understanding poverty to make a lasting difference

Understanding Poverty to Make a Lasting Difference

• Donna Beegle, Communication Across Barriers, Tigard, OR

Equal justice under law continues to evade our clients. Even after assistance and instructions from a legal professional, most still don’t know "what they’re supposed to do next." With the stakes so high, we must implement practices in our programs and the justice system that truly work for those in poverty -- based on a genuine understanding of their lived experiences and of what communication tools are relevant, clear, and effective. Dr. Donna M. Beegle, author of “See Poverty, Be the Difference,” educates and inspires lawyers and organizational leaders nationwide about how we can individually and programmatically set people in poverty up for success.

Connecting People

Oral and Print Two Distinct Communication and Learning Styles

OverviewResearch reveals two distinct styles of communicating based on the ways in which people give and receive information for living their lives. Linked to social class, each style illuminates thought processes and learning styles. Oral culture communication is strongly associated with generational poverty. Print culture communication is observed among middle-class families. Both communication and learning styles have value and bring rich opportunities for human growth and connections to our world. Understanding the two styles of communication has strong implications for helping people in poverty move forward.

• Oral culture (orality) is a natural state in which people get information for living their lives by talking to other people. They are highly attuned to senses (touch, smell, sight, sound and taste) and devote a great deal of attention to sensory information and relationships with people.

• Print Culture (literacy) is a learned way of relating to the world. Through reading, often to obtain information for living their lives, oral communicators become print communicators by training their brain to think in a “first this, then this” thought process. This enhances the brain’s ability to analyze and classify information and develop advanced reasoning skills.

Oral and Print communication styles were first discovered by Walter J. Ong (1982). According to Ong, all people are born oral culture. If they grow up in an environment where adults practice getting information for living their lives through reading, they learn to become print communicators. Oral culture does not mean a person is illiterate; it means they prefer to get information for living their lives through verbal communication, not reading.

Dr. Donna Beegle ‘s doctoral research (2000) validates Ong’s theory. Beegle’s research on people who grew up in generational poverty and received a bachelor’s degree found that all participants gave anecdotal evidence that they primarily communicated in an oral culture fashion before entering college. As they slowly learned the print style of communicating, they experienced frustrations and struggles.

This learning guide examines characteristics

of oral and print communication and offers

strategies for applying the concepts to improve

outcomes for people struggling in poverty.

www.combarriers.com • PO Box 23071 Tigard, OR 97281 • [email protected] • 503.590.4599 • Fax: 866.383.4659


The Communication GapCurrently, the majority of our institutions are set up in a way that honors, validates, and serves people with print culture skills. Yet most people from generational poverty communicate in

an oral culture fashion. The communication gap between the social classes creates a major barrier that prevents people from breaking through the iron cage of poverty. For example, we expect people in poverty to fill out long applications, follow many steps, meet deadlines, pay attention to tasks...all print communication characteristics. Not having print communication skills is exacerbated by having to dodge bullets of poverty (not having resources, responding to daily crisis, etc). When people in poverty fail to follow the print communication rules, they are often punished through denial of services and/or labeled as “not trying hard enough (lazy).”

Applying Oral and Print Communication in the Work PlaceWe lose talent and potential by shutting out the gifts of oral culture and focusing only on print culture styles of learning and communicating. We have to find ways in our organizations (which are largely print culture) to establish, value, and include some of the oral culture styles of communicating and learning. We must move to models that honor oral culture styles of communicating, while teaching the skills of print culture. Applying knowledge of oral and print to the work world has powerful implications for more effectively serving people in poverty. Doing so involves four aspects:

1) Understanding the characteristics of oral and print communication 2) Practicing a balanced style of communicating3) Honoring oral culture communication style 4) Teaching print skills

Outcomes of an Oral and Print Model in the WorkplaceThe benefits of practicing oral and print strategies when working with people in poverty are tremendous for effectively serving people in poverty and helping them move forward. The strategies recommended in this learning guide can help you:

• Empower people• Ease the impact of trauma inflicted by poverty conditions• Understand behavior• Connect meaningfully and establish relationships • Uncover strengths, assets, and resiliency characteristics• Motivate people to take advantage of opportunities


• Relationships - People are a priority and at the heart of everything.

• Spontaneous - Strong desire for variety. Great abilities to “go with the flow” or jump from subject to subject.

• Repetitive - Storytelling and repeating information are important for maintaining the knowledge.

• Holistic - Focus on the “BIG picture,” ten-dency to take in everything that is going on around them.

• Comfortable with Emotions - Shows emo-tion readily in most any situation.

• Present Oriented - Highly in-tune with the here-and-now.

• Agonistic - More physical.

• Time - Is at the heart of everything and has high priority in daily activities.

• Linear - Organizes thought and actions by “first this, then this” process.

• Analytic/Abstract - Knowledge is outside of self; ability to step back from a situation, separate and disconnect one’s self from what is going on.

• Self-Disciplined/Focus - Strong ability to shut out sensory data and focus on one idea at a time.

• Strategic - Ability to plan ahead, set goals and focus on the future.

• Delay Gratification - Ability to break things into parts promotes the ability to connect small efforts to end desires.

Oral Culture Print Culture

1. Understanding the Characteristics of Oral and Print CommunicationWalter Ong (1982) strongly emphasizes that one style of communicating and learning is not better than the other. To be effective communicators, he argued, people need to have the skills from both oral and print cultures. The chart below outlines the characteristics of oral and print communication. The ideal communication style is to be balanced; having the ability to maintain both the characteristics of oral culture (which keeps one connected and spontaneous) and the characteristics of print culture (which allows one to set goals, plan ahead, analyze and stay focused).


•Payattentiontointuitionandactonit.

•Focusonhowyoufeelandtellothers how you feel about them.

•Practiceactivelisteningtostayinthe moment and to build better relation-ships.

•Practiceempathytogaininsightsinto how you are like others.

•Respondimmediatelywithoutthinking.

•Stayfocusedonthemoment.

•Sing,dance,andbesilly!

•Payattentiontoyourenvironment.

To practice more ORAL skills To practice more PRINT skills • Practice reading as a primary source for

gaining important daily life information.

•Createlists.Practicesortingandcategorizing.

•Outlinekeypointsfromconceptsanddiscussions.

•Breaktasksintoexplicit,smallstepsthatarespecific and manageable.

•Seekexamplesofcompletedworkas models to follow.

•Writeyourlifestorytopracticerecordinginformation.

•Use a calendar and address book to keep track of dates and contact information.

2. Practicing a Balanced Style of CommunicatingMany people who are print culture communicators lose touch with their natural style of communicating and become so dominant in the print culture that they struggle to acquire some of the characteristics that oral culture people exhibit readily, such as the ability to develop relationships and to be in the moment. Likewise, people who stay steeped in their oral culture struggle with print culture characteristics, such as having difficulty breaking things into manageable steps or planning ahead. Poverty compounds this because you often plan ahead and then do not have the resources to follow through.

To become more balanced, practice the strengths of your less dominant communication style. For example, if you need to be more oral, you can practice paying more attention to your intuition and how you feel while making a point to be more of a listener than speaker. If you need to be more print oriented, you can practice creating lists, outlining key points and breaking tasks into smaller steps.


3. Honoring Oral Communication StyleThere is a dominant belief in the United States that portrays the oral culture style of communicating as inferior and requiring less intelligence. However, there is evidence that oral culture has unique strengths. Many of the cultures that have been ecologically sustainable over hundreds or thousands of years are oral cultures. Many of the characteristics of these oral cultures are characteristics found in societies that live within the ability of the earth to replenish itself:

• Emphasis on relationships• Respect of the limitation of resources of the earth• Closer connection to earth and its cycles• Less focus on material possessions• In flow with relationships and time

Too often, oral communicators are punished for their style of communicating. Think about the student who gets in trouble for not raising their hand to speak in class, the client who misses an important legal meeting because they rely on getting information verbally, or the co-worker who shares too much private information with colleagues who are print communicators and becomes a social outcast. Punishing people for their oral style of communicating is a way of devaluing them. However, when people feel valued, they are more engaged and productive. We must find ways to see the strengths in oral communicators, while teaching them the print skills they need to be successful.

Strategies to Honor Oral Culture• Develop relationships based on identification. Oral cultures learn best from someone

they feel connected to. Find ways to show that you have commonalities.• Tell stories. Use vivid examples that draws people in and gets their attention.• Use simple, familiar words and examples with which people can relate to.• Give information verbally, often, repeatedly, and with good eye contact. • Help oral culture learners feel confident. Research shows that self-confidence affects

their ability to remember. Help them focus on what they have done well, instead of their mistakes.

• Share information in multiple ways. Help your oral culture learners hear the informa-tion, write it, see it, and practice it. Learning something new in multiple ways helps with recalling information.

• Use gestures and facial expressions when communicating.


4. Teaching Print SkillsEffective communication is a necessary step toward eradicating the barriers to success for people to move out of poverty. Effective communication cannot be achieved without educating all people on ways to broaden their repertoire and develop their less dominant style of learning and communicating. Below are some strategies for teaching print skills to those you serve.

Individualized PlansThe strategies offered in this learning guide are general in nature. Communication Across Barriers can consult with your organization to help you examine practices, policies and/or curriculum and suggest tailored strategies for honoring oral communication and teaching print skills to those you serve. For more information, contact our office via the contact information below.

Strategies to Teach Print Skills• Model appropriate behavior in supportive ways, such as

helping people to research information in a book or on the internet.

• Create template sheets of paper that have numbered lines and instruct the person you are working with to write the steps you are asking them to perform. For students, put their photo on the form so that it will get parent’s attention.

• Practice repetition. Have people in poverty make a list and then set it aside. Review it an hour later and then review it again. This helps transfer information to long-term memory.

• Use pneumonic devices. Have people imagine an image of what you want them to remember. If it is a date or a name, give an image to associate it with. For example, “My name is Donna Beegle, like the dog, but with two ‘e’s.”

SourcesBeegle, Donna (2009). See Poverty...Be the Difference. Communication Across Barriers.

Beegle, Donna (2000). Interrupting Generational Poverty: Factors Influencing Successful Completion of the Bachelor’s Degree. Doctoral Dissertation, Portland State University.

Ong, Walter (1982). Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the World. Methuen and Company.

Meet Dr. BeegleDr. Donna M. Beegle inspires and educates individuals, organizations, politicians and entire communities with proven models to better outcomes for people in poverty.

Born into a migrant labor family and married at 15, Dr. Beegle is the only member of her family who has not been incarcerated. By age 24, she earned her GED and then, within 10 years, received her doctorate in Educational Leadership. She is an authentic voice from poverty, who speaks, writes and trains across the nation to break the iron cage of poverty for others through services provided by her company, Communications Across Barriers (CAB). For more than 23 years, she has traveled throughout hundreds of cities in 47 states and four countries to assist professionals with proven strategies for breaking poverty barriers. State agencies, politicians and other organizations have partnered with her to implement community-wide approaches to improving outcomes for citizens in poverty.

Dr. Beegle’s inspiring story of moving from 28 years of homelessness to achieving a doctorate and her groundbreaking work assisting people to move out of poverty have been featured in newspapers and television around the nation, including CNN and PBS. Dr. Beegle has received numerous awards (i.e. the National Speaker of the Year for the New Mexico Bar Foundation and the Oregon Ethics in Business award), and recently Portland State University’s School of Social Work Building was named in her honor.

Services Available

With her unique insider’s perspective as well as her passion and insights into “what works,” Dr. Beegle provides top notch learning opportunities for individuals, organizations and communities that want to make a real difference with moving people out of poverty.

Keynotes and Workshops Dynamic! Fascinating! Eye-opening! – a few words used to described Dr. Beegle’s keynote speeches and workshop trainings. She wins over even the hardest to reach audiences. She tailors every speech and training to the specific audience to ensure the greatest impact for breaking poverty barriers. Dr. Beegle targets her message to empower professionals to make a difference.

Most requested topics include:

Understanding Different Life Experiences •of Poverty

Communicating More Effectively Across •Poverty Barriers

Educating Youth and Adults in Poverty•

Motivation Strategies•

Mentoring/Navigating People in Poverty•

Moving Beyond Coping with Poverty•

Organizational Poverty Competency•

Action Planning•

Program Length: Keynotes 30-90 minutes; workshops begin at one hour and can be ongoing.

Ideal Audience: Professionals in justice, education, health, social service, faith-based groups, philanthropic foundations, frontline staff and organizations that want to see better outcomes for children and adults who struggle with poverty.

Exceptional Resources

Dr. Beegle’s unique poverty lens, combined with her research on best practices, is captured in her books, SEE PovERty... Be The Difference and an Action Approach Guidebook to educating students who live in the crisis of poverty. Dr. Beegle has also written journal articles and publications that provide practical tools for making a difference. She offers a FREE newsletter with tools and best practices for making a difference. Sign up for CAB’s newsletter or purchase Dr. Beegle’s books on our website, www.combarriers.com.

Books are available online

Poverty InstitutesLaunched in 2006 in Portland, Oregon, the Poverty Institutes have gone on the road to communities around the country. The Poverty Institute is an intensive two-day training that shatters stereotypes, reduces misunderstandings and judgments, and provides proven, best practices for what works to help people break through poverty barriers. Dr. Beegle teaches in a highly interactive, hands-on style using simulations, role-plays, modeling and dialogue. Poverty Institutes are frequently described as “life changing.”

Coaching InstitutesThis exciting train-the-trainer opportunity prepares professionals to become certified in-house “Poverty Coaches.” The two-day Coaching Institute involves participants in serving as on-site experts for educating colleagues by providing leadership for eliminating barriers and developing system wide approaches for improving outcomes for families and individuals.

Poverty Coaches are also trained to conduct Poverty Competency Assessments and assist their organizations in developing and implementing customized action plans with measurable results. Coaches receive a comprehensive toolkit, including PowerPoint templates, guidebooks, activities, sample handouts, and resources for breaking barriers and an Action Approach Training Kit. Poverty Coaches are certified for two years and graduates are invited to gain new skills and materials at the CAB re-certification trainings.

opportunity CommunityThe Opportunity Community Model is based on more than two decades of research, test programs and studies. Dr. Beegle has developed a ground breaking poverty reduction model that builds individual and community capacities for addressing the complexities of poverty. The Opportunity Community provides innovative strategies and tools for engaging local agencies, business, institutions, churches, statewide networks and volunteers to offer hope and opportunity to Neighbors (low-income individuals). The model kicks off with a program targeted to people in poverty and is designed to remove the shame, rebuild hope, and reduce isolation by connecting Neighbors to trained Navigators (citizens not in poverty). CAB provides the training, tools, materials and support necessary to implement this highly successful, innovative poverty-fighting program.

Customized ProgramsCAB also offers Poverty Competency Assessments, Action Planning and private consultations. These include a sequential program and systemic approach to improving outcomes for people in poverty. Custom systemic approaches for organizations, communities, and statewide efforts vary according to your needs and outcome objectives.

Ideal Audience: Professionals in all fields.

Ideal Audience: Professionals in all fields who have completed the Poverty Institute or Poverty 101.

Ideal Audience: Communities looking for an effective approach to fighting poverty and people in poverty who feel shame and hopelessness.

“My rational side was awed by your command of economic facts and social science dynamics; my political and emotional side was moved by your compelling personal narrative and human examples. I have never seen done what you did; never seen anyone be so persuasive, genuine, credible and effective on the subject of poverty. Your message needs to be heard across this nation in forums of activists, business chiefs, non–profits, journalists, public officials and community leaders.” ~ Henry Cisneros, former Secretary of U.S. Department of Housing

“Thank you Atlanta Women’s Foundation, Junior League, Jewish Federation and United Way for bringing such an impactful speaker to Atlanta. I can’t think of another program that has had such a profound impact on me personally and on our organization as a whole. Thank you.” ~ Donna Buchanan, Coo, United Way of Atlanta

“Dr. Beegle has a special way of shining a light on an unfortunately large segment of society that tends to live in the shadows. For those who have not experienced real poverty, the dilemma is often not a lack of concern, but an inability to connect to the issues most important to those facing hardship. Dr. Beegle knows how to illuminate those issues in an amazingly practical, humane and productive manner. Her work is focused on issues that are key to transforming society’s view of those in poverty, which is perhaps the essential first step in eliminating poverty all together.” ~ Rich Brown, SvP, Corporate Social Responsibility, Bank of America

“Dr. Beegle is a great educator because she is an exceptional communicator as she redefines stereotypes about poverty, the people living in poverty and the opportunity the middle class has to help erase the shame of poverty and the guilt of affluence. My personal education was grossly lacking until I learned from Dr. Beegle.” ~ Jeremy Billete, teacher

”Dr. Beegle is a very special individual who happens to be a person who has not only grown up in generational poverty, but also has the unique gift to be able to “communicate across barriers” very effectively whether one-on-one or with an audience of thousands. I highly recommend any individual, group, organization or public agency interested in learning about poverty by a woman with a clear and passionate voice engage Dr. Beegle. They will not be disappointed.” ~ Jay C. Bloom, President/CEo, Bloom Anew

For further information on availability and booking arrangements, contact:Agent and Partnership Manager, Ed Wilgus, Ph.D.

503.428.2639 or [email protected]

www.facebook.com/donna.m.beegletwitter.com/donnabeegle

Donna Has a Reputation for Excellence

Dr. Beegle and CAB Gold Star Speakers are available for personalized speaking arrangements.

Lynda Coates Anette CarlisleElia Moreno

Connecting People

www.combarriers.com • PO Box 23071 Tigard, OR 97281 • [email protected] • 503.590.4599 • Fax: 866.383.4659All rights reserved

Overcoming Poverty Barriers to Equal Justice

Thank you for choosing a profession where you have opportunities to change lives. This training is designed to provide you with a foundation for understanding what it means to live in poverty and strategies to help those who are struggling to move forward in their lives. This learning guide serves as a take-away for you to revisit concepts covered in the training. For more in-depth learning, please refer to “See Poverty...Be the Difference,” by Dr. Donna Beegle.

In this country, people struggling with hunger and homelessness are sent strong messages that their choices created their strife. There is no recognition that in poverty, the choices you have are extremely different than the choices of those with privilege and access to resources. Knowing what questions to ask, what language to use when asking questions, and what resources or opportunities may be needed for successful compliance are critical, especially when dealing with the legal system. Stereotypes and judgment of the behavior of those in poverty in America are deeply imbedded in our society. However, if you are judging, then you cannot connect. If you cannot connect, then you cannot help. Attitudes and beliefs shape tone of voice, body posture, facial expressions and actions towards others. Please examine your personal beliefs and open your mind to new interpretations of the behavior of those struggling without basic needs.

Questions to reflect on:• What do you believe causes poverty?• Where do your beliefs come from (i.e., your parents, environment, community, media, personal

experience)?• How are your experiences and exposure to opportunities, while growing up, different than the

people struggling in poverty that you serve?• Are you armed with the facts about poverty in your community? • Are you able to suspend judgement and believe that people are making the best decisions possible

from their perspective?• Are you willing to assist people who may believe and respond differently than you?

In this Learning Guide • Poverty Realities in America• Types of Poverty• The Meaning of Poverty• Punishment of those in Poverty• A New Paradigm: Strategies


The Numbers Far too many people, mostly children, suffer from poverty conditions. More than 15% of the population, 43.2 million Americans, live in poverty (US Census Bureau, 2010). Research shows that it is very difficult for people born into poverty to achieve an education and earn a living wage.

Housing 1 in 4 working households in America (10.6 million families) spend more than half of their pre-tax income on housing. This is a level that experts say is unhealthy, if not impossible, to sus-tain. There is no community in America where minimum wage earners can reasonably afford to pay rent. In February 2012, the National Low Income Housing Coalition conducted a study that examined the cost of housing across the United States and found that no city had rentals priced low enough where a minimum wage earner could live comfortably. In 86% of counties surveyed, even those who earned twice the minimum wage still did not earn enough money to pay rent and other basic needs.

Welfare Government Assistance falls short of covering basic needs. Many people cling to it because they see no options for earning money for survival with their limited skills, education, and literacy levels. Nationally, the average welfare check for one parent and two children is $478 per month. Twenty years ago, it was $408. The national average added for a baby born to a family already on welfare is $60. The average disability check is $600. Less than 2% of the federal budget is allo-cated for welfare.

Food The rates of hunger continue to be extremely high for an industrialized nation. Many people think hunger does not exist because of obesity. The fact is 46 million people suffer food insecurity and one-third of this group experienced chronic hunger. A person on food stamps receives $3.00 per day. Healthy food is expensive.

Working Hard Many people work hard and are still not making it. There is a dominant belief in our society that if one works hard enough they will do well. According to the recent census, two-thirds of people living in poverty are working 1.7 jobs.

Education Youth living in poverty are the least likely to become educated in our nation. Many students living in poverty have low academic achievements and schools struggle to address their needs. Families living in poverty often experience education as “stress” and see it as a place where they do not belong. A college education can help people break the barriers of poverty and escape its hardships; yet today, it is less likely a person in poverty will attain a college education than it was in the 1940’s.

Effects of Poverty Many people in poverty have internalized poverty as a personal deficiency. They see no hope for anything but an insufficient welfare or disability check, or underground activi-ties that barely pay enough to keep food on the table and often result in incarceration. Nearly 80 per-cent of people in prison cannot read at an 8th grade level. Poverty affects educational success, health, relationships, and most of all it affects the ability for humans to develop to their full potential.

We Can Do Better A deeper understanding of poverty and the barriers it presents is highly needed. It requires community members and professionals being consistent in saying, “Poverty is an issue we are going to address.” It requires each and every one of us exploring what is in our hands to make a difference for those living in poverty. Who do you know that might be able to assist us in breaking barriers to moving out of poverty?

Poverty Realities in America


Types of Poverty What We Learn is Based on Life ExperiencesThe word “poverty” is used to describe many different life situations. Some people may be from generational poverty, others may be experiencing working-class poverty. Each of these life experiences shape expectations, knowledge, confidence and opportunities for gaining an education.

Below are some characteristics of different life experiences labeled “Poverty.”

Generational Poverty • Workers of the land, as opposed to owners of the land• Never knew anyone who benefited from education• Never knew anyone who moved up or was respected in a job• Highly mobile, move frequently looking for work• High family illiteracy• Focus is on making it through the day

Working-Class Poverty• Working, but barely able to pay for basic needs (no money for any extras)• Renters as opposed to home owners • Live pay-check to pay-check• Few have health care• Focus on making it two weeks or through the month• Poverty seen as personal deficiency

Immigrant Poverty• Have little or no resources• Face language and culture barriers• Seem to have a stronger sense of self than working and generational poverty• Often do better than those born into poverty in America• Poverty viewed as a system problem

Situational Poverty• Grows up in stable environment with basic needs met and more• Attends school regularly, has health care, family vacations, etc.• Surrounded by educated people with living wage jobs• As adult, has crisis (health, divorce, etc.) and income drops• Generally able to make it back to middle-class• Has not internalized poverty as personal deficiency• Does not recognize advantages of growing up middle-class• Can be harsh judge of those in poverty


The Meaning of Poverty in AmericaWhat people living in poverty learn.Families living in the crisis of poverty receive messages from our culture that they do not belong and something is wrong with them. Here are some of the messages taught to people of all ages experiencing generational, working-class poverty, and immigrant poverty:

• No one cares.• Everyone seems smarter.• People who are making it must be better than me.• We don’t belong anywhere.• People like us do not get educated. • The purpose of education is unclear.• We don’t have what we need to break out of poverty.• There is no one to help.

What most of America is taught about poverty.Think about where you get your information on poverty? If you are like others, it is from television and newspapers. The number one teacher about poverty in America is the media! However, the media tend to present extremes, sensationalize and dramatize stories. Facts about the real causes and solutions to poverty are rarely presented and therefore most people remain unaware of poverty, even in their own communities.

Not only is the general public unaware of the real facts about poverty, so too are many educated professionals. Universities graduate students from college to become teachers, counselors, lawyers, judges, researchers, politicians and other professionals without Poverty 101. Few Americans have had the course, “The History of Poverty in the United States.” We, as a country, do not know our history. We do not know models used to address poverty or how we have come to our current understanding of poverty.

The implications of an uneducated America on poverty is devastating. It fosters stereotypes with the general public and creates leaders and decision makers who have little or no real understanding of poverty or its impacts on people. It creates programs, policies and procedures that are not working to move people out of poverty, and instead, are punishing and exacerbating poverty in America.

What you can do.• Gain a deeper understanding. In spite of the lack of education in our country about poverty, there are

research-based strategies for helping people break through the “iron cage” of poverty. • Operate like NASA: Failure Is Not An Option. If you cannot connect people to resources or resolve a poverty

issue, who in your network or community might be able to? Use an “If not me, then who?” approach. • Collaborate and strengthen partnerships. Poverty is complex and requires a comprehensive, community-

wide approach. Connect with people, businesses, organizations in your neighborhood who can help. Create a “full resource backpack,” an inventory of who in your community may be able to assist people in moving out of poverty.


Examples of punishment for living in povertyBelow are some examples of misunderstandings and policies that push people further into poverty. • In many states, a person who does not have a home ad-

dress cannot legally stay overnight in a state park or sleep on the streets. They are arrested and spend the night in jail.

• People who are illiterate and disabled, who try to supple-ment income to survive, are often charged with theft for digging into dumpsters for bottles to return for deposit or newspapers to recycle for money.

• People who cannot pay rent are evicted and forced to at-tend “ready to rent courses.”

• People on welfare who sign up for school or training are sanctioned in all but five states. They are told they cannot go to school or get training because they must be available to accept any minimum wage job that might be offered. However, research shows a per-son with a high school diploma or less has a limited chance of earning a living wage or of moving up in the American labor market.

• People who live on a limited income, one that does not even cover rent and utilities, get their driver’s licenses suspended for not making payments on fines for driving uninsured. Most places in America do not have transportation systems to get people where they need to be, and those in poverty have to be more places as they are complying with agencies trying to get their basic needs met.

• People in poverty who get released from prison often struggle and find it impossible to find housing and employment, yet they receive letters saying they must pay for parole su-pervision or pay to maintain a web site with their crime and personal information.

• Children of families that are homeless are sent to detention for not having their homework completed, or they miss out on extracurricular activities or field trips. But what do you call homework if you do not have a home?

Some Facts on the History of Poverty• Most people do not know that it was a crime in England to be

poor. People were sentenced to indentured servitude and came out of that not owners of the land, but workers of the land.

• In Pennsylvania in the 1700s, there was a law that said, “If you are poor, you must wear a P on your sleeve when you leave your home. It must be four inches and be red or blue.” A belief existed that you could humiliate people out of their poverty.

Much of our response to people in poverty today is based on the belief that “If we can make it hard enough on them, if we can be tough enough, they

will stop acting poor.”

Legal professionals hold the power

to help people in poverty move

forward or spiral them deeper into

recidivism rates that are highest in

the world.


A New Paradigm for Seeing PovertyBelow are five theories that create a foundation for working more effectively with those in poverty, along with strategies you can utilize to make a difference for helping people move forward.

Theory Definition Strategies1. Strengths

PerspectiveEvery individual has strengths. Empower people by focusing on what is good about them, what they do know and what skills they have now.

Tell people they have potential. Find something positive to say and encourage community providers to build on their strengths. People from generational poverty report an overwhelming sense that no one who is making it believes in them.

2. Resiliency Theory

People can develop resilien-cy when they are treated like they are special and unique.

Show and tell people what is unique about them. Practice seeing their strengths and skills.

3. Asset Theory

The more assets a person has, both internal (i.e., conflict resolution skills, sense of purpose) and external (i.e., money, transportation, hous-ing), the more likely they will succeed.

Help people build their network. Introduce them to people in the community that can further their interests. For example, if they are interested in art and you know someone who is an artist, help to make the connection.

4. Social Capital Theory

Those in poverty greatly benefit from having trusting relationships with people not in poverty who have benefit-ed from education. Having meaningful connections with people who can help increas-es chances for success.

Create opportunities for relationships between people in poverty and those who know how to maneuver middle-class systems and access resources. Connect people in poverty to mentors.

5. Faulty Attribution Theory

When we attribute motives to someone else’s behav-ior without discovering the “why” behind their actions, we further alienate them and fail to help.

Motivate people with incentives that make sense in their context. Recognize that motivation differs between social classes. For example, motivation to get a job is based on experiences of a job being something that makes your life better. Most people from poverty have never seen anyone “move up” in a job. People work hard and still get evicted and go hungry.

Practice “Community Justice.” Know your community. Where can a person in poverty go for assistance? What are the conditions and limitations for getting assistance? Build relationships with providers so you can refer them to someone who can help.

understanding poverty to make a lasting difference

Documents