Mardanlou

Sydney Mardanlou
English 1050 Maenhardt
November 29, 2016
Essay #2
In the article, School Counselors Ways of Knowing and Social Orientation in
Relationship to Poverty Beliefs by Susan Stewart Bray and Marlene Schommer-Aikins, The
number of people in the United States living in poverty continues to increase, and the gap
between the rich and the poor continues to widen. If this article refers to the United States
poverty rates increasing, then how much worse would several other countries be. According to
research, the worldwide issue of poverty continually increases and several circumstances are
worsening daily. This a growing issue of cultural diversity pertaining to the topic of social
class. Throughout the semester, we have discussed several diversity issues, of race, ethnicity,
gender, and even class. For me, each of these topics effects social class, and how we see and
interact with one another on a daily basis. Many articles that have been read from the course
textbook, Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical Reading and Writing by Diana George and
John Trimbur, pertain to issues involving social class in terms of gender, race, or poverty
effecting the views and interaction between groups. A select few of these articles will be
discussed below, with an incorporation of two personal stories involving diversity with social
class.
The first story begins with Esperanza, a twelve-year-old girl, with much responsibility.
Esperanza, given the circumstances, may as well be on her own. She lives with her mom and
older brother, with the occasional visit of her moms fianc. The problem: the others practically
only slept there. They walk in and out of the home without recognition of who is

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there. Esperanza roams the winding alleyways, considered to be streets, at all hours. She cooks,
cleans, and cares for herself within that 400-square foot home. There is mold, little light, and dirt
overtaking the aluminum shelter, but she does not know any different. When she was asked
about her circumstances, they were shrugged off as if entirely normal, just as a little kid with her
shoes on the wrong feet. A kid wont recognize that something is wrong or if there is a better,
more comfortable, or even healthier way of doing something, until they have been taught and
corrected, just as a parent teaching a child how to put on their shoes. However, Esperanza has not
had a different experience, or been shown a better way, but rather is left to fend for herself in
most cases. She typically eats burnt rice and washes the dishes with leftover dirty water saved
from the last time water was available. Anyone can notice the sickness that should be invading
her life, however, there werent any other symptoms showing at the time of my story, except the
lice.
Despite the lice, or any other domestic problem arising, the less obvious problem was
occurring with the social class surrounding Esperanza and her family. Although no one in the
area was terribly rich, if their upbringing was different, this created a social divide. The poverty
that affected Esperanza, not only affected her personal life, but her social life, as she was
frowned upon in school, and on the streets. Those who were aware and not aware of her
circumstances placed her in a similar category as an outcast of sorts. She was unassumed to not
know much, need extra help, and to not be as mature as expected, simply y based of appearance,
and speech. However, the diversity of her culture, to that of a neighbor a block over, was not as
extreme as the human eyes presumed, if they could understand her responsibility to survive
practically on her own. 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

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the conscience of the world. (Poverty Facts and Stats. 24, January, 2016. Globalissues.org.).
Would this happen if a social barrier of diversity was not created for something that is different
from how an individual thinks it ought to be?
I can clearly see the Dominican Republic just as I saw it for the first time upon my
arrival. The hot humid air struck my face like a sauna. Little boys filled the broken concrete
streets with sticks to hit their plastic bottle caps; a makeshift baseball practice. Suddenly, the
green grass of my backyard and the image of my family hitting the well carved baseball and bat,
became a dream. Houses balanced on top of each other with aluminum or concrete walls. Some
homes were filled with several signs of life, and others almost empty, except the rusty pots and
pans the habitants ate with. With holes for windows and doors, the sun provided the only light
available, and the river, the water for a shower.
The reality began to set in, as I watched how those around me were adapting to their
circumstances just to provide for simple necessities. My frequent bucket showers with cold,
undrinkable water, had now become sufficient for me as well. A fan to provide a rush of hot air
was better than nothing, and plastic bags for ponchos served as a defense against the rain, but I
was not the one without means to provide for my needs. I only spent time with many like this
each day. Circumstances were not ideal as considered back home, but what once seemed
ideal, now only appears as the cause of an unnecessary barrier for differences, after learning of
culture diversity and its consequences for good and bad.
Once I returned home to Utah, the reality did not change, poverty was still a cruel reality
as many sat on the side of the rode, frozen from the bitter cold air, as I sat in a warm car, just
staring. Every time, my eyes settle on a similar image, they dont move from that sight.
Sometimes I fear them and make a dividing line between my life and theirs and other times I stop

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myself and ask the question, I wonder how they got therethey have to have someone in the
world that cares about themsomeone that doesnt want them there.. However, I have never
had my question answered by more than a story I draw up in my imagination. Yet, I cant be the
only one asking these questions, if this has played a major impact on cultural diversity.
Our textbook brought to light a new opinion on poverty, with the story by Judy Taylor:
The History of Labor in the State of Maine, (435-439). We see by simply looking at the
murals, they cause confusion with the basic historical teachings. Granted, history is taught from a
distinct perspective and many other opinions are not seen, as those telling the stories were not
there to portray every feeling from that time. For example, in history, we are taught that the
textile workers are very hard workers that were not entitled to many breaks. They were placed in
a low class and probably considered poor at the time. Based on this class, some could say
evidence would show that they were treated less for it.
Columbus in Chains, by Jamaica Kincaid, Annie told the history of her ancestors and
her opinion of slavery as a wrong form of action taken on those of another race. The story helps
the reader assume that Annies friend Ruth, who is of European decent had an impact on this
train of thought, as every day, living in the West Indies, Ruth had to be reminded of the mistakes
of her ancestors past, physically abusing those who appeared physically different from the
Europeans. (498-503). This shows the harm actions make for centuries to come, allowing the
poorly thought habits of dividing differences to continue through the generations. Anahit
Nazaryan said on November 3,2016, on the class discussion board from week 13, She put
herself in her friends shoes, Ruth, who was so shy and quiet and Annie knew the reason behind
that was because Ruth's ancestor's were the masters while everyone else's ancestors in the
classroom including Annie's were the slaves. Annie knew that if she was in Ruth's place she

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would have felt the exact same way, shameful for how her ancestors have treated the slaves.
This supports the fact that cultural diversity has passed through the generations of time and
placed dividing walls in between, culture, race, gender, social class, opinions, and much more.
All of these past examples from the textbook, allow us to see the barriers diversity and
differences can create between groups of people, specifically when dealing with social class.
Each has the power to show the reality of occurring instances from the past and present through
means of pictures, art, words, and stories. I felt the most powerful came from the stories told,
however both stories and visual representation rhetorically prove to the audience of reoccurring
events dividing different social classes and causing people to interact differently between one
another. Though many like to try avoiding judgmental thoughts and actions toward anyone, it is
a poor habit of the human race, only supporting the many differences affecting the divides.
However, I feel that the textbook has engaged many readers to become more aware of not only
the negative consequences associated with diversity in culture, but the positive outcomes of
power in writing and images to alert society through knowledge and examples of history.
In conclusion, although history proves the differences in social class affect every aspect
of ones life, from social gatherings, to physical appearance, knowledge, and availability to
resources such as schooling and work availability, through writing and creating awareness of the
barriers set by traumatizing isolation to the impoverished and those of other races, we are able to
better the issue.

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Works Cited
Bray, Susan Stewart, and Marlene Schommer-Aikins. "School Counselors' Ways of Knowing
and Social Orientation in Relationship to

Poverty Beliefs." Journal of Counseling &

Development 93.3 (2015): 312-20. Web. 03 Feb. 2016

"Goal: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger." UNICEF -. 2015. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.unicef.org/mdg/poverty.html>.
Judy Taylor. The History of Labor in the State of Maine, Reading Culture: Contexts for
Critical Reading and Writing. Diana George and John Trimbur . 2012. 435-439

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Jamaica Kincaid. Columbus in Chains. Critical Reading and Writing. Diana George and John
Trimbur. 2012. 498-503.
"Poverty Facts and Stats." Global Issues. Ed. Anup Shah. 7 Jan. 2013. Web. 24 Jan. 2016.
<http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats>.
Week 13 Discussion. English 1050. Anahit Nazaryan. November 3, 2016. Web.
https://slcc.instructure.com/courses/373865/assignments/3140201/submissions/1083702.