Study: growing up in bad neighborhoods has a devastating impact

www.physorg.com...

Growing up in a poor neighborhood significantly reduces the chances that a child will graduate from high school, according to a study published in the October issue of the American Sociological Review. And, the longer a child lives in that kind of neighborhood, the more harmful the impact.

(visit the link for the full news article)

"Compared to growing up in affluent neighborhoods, growing up in neighborhoods with high levels of poverty and unemployment reduces the chances of high school graduation from 96 percent to 76 percent for black children," says Wodtke, a Ph.D. student who works with Harding at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR). "The impact on white children is also harmful, but not as large, reducing their chances of graduating from 95 percent to 87 percent."

Let's see... for every 1000 black children growing up in a "bad" neighborhood; 240 don't finish high school; for every 1000 similarly placed white children 130 don't finish.

But what is a "bad" neighborhood, exactly?

For the study, the researchers defined disadvantaged neighborhoods as those characterized by high poverty, unemployment, and welfare receipt; many female-headed households; and few well-educated adults.

As many of us have argued before, "poverty" is a relative thing; and hardly indicative of any level of social strife outside the consumer mindset. Unemployment is most definitely valid, especially considering the ramifications.... welfare receipt though ... is that "causal" or "correlated"? And the idea that female headed households constitute a disadvantage seems somewhat provincial, perhaps even 20th century traditionalist.

Of course, as a blanket statement, I can't say I'm certain that this effect (or perception) is particular to the Michigan area or not. Even if it is a localized trend; it probably isn't much different for other urban areas... all things considered.

I don't expect political leaders to make it their goal to pay this anymore than lip-service. But I am familiar with many elitist attitudes that seem to decry this as 'touchy-feely-left-wing-liberal-nonsense.' So I expect most of those in the socio-political class of celebrities to be relatively unmoved by the observation - despite the public face they may put on regarding this... assuming anyone would even bring it up.

It just sort of irks me that the agenda in the machinery is to get these people to work... rather than school..

This story was brought into the mix by the American Sociological Association.... www.asanet.org... but I cannot find the actual study.... if anyone can oblige, please do.

Thank you.


(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by Maxmars


That article is exactly why i have been saying that alot of ghetto type areas would benefit from more funding for education.
(it seems to me that is a big factor)
More school programs,more money to fund these programs and more diligence in teaching and caring and it might make a big difference.

The money needs to flow first.

I grew up in a poor neighborhood and graduated HS and did a few yrs of college, no degree though.
Projects were a couple blocks away, bullet holes were in stop signs all around.

What these neighborhoods are lacking isn't just education, it's morals and "caring" about themselves and others, empathy. When you grow up dirt poor, you stop caring about many things, especially the rich and whatever they are saying on TV. You especially can't respect many laws coming from the same rich lawmakers.

The food is poor, the water is heavily fluoridated, and the ignorance runs rampant in these areas.
The wealthy do not care about these poor, there's "no profit" in helping them, only high costs for what they feel are useless eaters.

They'd rather fund studies like this to make them feel worse about themselves.

Growing up in a poor neighborhood significantly reduces the chances that a child will graduate from high school, according to a study published in the October issue of the American Sociological Review

doesn't this bother you Americans??

the fact that sentences like this are still thrown around in the USA?

while spending billions of dollars OVERSEAS on warfare etc?

i mean POOR neighbourhood

America (and most of the world) need to get their freaking priorities straight!

reply to post by Maxmars


Anyone who needed a study to point this out, is several sandwhiches short of a picnic. The fact is that people from less well off backgrounds have known this for YEARS. Social mobility is a problem all over the western world after all, and it is and always has been the case, that those from poorer areas and backgrounds , are automatically less likely to get through senior education, let alone higher grade, university education.

Most people from poor backgrounds, even those who have come through thier child hoods somehow with a sharp mind and an academic capability , cannot afford to go to university , even if they get scholarships or grants for the purpose, if only because of the amount of money that it costs to house and feed a student for any amount of time.

Those who cut to the chase and understand from a young age how hopeless thier positions are , in terms of thier capacity to advance, will of course have only the same options as anyone else in the position of being skint and having no realistic assistance from the state, that choice being between destitution and death, and growing a hard skin and trying to scrape by.

The thing is that so many intelligent people fall by the wayside, and are prevented from getting the education they deserve (by merit of thier intellect, rather than by bloody birth with a silver spoon in ones mouth), that there can be no suprise when there are no longer enough scientists, mathematicians, artists, and so on.

reply to post by JibbyJedi


There can be profit in helping the poor. It just depends on what the help is.

Expanding the consumer class is always profitable. The trick is to do it with as little investment as possible.

There's always the notion that business/industry needs mindless lever pullers but I doubt that has any real merit since the US doesnt manufacture anything. When I used to live in a bullet-hole filled crap-hole and worked in a bullet-hole filled crap job I couldnt see the benefit to the surrounding business to maintain a class as uncontrollable and unskilled as this. It was only a liability.

Then there's the political power a poor and destitute class brings. Promising the world can gain you popular support and win elections. Actually following through loses you that leverage for the next election cycle.

Sure, it might not be profitable to help but it doesnt appear that keeping them like this is in the best interest of businesses either. They dont consume anything. They dont pay anything. They can't perform even rudimentary tasks which makes simply flipping burgers beyond their skill level and they can't/won't even bother to show up on time sooner or later.

All I saw in my 15 years living in it were gains for the politicians. A perfect moron mass completely dependent on them kneeling at their feet.

reply to post by JibbyJedi
[more

The wealthy do not care about these poor, there's "no profit" in helping them, only high costs for what they feel are useless eaters.

You nailed it.

"Profit". If something i$n't profitable, it will not be given attention. This -- needs -- to change. Somehow.

Throwing more money at inner city schools hasn't done squat in the past and won't in the future. You know what DOES help and is SUCCESSFUL? School vouchers and charter schools.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

Expanding the consumer class is always profitable. The trick is to do it with as little investment as possible.

You nailed it, Too! But where those Plutocrats fail, is in wanting to give something, to get something. Like that old saying goes, you get what you pay for.

Originally posted by TrueBrit
reply to post by Maxmars

 

Anyone who needed a study to point this out, is several sandwhiches short of a picnic. The fact is that people from less well off backgrounds have known this for YEARS. Social mobility is a problem all over the western world after all, and it is and always has been the case, that those from poorer areas and backgrounds , are automatically less likely to get through senior education, let alone higher grade, university education.

Exactly. People want to live in denial, and want to blame the poor for everything, when in reality most of these kids don't have a chance from the moment they take their first breath.

If you don't want people living off of the government dime, you should want to see an end to the systemic inequality of this society. Otherwise, if you do not, well you need to stop crying about the poor receiving assistance.

reply to post by Maxmars


I was in the exact same enviroment when I grew up.

Lets see gang violence of the 70-80's people throwing molotov coctails at peoples houses.
Had some junkey with a knife come up to me and a friend walking to pick up a pizza and a guy saying give me your money or I gonna cut your throats. Ozzy's pizzas on broadway in lawrence to be exact to you locals on here who know of the place I speak.

Came home one day from school with me and my friends to find his house marked with yellow tape and police all over the place. And when one cop went in to enter the door we could see people standing over his mom who was dead in the door way with blood all over her.
Yes she was murdered. Maryln Moses was here name.

Growing up there was always crazy people hanging out on the corners selling drugs. People breaking into peoples houses to steal anything the could to go buy drugs. I was punched in the face for now reason by some kid selling lead nuckles. He was trying to show his buddies how easy it was to knock someone out with them. I was with a group of kids and some guy says he you so I turned around and this loser sucker punched me right in the jaw. So I said WTF asshole you wanna go. He was like na man. My firends all jumped on him and lets just say they tapped dances on him a bit.

When I was growing up I wanted to do my best to get the hell out of there. I was sick of people trying to jump me or stab me or steal my stuff that I worked hard for.

I remember when I finally saved up enough money to buy my first car. It had no radio in it first as it was stolen.

I went to the pool hall to go shoot some pool. And my friend comes in to tell me someone just smashed my window to steal my radio. I said it couldn't be me my car doesn't have a radio.

Sure as # I went out there and my window was smashed and the glove bax was opened.

Talk about pissed off.

I was so sick of this # I wanted to get out.

Now I went to school did what I had to do.

Went into the military got out.

came home got a job.

Saved up some money and bought a foreclosed property pretty cheap.
Again worked hard and saved my money and sold that property and bought a house.

I moved far away from that but you can never get to far away as every town has prodjects and assited living/multi family homes.

I think I turned out just fine father of 2 sweet children with a beautiful wife who I adore.

Yes I could of dropped out and got all messed up on drugs like most of my friends did. I remember seeing all the junkies booting up in the allies or on the sidewalk slumped over in vomit with a bottle and I remeber saying why the hell would anyone want to live like this.

I was determine to bust my ass to get out of this hell hole.

This is why I moved to the Live Free or Die State.
This is why my home is protected by some of the most well trained dogs. Oh the bark is usually enough to get people away from the front door. Good JW deterent. You can see them leave when the here the barking and fierce growling at the door. Let me tell you they are glad to be safe behind that door.
This is why I am who I am.
I will never put myself in a situation where I may fall victim to thugs.
I pack a lunch.
Yes I am prepared.
I stock food and water.
I am perepared if power is lost.
I am prepared when the SHTF.

778 kids just used this as an excuse not to go to school.

I live in the ghetto and I will say if the govt really wanted to help they would eliminate drug laws that prevent successful ghetto entrepreneurs from doing their work and creating jobs for others.....

They should stop with the ``success is bad`` propaganda as well.... they should also eliminate minimum wage laws, no one will hire someone for 8 dollars a hour if they still have to teach them to read, write and communicate in clear sentences.

They should also fix their uncivilized public courts and police forces, they do nothing to protect us from crime and they do nothing to protect our property and without strong property rights there's no incentive to start a business or expand a business into or near a ghetto.

They should also stop with the welfarism, it has done nothing to help poverty, instead it has entrapped many ghetto youths into a culture of poverty.... there's probably a lot more the govt could do, but this is all I could think of atm.

Darn rich people! They caused all this. THEY'RE PREVENTING US FROM SUCCEEDING!

Lets rally and protest across the nation and break down the rich peoples gates and throw them out of the country! We can go through the rich peoples neighborhoods and take back what is ours. Then when the whole country is a ghetto and everything is broken down and everybody is poor we can relish in the sense of satisfaction and glory. WE WILL BE FREE!

Unfortunately, all of the smart people that made good money will not live here anymore because we kicked them out. BUT WE WILL BE FREE! We will make the country 1000 times better. GLORY!

(1000 or 50 or 1239828 times - doesn't matter: my math skills are too low to understand)

./sarcasm

It is a cultural failing of the inner city, enabled by a predatory political class and victimhood mentality enhanced by our society. You can throw all the money you want to at the inner cities, and you can have charter schools and millions of programs and community organizations, but if the majority of those in the inner city don't change their attitudes, nothing will change.

At the end of the day, these people need to take responsibility for their own lives and have a strong desire to better themselves.

I'm sure there will be white guilt liberal rage over that statement, but I can tell you as a former white guilt libby, the statement is true. Since, then, I've had much more contact and involvement with the inner city poor. And I can say with absolute certainty that the majority do NOT have any sense of personal responsibility or desire for achievement. If you cannot change that basic attitude, they will remain in their situation.

Instead of filling children's head's with terrible tales of how "their people" are forever victims of the oppressor, fill their heads with success stories. Remember when the Founding Fathers were herioc instead of awful, terrible slave owners? I don't mean we should lie, but we should certainly accentuate the positive of people achieving great things all by their own efforts. If we discuss how Thomas Jefferson was a terrible slaveowner, should we also discuss how Martin Luther King was a whoremonger? Neither topic addresses what made either man important.

It is NOT ok to keep having children if you cannot provide for them. It is NOT ok to buy hair care products, rims, weaves, and/or NASCAR t-shirts with public funds. It is NOT ok to enable thievery and violence in your children's behavior (Ask any inner city teacher about this one and how the parents react when their "baby" is rightly accused of these actions).

Until the culture is fundamentally changed and our own guilt ridden society stops enabling that destructive cultural mindset, NOTHING will change.

Of course, we can just promote more and more dependence on big government. If that isn't the ultimate and pathetic act of throwing in the towel, I don't know what is.

Being poor doesn't lower a person's intellectual abilities or make them more prone to criminal activity. That's an excuse. The problem is more endemic to children not being taught by their parents any kind of work ethics or the difference between right and wrong. It's much easier to steal from others, sell drugs, or draw welfare benefits. Why work 40hrs a week when you don't have to? When you find yourself in trouble you can always blame society and play the "victim".

A public school education is available to anyone that's willing to attend school and actually apply themselves. A college education is no different. There are numerous grants, scholarships, and loans available to anyone that's willing to take the time to apply. Libraries are free to everyone. If a person wants to learn there's no one stopping them from doing so. Being poor is a state of mind.

reply to post by Maxmars


This is common knowledge in my field, psychology. Socio-economic status is directly linked to health, wellbeing, and opportunity.

If you are born into a low SES family, your chances of living the american dream are el-zilcho.

There are some sad statistics out there. To me, this is more then enough justification for the top 1% to come back to reality and help the rest of the country. (and, indeed, the world)

I know three Bentlys is better then two, but....

reply to post by Redwing48


Spoken like someone who never lived in those conditions. Want me to take pictures of our local schools in trouble? I can tell you right now, it is not a learning environment.
When the kids have to walk past metal detectors to get in, and police have to hang around the school when school lets out to handle the violence and gang fights.
Not to mention all the drug dealers and gang members these kids have to walk by to get to an empty house because their single mother is working two minimum wage jobs.

And then people wonder why they want to drop out....

reply to post by SPACEYstranger

Try that. Then watch as the successful people leave this country.

The poor are poor by their own choice, essentially.

Body slamming the rich might feel good, but it won't encourage them to stay here.

BUT WHO CARES! Lets take back what is ours! WE WILL BE FREE! GLORY!