needy because the needy in this world are much farther reaching than
one could even begin to comprehend; just as in my previous situation. As I said, my only regret
is that I wish I could have been even more involved with this organization, but personal

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experiences prohibited this. However, in spite of that, I felt amazing and touched by my
involvement in the fundraiser. I remember thinking to myself how cool it was for people to be
able to go and play a game in the community, with their friends and families, and at the same
time be donating and contributing to the welfare of families less fortunate. I was so inspired that
I felt even more encouraged to become involved in community activities in Indianapolis where I
now live.
This experience was so rewarding to me because I felt like, even in the smallest way, I
was giving back for all the love and charity I have received through organizations associated
with local food pantries. I learned something about myself, through this experience in that, I have
always loved to help others but I think it is because often there was no one to help me when I
needed it so I know how it can feel to be alone and scared. However, in this situation I realized I
have been blessed more than I always realize and that maybe my desire to help others also stems
from that wonderstruck inspiration I felt as a 19-year-old girl standing in that little white barn
holding my bucket of shampoo and toiletries. As a current Human Services employee and future
HSBCP, I will always look back on this experience and remind myself of where I have been and
what blessings I have received and I will take this experience with me as a point of perseverance
for all that I have achieved and all that I can help others to achieve.

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Reference Page
Clay County Emergency Food Pantry Incorporated. (2003). Retrieved April 8, 2013, from
NCCS: National Center for Charitable Statistics Website:
http://nccsdataweb.urban.org/orgs/profile/311072428
Welcome to the Club! (2012). Retrieved February 27, 2013, from Crossroads Disc Golf Club
Website: http://www.crossroadsdiscgolf.com/

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Abstract
I have chosen this paper, which I had written for my Sociology 111 course to fulfill the Diversity
section of this Portfolio. One of the more obvious characteristics of diversity is social status,
such as poverty. Poverty is distinctly prevalent in our society, and is a matter of particular
intricacy. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 146 million Americans are either
"poor" or "low income". Today, approximately 20 percent of all children in the United States are
living in poverty. It may be hard to believe, but approximately 57 percent of all children in the
United States are currently living in homes that are either considered to be either "low income"
or impoverished. Currently, more than 100 million Americans are enrolled in at least one of the
federal governments welfare programs. That number doesnt even include Social Security or
Medicare. As shocking as American poverty statistics may be they are even more eye-opening
around the world, Just imagine how poverty affects the US and then think about how much richer
a nation America is in relation to most of the world. Relatively half of the world, over three
billion people, is living on less than $2.50 a day. Climbing out of poverty is an extreme struggle
made increasingly difficult by many factors in society. I have personally spent most of my life in
various forms of poverty for one reason or another, but I am very smart and I have worked as
hard as I possibly can to overcome this obstacle in my life. However, I count myself fortunate
every day that I live in a land in which it is still possible to rise from the ashes of an ascribed
status of poverty.

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A Personal Look at Poverty

The poverty of our century is unlike that of any other. It is not, as poverty was before, the result
of natural scarcity, but of a set of priorities imposed upon the rest of the world by the rich.
John Berger
Webster defines poverty as the state of being extremely poor. Perhaps the second definition
breaks it down a little better the state of being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately one out of every six Americans is now
living in poverty. The number of Americans living in poverty is now at a level not seen since the
1960s. When you add in the number of low income Americans it is even more sobering.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 146 million Americans are either "poor" or
"low income". Today, approximately 20 percent of all children in the United States are living in
poverty. Unbelievably, a higher percentage of children are living in poverty in America today
than was the case back in 1975. It may be hard to believe, but approximately 57 percent of all
children in the United States are currently living in homes that are either considered to be either
"low income" or impoverished. Poverty is the worst in our inner cities. At this point, 29.2
percent of all African-American households with children are dealing with food insecurity. The
number of children living on $2.00 a day or less in the United States has grown to 2.8 million.
That number has increased by 130 percent since 1996. Sadly, more than a million public school
students in the United States are homeless and that number has risen by 57 percent since the
2006-2007 school year. One university study estimates that child poverty costs the U.S. economy
500 billion dollars each year (Michael, 2013).

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According to Michael, writer for the Economic Collapse, about 40 percent of all unemployed
workers in America have been out of work for at least half a year. At this point, one out of every
four American workers has a job that pays $10 an hour or less. There has been an explosion in
the number of "working poor" Americans in recent years. Today, about one out of every four
workers in the United States brings home wages that are at or below the poverty level. Families
that have a head of household under the age of 30 have a poverty rate of nearly 37 percent and
approximately one in every three children in America resides in a father-less home.
Currently, more than 100 million Americans are enrolled in at least one of the federal
governments welfare programs. That number doesnt even include Social Security or Medicare.
An unparalleled record of 47.79 million Americans are now using food stamps, which is a huge
shift from the 32 million when Obama first took office. The number of Americans on food
stamps now exceeds the entire population of Spain. According to one calculation, the number of
Americans on food stamps now exceeds the combined populations of "Alaska, Arkansas,
Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi,
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon,
Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming (Michael, 2013)." In
the 1970s, about one out of every fifty Americans was enrolled in the food stamp
program. Today, those numbers are close to one out of every six Americans. An even more
shocking fact is that more than one out of every four children in the United States is receiving
food stamps. Why is this happening to our families and our children? In the words of Frederick
Douglass Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and
where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and
degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.

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As shocking as American poverty statistics may be they are even more eye-opening
around the world, Just imagine how poverty affects the US and then think about how much richer
a nation America is in relation to most of the world. Relatively half of the world, over three
billion people, is living on less than $2.50 a day. At least 80 percent of all humanity lives on less
than $10 a day and, as detailed in our sociology book, more than 80 percent of the worlds
population lives in countries where income differentials are widening. The total wealth of the top
8.3 million people around the world rose 8.2 percent to $30.8 trillion in 2004, giving them
control of nearly a quarter of the worlds financial assets (Shah, 2013). In laymans terms, about
0.13% of the worlds population controlled 25% of the worlds financial assets in 2004. The
poorest 40 percent of the worlds population accounts for only 5 percent of global income, while
the richest 20 percent accounts for a ridiculous three-quarters of world income. An even more
ridiculous issue is that the poorer a country is, the more likely it is that debt repayments are being
extracted directly from people who neither indentured the loans nor received any of the money;
and as we learned in class, for every $1 in aid a developing country receives, over $25 is spent
on debt repayment.
According to Shah, approximately 790 million people in the developing world are still
chronically undernourished, almost two-thirds of which live in Asia and the Pacific. Shah also
states that around 27-28 percent of all children in developing countries are estimated to be
underweight or stunted; and again the two regions accounting for the majority of this are South
Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. If these present-day movements continue, the Millennium
Development Goals target of cutting the proportion of underweight children in half will be
missed by approximately 30 million children; this is largely due to slow progress in Southern
Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (Shah, 2013). There are 2.2 billion children in the world and every

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second child is suffering in poverty for a total of 1 billion. For the 1.9 billion children as part of
the developing world, there are 640 million (1 in 3) without adequate shelter, 400 million (1 in 5)
with no access to safe water, 270 million (1 in 7) with no access to health services. 15 million
children are orphaned due to HIV/AIDS each year (Shah, 2013) Approximately, 1.4 million
children are dying each year from lack of access to adequate sanitation and safe drinking water,
2.2 million children die each year because they do not receive immunizations, and some 1.8
million child deaths occur each year as a result of diarrhea (Shah, 2013). According to UNICEF,
22,000 children die each day due to poverty. And they die quietly in some of the poorest
villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek
and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.
At any given time, close to half of all people in developing countries are suffering from a
health condition caused by water and sanitation insufficiencies. Shah states that a quarter of the
human race, 1.6 billion people, live without electricity, 2.6 billion people in developing countries
lack basic sanitation, and 1.1 billion have inadequate access to water. He says, that nearly two in
every three people lack access to clean water and are surviving on less than $2 a day; with one in
three individuals actually living on less than $1 a day. More than 660 million people without
sanitation live on less than $2 a day, and more than 385 million on less than $1 a day. Access to
piped water into the household averages about 85% for the wealthiest 20% of the population,
compared with 25% for the poorest 20%. The highest average water use in the world is in the
US, at 600 liters day (Shah, 2013).
Poverty entails fear and stress and sometimes depression. It meets a thousand petty
humiliations and hardships. Climbing out of poverty by your own efforts that is something on
which to pride yourself but poverty itself is romanticized by fools. As J.K. Rowling states in the

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afore-mentioned quote climbing out of poverty is an extreme struggle made increasingly difficult
by many other factors in society. Education is just such a major contributing factor to ones
ability to climb out of poverty yet, as we learned in class, nearly a billion people entered the 21st
century unable to read a book or sign their names. Less than one per cent of what the world
spends each year on weapons could have been used to put every child into school by the year
2000 and yet it didnt happen. There are 121 million children out of education worldwide and
based on enrollment data, about 72 million children of primary school age in the developing
world were not in school in 2005; 57 per cent of which were females. And these statistics are
considered optimistic figures. (Shah, 2013)
So how should we approach this problem? What ways can Society look at this issue?
According to George Bernard Shaw Do not waste your time on Social Questions. What is the
matter with the poor is- Poverty; what is the matter with the rich is- Uselessness. Poverty is
distinctly prevalent in our society, and is a matter of particular intricacy. Just as Functionalist
expert Brian Prince states, approaching this subject from only one sociological perspective
cannot begin to do it any justice I will for the sake of this paper however try to look at poverty
through the eyes of functionalism as detailed by Durkheim. According to the Cambridge
Companion to Durkheim, Functionalism essentially states that everything in society serves a
purpose. There are a number of characteristics related to Durkheim's Functionalism (Alexander
& Smith, 2005):
It emphasizes the scientific method

It urges researchers to step away from thoughts and opinions

It employs an objective approach to understanding the social world.

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It Emphasizes purpose - everything has a purpose

Focuses on the individual as a decision-maker in the larger society

It emphasizes homeostasis - the stability of society

A functionalist analysis of poverty would require one to determine what roles poverty
serves in society. Poverty in society can allow for the creation of jobs. For example, there are
people who specialize in providing services to individuals who live in poverty, such as those
working at the Department of Human and Child Services and Non-Profit Organizations focusing
on homeless and low-income individuals. Without poverty and persons living in poverty, those
who serve them would otherwise be without employment. Ironically, poverty can also boost
morale through comparison. Brian Prince states that, When those who are in middle class,
lower-middle class, and upper class are feeling down and out, they can observe people living in
poverty, people striving to make ends meet when the ends come nowhere near one another, and
can feel better about themselves. In helping these individuals to evade despondency and anguish
poverty provides a sort of medication for the wounds of society, thus ensuring social and workplace function of those who are higher on the economic stratification or socioeconomic scale.
Poverty can also serve as a motivator to work hard. When people find themselves
suffering economically, they often begin to experience trials of poverty and find themselves
unhappy with their situation. These individuals teetering on the edge frequently see others living
in slums therefore they aspire for a better life by working and studying harder in order to avoid
destitution. By increasing productivity and efficiency they are providing that they stay out of

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poverty. According to Alexander and Smith in the Cambridge Companion to Durkheim, there are
a number of other functionalities for poverty in society, such as:
Establishment of jobs for those who serve the poor

A punishment for those who do poor work

A motivating factor for others to work more diligently

A 'cause' for allocating government money to NGO/ONG groups

Improvement of self-esteem of middle class citizens

Create consumers of low-quality, low-cost goods (houses, foods...)

From the functionalist perspective poverty may serve a purpose but for most of the world
it is a major concern. So how do we fix this problem? According to Bill OReilly there is only
one real way to mitigate the problem of poverty in society: It's hard to do because you gotta
look people in the eye and tell 'em they're irresponsible and lazy. And who's gonna wanna do
that? Because that's what poverty is, ladies and gentlemen. In this country, you can succeed if
you get educated and work hard. Period. Period. On some terms I agree with this contention,
however, this statement really only applies to those in developed countries with the proper
resources available to build a lifestyle other than one of poverty. In terms of developed countries,
poverty in the United States is definitively greater than in most other developed countries.
According to Max Simon, in an article on poverty for Loop 21, at least one in eight Americans

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now live in poverty, and roughly one third of all Americans will experience it within a 13 year
life-period. Charitable programs are one common option but they are only a short-term fix since
they typically do not enable individuals with future resources. In the words of Mitt Romney,
People from both political parties have long recognized that welfare without work creates
negative incentives that lead to permanent poverty. It robs people of self-esteem. There are
however, some simple and fairly obvious ways to solve poverty in America; which can be
accomplished through the following measures:
First of all, reducing the high costs of being poor and increasing access to financial
services could be very effective. For example, despite having less income, lower-income families
often pay more than middle and high-income families for the same consumer products. Poor
families can be abetted by raising the minimum wage to half the average of the hourly wage,
guaranteeing the opportunity for quality child care assistance to low-income families, and
expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit as well as the Child Tax Credit. Simply lowering taxes
and tax exemptions dont do the trick, the poor do not profit from tax exempts or lower taxes,
because they tend to own none of the traditional assets that qualify for exemption and too little of
a formal salary, if any, to benefit from lower taxes (Simon, 2012).
According to Simon, another way to reduce poverty can be achieved by creating a clear
path to higher education. Mark Greenberg, who leads a poverty task force at The Center for
American Progress, has a multi-faceted approach to ending poverty that includes the
simplification and expansion of Pell Grants. Research shows that low-income youth are much
less likely to attend college than their higher income peers; Pell Grants play a crucial role in this.
Greenberg suggests gradually raising Pell Grants to cover 70 percent of the cost of attending a
four-year institution of higher learning. Support and expansion of the Dream Act will provide

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many undocumented students living in poverty a better opportunity to get a quality education
(Simon, 2012).
Addressing food insecurity and nutrition-related health problems is another key factor to
reducing poverty. The first step is to effectively deal with the nations food stamp program.
Proper diet fosters strong brain development, with sugar and fat dense foods being linked to
developmental and behavioral problems for children and adolescents. According to Bane Food
insecure families need both education and structural devices, like receiving their food stamps
weekly and not monthly. She continues, This would facilitate the regular access to healthier
foods. Of the 20.6 million school children receiving food assistance at lunch, 11 million do not
receive breakfast assistance and 18 million do not receive summer meals. Many eligible children
lack access to programs or face other barriers to participation, whether it is because a program is
not offered in their community, transportation is limited, or eligibility provisions lack
coordination with other agencies. Child nutrition programs could do far more to reduce hunger
simply by reaching more kids (Simon, 2012).
Simon also believes that promoting unionization through enacting the Employee Free
Choice Act can bring relief to American workers. The Employee Free Choice Act would require
employers to recognize a union, after a majority of workers sign cards authorizing union
representation, and establish stronger penalties for violation of employee rights. According to
Simon, the increased union representation made possible by the Act would lead to better jobs and
less poverty for American workers. In a related statement the organization Bread.org explains
that, One in four jobs does not pay enough to lift a family of four out of poverty, and so with a
stronger middle class, bolstered by unionized work, blanket wages will go up, which usually
benefits the local tax base. This would as a result, infuse schools with much needed money to

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attract superior teachers and improve infrastructure. With this model, working class employees
would be guaranteed sick and vacation days as well as a base salary (Simon, 2012).
Lastly, its important to address the many issues associated with incarceration and its
effects on communities. According to Bruce Western, a professor at the Harvard Department of
Sociology, Incarceration increases the odds that young men will be jobless or channeled into the
secondary labor market. Western estimates that the lifetime earnings of those who have been
incarcerated will be 42 percent lower than earnings of those who have not been incarcerated.
Washington State professor David Leonard asserts that, mass incarceration, and its desperate
impact on African American communities, has had a dramatic impact on employment. Ending
the war on drugs, and ending the lifetime sentences that prevent formerly incarcerated
individuals from working an array of jobs, would change the job prospect for thousands.
Greenberg and his CAP team suggest developing comprehensive reentry services aimed at
reintegrating former prisoners into their communities with full-time, consistent employment
(Simon, 2012).

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Conclusion
In conclusion, poverty is not a sociological issue with an easy fix. Yes, as I stated above
there are some apparent things that can be done to drastically improve the situation, but it is one
that obviously must be viewed from many perspectives. Poverty is different all around the world,
as it is made up of many genres of individuals and situations. Therefore, I'd like to include a
mixed approach including both sociological perspectives and my own personal opinions. Poverty
is, in my opinion, best viewed from a mixed perspective involving conflict (Marx) and
functionalist (Durkheim). It certainly serves a purpose, as was clearly expressed in the earlier
paragraphs detailing functionalism, but poverty is a method of social control, too, and it's
remarkably widespread.
As I discussed earlier, education is linked to poverty and is the most commonly used tool
for extricating oneself from such an environment; but its not always that simple. When someone
lives in a low-income district, and their schools are funded with property taxes with some added
federal and state funding, teachers salaries and available learning resources, including books, are
of a lesser quality than those in more wealthy areas of the same city or state. As a result, student
performance is lower - meaning that, in comparison to students from the more affluent districts,
those from poverty-stricken regions often fall short when applying for colleges and universities essentially, the tools for self-extrication - namely, education, are often put beyond the reach of
those living in poverty - because of their status in poverty.

When discussing possible solutions to poverty I mentioned food insecurity because

nutritional status and health are inter-dependent, and both severely influence student
performance in schools. If a student is unable to focus because of hunger or illness, they will not

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perform well in school, and will not be competitive when it comes time to apply for universities.
It is because of this reason, that many people living in poverty remain in poverty, they are
unable to use education to extricate themselves for a lack of equal access to resources education, too, seems too costly an investment sometimes, for people who have been forced to
live day-to-day... when you've never had money, and you've barely had food - it seems quite
daunting to take out a student loan that will, upon graduation, be in the range of 50+ thousand
dollars; I know this from my own personal experience.
I spent most of my life in various forms of poverty for one reason or another, but I am
very smart and I have worked as hard as I possibly can to overcome this obstacle in my life.
However, I count myself fortunate every day that I live in a land in which it is still possible to
rise from the ashes of an ascribed status of poverty. This subject is very close to my heart
because of the struggles I have endured throughout my life, but I know that there are those in
every corner of the world who are not so lucky as I. In most countries individuals in poverty do
not receive the opportunity to reach an achieved status; most are born into the status in which
they will die. For me, such an impediment is a tragedy of this life and society as a whole, and it
saddens me greatly. If more people cared, maybe the world could actually change; but who has
time for that? Who cares enough to put their daily lives on hold long enough to create a solution
once and for all? I truly believe, the most important step in relieving true poverty can best be
expressed in the words of Mother Teresa; We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry,
naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest
poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.

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References
Alexander, J. C., & Smith, P. (Eds.). (2005). The Cambridge Companion to Durkheim (P 136,
383 ed.) Cambridge University Press.
Michael. (2013, April 4). 21 Statistics About The Explosive Growth Of Poverty In America That
Everyone Should Know [Blog post]. Retrieved from The Economic Collapse website:
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/ 21-statistics-about-the-explosive-growthof poverty-in-america-that-everyone-should-know
Poverty Quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2013, from Brainy Quote website:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/poverty.html
Prince, B. (2010, October 16). Sociology/Functionalist Perspective of Poverty. Retrieved April
13, 2013, from AllExperts website: http://en.allexperts.com/ q/Sociology
Shah, A. (n.d.). Poverty Facts and Stats. In Social, Political, Economic and Environmental Issues
That Affect Us All. (Excerpted from Global Issues, pgs. all, 2013)
Simon, M. (2012, November). 5 Ways to Reduce Poverty in America. Retrieved April 1, 2013,
from Loop21 website: http://www.loop21.com/life/

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Abstract

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For my World Geography class I wrote this paper in regards to religion and its effects on
globalization and geography. I have chosen to use this paper in relation to the Ethics or
Responsibility portion of the Capstone Portfolio. This paper discusses how ethics and religion
relate to society. I have seen the effect that ethics have had in my own life and through avid
research I have learned that regardless of what religion or the specific customs having a sense of
ethics and a moral center have affected the way that individuals think, which in turn affects their
behavior. Religion has contributed to colonization; it has affected immigration shifts based on
geography and culture. Religion pulls people together for a common purpose and leads to a
higher plane of thinking. Another towards globalization is that religion sets basic guidelines for
appropriate behavior (which has aligned its members towards acceptance of rules and/or a
possible governmental structure). This structure is essential for the functioning capacity of
society. Religion allows people to determine what their ethics and morals are and how to center
their life with appropriate behavior and guidelines, which perfectly relates to the function of
society as a whole. This paper is an academic reference written as a companion to a power point
presentation I prepared; it is written without first person narratives or personal opinions. The
Effects of Religion on Geography and Globalization
After much consideration I decided to do my presentation and paper on Religion. I felt
like this area had a lot of research to support its history of effect on cultures and globalization, as
well as, how it has affected geographical Immigration, etc Among the things that helped
spawn Civilization are the following: Agriculture , Domestication of animals, Domestication
of plants , and last but not least the Foundation of Religion . Religion relates to geography
because it contributes to globalization through culture and immigration. Religion has impacted
globalization through several means. Religion has contributed to colonization; it has affected

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immigration shifts based on geography and culture. Religion pulls people together for a common
purpose and leads to a higher plane of thinking. Another benefit towards globalization is that
religion sets basic guidelines for appropriate behavior (which has aligned its members towards
acceptance of rules and/or a possible governmental structure). Religion also explains natural
(supernatural) phenomena and the unknown. And lastly Religion leaves an imprint on landscape
through Religious structures, such as places of worship and other sacred sites.
I stated that Religion contributed to the spawn of Civilization which is alternate to
the previous belief that Civilization spawned Religion. Science has since made discoveries
that proved this previous assumption incorrect. Proof of this was founded when the Gbekli
Tepe (which means hill of the navel in Turkish) was discovered. The Gbekli Tepe was
built some 11,600 years ago, seven millennia before the Great Pyramid of Giza. It contains
the oldest known temple and it is the oldest known example of monumental architecture.
When these pillars were erected, humans had not yet created anything of comparable scale
meaning nothing bigger and more complicated than a hut. These people were foragers, and
the image that researchers have painted of foragers for years is as small, mobile groups
who were incapable of making permanent structures, because they must need to be able to
move around to follow the resources. The scientific assumption was that these foragers
couldnt maintain a separate class of priests or craft workers, because they wouldnt be able
to carry around all the extra supplies to feed them. Once the Gbekli Tepe was discovered,
it became obvious to researchers that they must have done just that.
Now that we know Religion contributed to Colonization; we need to identify how it has
done so. In Referring back to the Gbekli Tepe people's need/desire to gather for worship is
what created civilization, not the reverse, as was previously assumed. In early times many

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different religions contributed to the creation of the calendar, which has aided in
organization within societies. Curiosity about the world led to Egyptian priests having and
interest in chronicling eclipses (eventually with such precision that they became able to
predict them). Many of the British North American colonies that eventually formed the
United States of America were settled in the seventeenth century by men and women, who,
in the face of European persecution, refused to compromise passionately held religious
convictions and fled Europe.
Speaking of immigration shifts based on geography and culture people have immigrated to
and from countries to exercise religious freedom and escape persecution. For years, people
have migrated towards landmarks that they believed held religious significance. Another
example of this is within the United States; Immigrants after the melting pot immediately
began to assimilate with those who were most similar to them. These immigrants often
created cities that appear to be something outside of this country; and are a unique
civilization all their own. Examples of this are: Chinatown, Little Italy, Little Havana, Amish
Communities, and Salt Lake City-Mormon Capital etc
Geography in turn has made its own effect on Religion. In the study of the
geography/religion relationship, geography can be an explanation for the derivation of
specific features found within a religion. In many religions worldwide, mountains have
been associated with talking to God or as the dwelling of a god. For example: Mount Sinai
-where God talked to Moses and the Jews; The Mount of Olives -where Jesus ascended into
heaven and is supposed to return; Mt. Athos in Greece -an ancient monastery where monks
dedicate their lives to God, living in seclusion; Mt. Olympus -the home of the ancient
Greek pantheon; and Mt. Fuji -the dwelling place of gods in Japan. Man has even built

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artificial mountains in an attempt to reach the divine in the form of pyramids, ziggurats,
and mounds.
Some other ways that Geography has had an effect on religion are through natural
landmarks. Rocks have held religious significance in early civilizations. Examples of this in
past ethnic religions are Stonehenge and Easter Island. And a more modern example would
be the Kotel or Wailing Wall" in Jerusalem. Other physical features have had religious
significance as well. For example, trees have been used to create totems that are prevalent
in Native American history. Water is used as a means of purification in Christianity,
Judaism, and Islam. Examples of this in other religions are the Nile River in ancient Egypt
and the Ganges River to the Hindu people. The desert is also often seen as a means of
spiritual sophistication and redemption in stories giving rise to monotheism (belief in a
single God).
As I mentioned, Religion helps to set basic guidelines for appropriate behavior and
Government. Im going to list some examples of religions that hold a belief in a way of life that
is peaceful and leads individuals to be set up to receive or follow instructions on how to live their
lives in peaceful ways that typically align with the law.
Confucianism
The main principle is ren ("humaneness or benevolence") signifying excellent character
in accord with loyalty to one's true nature (allowed participation in other religions).
Characterized by a highly optimistic view of human nature.
The faith in the possibility of ordinary human beings to become awe-inspiring sages and
worthies is deeply rooted in the Confucian heritage.

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The insistence that human beings are teachable, improvable, and perfectible through
personal and communal endeavor is typically Confucian.
Confucius regarded Heaven (T'ien) as a positive and personal force in the universe; he
was not, as some have supposed, an agnostic or a skeptic.
Buddhism
*The fourth largest religion of the world.
*Founded by Gautama Buddha
*Its a path of spiritual development that helps a person in finding the true nature of
life.
*Buddhism places emphasis on experiencing, rather than teaching or learning.
*It considers meditation as the means to enlightenment and is based on a number of
principles.
*The followers of Buddhism do not worship any God and follow the noble eightfold path
to lead a meaningful existence.
Other Religious examples of this are:
Maat, Christianity, Catholicism, Taoism, Islam, Pantheism, Judaism, Hinduism
On this same line of thinking religion leads to a common purpose and higher plane of
thinking. Religious commitment can, under some conditions, be used as indicator of
coalitional affiliation, but coalitions can create every bit as much separation as being a part
of group integration does. The concept of salvation is specific to only a few doctrines
(Christianity and axiomal religions of Asia and the Middle East) and unheard of in most
other traditions. In my presentation I listed some quotes to get people thinking:

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If the concept of God has any validity or any use, it can only be to make us larger,
freer, and more loving.
If God cannot do this, then it is time we got rid of Him.
James Baldwin
I'd rather live my whole life assuming there is a God, only to find out that there
isn't, than to live my whole life assuming there isn't a God, only to find out there is.
Peter Barry
Only barbarians are not curious about where they come from, how they came to be
where they are, where they appear to be going, whether they wish to go there, and if
so, why, and if not, why not.
Isaiah Berlin

Religion is often used to explain natural (supernatural) phenomena and the unknown.
Religious views are usually activated to help people deal w/physical situations (disease, births,
death, creation of the earth/universe etc). Religion concerns a variety of entities who engage in
direct yet divine interaction with people: ghouls, ghosts, spirits, ancestors, gods, etc religion
has been used to explain supernatural concepts such as vengeful ghosts, nasty spirits etc as
demons or entities of Satan. There are many irrefutable statements that no one believes; yet most
of what makes religions plausible to people is a lack of any solid evidence otherwise to refute
them. Most religious explanations of natural phenomena actually explain little about the
particular phenomena but produce their own mysteries in its place. In places where religion isnt
used as an explanation these phenomena are typically not viewed as being mystical or
supernatural; they just simply are-what they are. As I mentioned before, the notion of salvation is

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particular to only a few doctrines and is typically unheard of in most other traditions. Also,
commitment to imagined agents/ religion could provide important evidence for the function of
ordinary mechanisms of belief formation about the world.
Religion leaves an imprint on landscape, through Religious structures, such as the ones I
have listed below:
The Wailing Wall also referred to as the Kotel, which is located in the Old Quarter of
East Jerusalem in Israel. It is 57 meters tall, or 187 feet, built of thick, corroded
limestone, and is close to 500 meters in length, though most of it is engulfed in
other structures. Religious and ideological claims aside, the Wailing Wall remains a
sacred place for Jews and others (Christianity, Judaism, Islamic faiths), who often
pray, sometimes wail, and sometimes slip prayers written on paper through the
wall's welcoming fissures.
In July 2009, Alon Nil launched a free service allowing people around the world to
Twitter their prayers, which are then taken in printed form to the Wailing Wall.
Pyramids, Easter Island, Lascaux Caves, Wd al-Salm, Stonehenge (possibly),
Sanctuary of Apollo-Delphi, White Horse Temple, and even the church down the
road from you.

Of the five themes of Geography, I would say that Religion most closely relates to Region
because the theme of region is defined by unifying characteristics and certain similarities, such
as: physical, natural, human and/or cultural. Religion connects to this through every facet
from the physical/natural world to the nature of the human and their individual culture. In
addition, the members of a religion commit their lives to unifying themselves as a group

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through specific characteristics of the lives they should lead. Religion also slightly
affects Movement because it has contributed to colonization and the growth of civilization as
a whole because it ties groups of people together by giving them a connection to one another.
This connection affects geography and only furthers globalization, therefore, Religion also
relates to Human-Environment Interaction to some degree.