What tools can be used to break the cycle of poverty on a large scale?

Question

I have read most of Jonathan Kozol's "The Shame of the Nation," and for our college summer reading assignment I've most recently read "The Working Poor" by David Shepler.

From what I can gather, from speaking about the cycle of poverty, the solution must be one that encompasses multiple problems at once. Because poverty is a cycle, no one event will break it, because they are all interconnected. Some of these basic issues include: poor education, poor motivation, hopelessness, (sometimes) malnutrition, early pregnancies, inexperience in the workplace, low self esteem... and the list goes on.

Some of the most successful programs that I have heard of (though few exist, from what little I hear of it) are those that coach people. In my personal opinion, the most helpful of these on a longer-term scale are those that focus on establishing an adult's self-esteem and preparation/training for entering the workforce and maintaining a job.

Yet these programs work on very small scales -- that is how they function, because the social workers and job trainers must work with a smaller group for more individualized success. Those trapped in poverty often come from a long line of failure in the family to rise above their economic status, and the same pattern continues with each generation. Low self esteem is built in from the start -- that sense of hopelessness -- and as this person matures into an adult, he/she lacks the right parental skills, lacks the confidence to be a role model for his/her children, lacks the sense of self-worth to prioritize attending work each day... etc.

Since poverty cycle issues are interconnected, I believe that a sense of low self esteem, if boosted in the long-term, would impact all the other problems seen in cycle.

So my question is then, how can we make these training programs more widespread?

Answer 1

End this madness called political correctness. Hold everyone to the same standards. Blacks, whites, Asians, Native Americans, etc, not one of the people who are members of these groups is inherently smarter than the other. The only difference between these groups is the value placed on education by the family. If the family fails to instill the importance of education it is up to the society, including schools, to do so. Some people can have their happy cute feelings about individuality and all that nonsense but when it comes to the nation its success is more important than the feelings of an individual. Everyone of our children is a potential doctor, construction worker, police officer, criminal. We must for the sake of our country see to it that our citizenry is educated. I also think some forms of tenure are ludicrous. Teachers have a job to do and should be fired if they fail to deliver.

Answer 2

The cycle of poverty cannot be broken. Those that are born into poverty, learn the lifestyle and stay there. There are a few exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, it cannot be helped or changed no matter what we as a society do. You can give a poor family a million dollars, and check on them five years later, they'll be back out in the streets again-with nothing to show for it.

Answer 3

I would think it would be odvious. People are poor because other people are rich. If money wasn't a god, there wouldn't be a top or a bottom. Small scale solutions won't change anything. Every system is designed to 'class' people. Some can do this, some can do that. Wether anyone is actually doing what they could really excell at and therefore make a difference in the world is irrelevant. I mean, that would change everything, wouldn't it? Don't get me wrong. I don't think the government is out to get us..... because really, if that's the truth then why is everyone going along?

Answer 4

a minimum of in the U. S., you're very not at risk of be in poverty in case you: a million. Graduate from extreme college (not complicated those days in case you seem) 2. Get a job -- any interest to start up 3. Get married and have toddlers (in that order). apart from some who actually won't be in a position to graduate, those are all changeable behaviors. Breaking the cycle only demands doing something distinctive. of course, we make it elementary for individuals to not substitute habit by means of being "non-judgmental". bear in mind once you have been embarrassed to have illegitimate toddlers particularly of being celebrated as a brave unmarried mom? bear in mind while not getting a job became shameful?

Answer 5

Boost low self esteem?? You surely are a child. The basic issue effecting poverty is that some people are smarter than others and they use this intelligence, which often is coupled with ambition and Machiavellian personality traits, to hold resources and status. Until the moral circle is expanded far enough that all will hold responsibility for all, whether financially, or whether discounting status, then nothing will change.
Low self esteem indeed!

Answer 6

Vote out the party that is devoted to the rich. In the United States that is the Republican party. When the government is controlled by a party that includes the poor then projects that are important to the poor will be given priority. In that way the many things that are needed to eliminate poverty can be addressed.

Answer 7

In order to break poverty, we need to forget "global warming." We need to use corn and fruit to feed the poor people and not to power our cars. Food is food. The only thing that could help in the USA is to crack down on illegal immigration, force them all out of the country, don't give them a chance just because they got pregnant here. That will create more jobs, and then we have to push people to get jobs instead of just sitting on their welfare check. We could create more jobs, but at the same time we'd have to both reinforce immigration policies and make welfare more strict to force people into those jobs. Building less 50+ only communities and more cheap apartment complexes or cheap housing complexes would help, and then the rest would be up to the poor to make their own life better. Forcing more people into college would solve education. Some poor people don't try to get out of poverty because they're set on welfare and they don't want to have to work to make money. They want to government to house, clothe, feed, and educate them and their family for free, all the while paying them money for sitting on their ****s. The only thing I have to say to those kinds of people is tough sh*t.

Answer 8

hah.. all this answers are long. But the real answer is "nothing". You won't end this poverty with these system made by people who only wants power and fame. Capitalist America so is to say.

Answer 9

stop handing out food stamps...break the cycle of teen pregnancies...stop giving electric kickbacks to those same damn people that live in assisted housing...make them get a real job and not be able to cut back from full time to part time so they dont loose their house..make them pay all their bills and give them 50 bucks left...which is what the average american family without government help is lucky to have after every paycheck..if they can wear name brand shoes smoke cigs, drink,eat lunch out everyday and drive nice cars they can damn well pay their kids school fees their lunches and stop getting so much of our tax money spent on their ungrateful asses. also if you get food stamps the last thing you should be able to buy is any type of junkfood..chips soda cookies..you should have to be able to cook and not just microwave everything you buy its a damn shame at easter you can buy easter baskets with foodstamps..who needs candy? get a job..thats how you end the cycle there are no freebies in life and everyone needs to realize this

Answer 10

The billions of dollars held by the catholic church and other religions.
But you must consider the more we populate, and the more we grow the more we starve the earth and eventually ourselves.