Generational Poverty

“ We cannot blame the victims of poverty for being in poverty. Economic systems are far beyond the reach of most people’s control. Factories close, small farms fold, racism persists, and the economy fails to provide enough well-paying jobs.” (Payne, DeVol, Smith 8)

We all must face challenges in our lives, some of us more than others. Those who were not given the gift of a safe home, well educated parents, food always in the fridge know this too well to be true. These people are the victims of generational poverty. They must suffer through many hardships in their lifetime, only because they happened to be born into an underprivileged family.

There are two types of poverty: situational poverty and generational poverty. Situational poverty is when a family falls into poverty for a short period time due to a sudden change, such as an environmental disaster, an injury, or the loss of a job. Generational poverty is defined as a family being in poverty for more than two generations. One of the huge differences between situational and generational poverty is the difference in the lack of resources. In situational poverty you are missing something that can be replaced more easily: houses can be repaired, injuries can be healed, and new jobs can be found. In generational poverty it is far worse. The lack of a good education, mental support, and all the other things needed to live a happy, independent life are harder to come by. Studies have shown that it takes at least two to four years to work your way out of poverty and into a well paying job with benefits. The challenge of escaping the cycle of poverty and moving into middle class can be nearly impossible.

One of the most common misconceptions of generational poverty is that people are only limited financially. That is not the case. People suffering from generational poverty also have limited education, emotional resources, and many other disadvantages.

A good education is crucially important in escaping the cycle of poverty. Those with no diploma or GED will find that it is nearly impossible to find a job that makes a living wage. Even with a diploma, it can still be very hard to find well paying work. People with college degrees make far more than people without. However, seeing as college is so expensive, it becomes hard for a poor child to attend. Even if one can receive financial aid, they may not be able to attend because they are needed at home. As well, because few impoverished students attend college, (due to the reasons above), it is not expected, and their for not the priority of families living in poverty.

Emotional resources are just as, if not more, important than educational resources. Mental stamina, an example of such resources, helps to withstand the hard situations that come with poverty. When emotional needs aren’t met as a child it can lead to a lack of emotional resources as an adult. When a child is forced into a position of too much responsibility (a common thing in generational poverty), they can suffer from many struggles as an adult because of it. When a kindergartener must get herself and her four year old sister up and ready every morning because her mother sleeps to till noon, she is required to put her emotional development on hold. The constant flux between dependence and independence is known as codependency. Codependency in childhood leads to adults being codependent later in life. They didn’t get the time to grow as a child and now they are forever trying to make up for it. Simply put, an unstable lifestyle can cause emotional problems and make it hard to live an independent life.

To fully understand generational poverty, one must understand the culture and lifestyle that surrounds it. Marissa was Tom’s fifth child, one of almost 8. Her, her little sister, and her older brothers lived with their grandmother, grandpa, and several dogs in a one bedroom trailer in a little Kentucky town. The trailer reeked of smoke and the floor was sunken in in places. The kitchen looked like it had just come from 1975. Blankets and pillows lay scattered on the floor where the boys slept; a massive CRT television sat in the corner facing the stained green love seat. Outside the ground was littered with rusting bikes and cigerette buds.

In the trailer next to theirs lived Tom’s girlfriend, Dawn, her two kids from previous relationships and Lillie, Tom and Dawn’s little girl. Damian was Dawn’s oldest son; he was 16 and severely handicapped. Her other son, Bobby, was seven. Dawn was due in early of 2015. She was pregnant with a baby girl who was to be Tom’s 8th child.

Marissa and her four older brothers shared the same mom. She left when Marissa was just a baby, 8 years ago. She was a meth addict. Nobody knows if she is dead or alive today.

Haylei is Tom’s sixth child. A couple of  months after she was born, Tom and her mom broke up. She took Haylei with her. No one heard from her from her for a couple months until one day when she came and dropped Haylei off at the trailer with Marissa's grandmother. That was the last time she saw her. She never came back.

Marissa’s dad was in and out of jail for drugs. He’s currently in right now due to a parole violation. However, Marissa told Mrs. Greis, her 3rd grade teacher, that her “Daddy’s PO checked the trailer and he didn’t find any of that stuff that he got in trouble for, so he might get to come home soon!”

In generational poverty, it is common to have many children and to start having children at a young age. Marissa's father had his oldest son when he was 17. Teenage pregnancy and having children in your early adult years helps to reinforce the cycle of poverty; it is harder to further your education, and get a better paying job when you have children to take care of. Not only is it common to have children young, but also to continue to have children well through your adult life. It is not unusual to have a child graduating high school and another one starting kindergarten the same year.

Like the Smith family and many other families suffering from poverty, the grandmother is often the caregiver and lives with the family. When the children’s mother isn’t there to take care of her children, the grandmother often fill this role. Even if the mother (or father) is the primary caregiver the grandmother is often seen as the go to babysitter. You will also find many cases where the parents have had custody taken away, and the grandparents raise the children.

Substance abuse problems and addiction are major problem’s in poverty culture. Fifteen to twenty percent of people living in poverty are thought to have substance abuse problems.  Marissa’s Father has been charged with multiple accounts of trafficking and drug possession. Addiction is an illness and must be treated like on in order to be cured. When ignored it will only get worse. There is of course hope; addiction is treatable, but when left to spiral out of control it can trap people and their families in the cycle of poverty.

Those who were misfortunate enough to be born into poor homes never did anything to deserve it. Marissa Smith is just a little girl with her own hopes and dreams, just like the rest of us. She never asked for the life she was given, but she got it anyway. She will forever be at disadvantage because of her bad luck. So, the next time you find yourself thinking that the world is out to get you, that what you have is not good enough, that you deserve better, I hope you remember how the other half lives.

Works Cited

Jensen, Eric. "Membership." Understanding the Nature of Poverty. N.p., 2009. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.

Payne, Ruby K., Philip E. DeVol, and Terie Dreussi. Smith. Bridges out of Poverty: Strategies for Professionals and Communities. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.