The Story We Tell About Poverty

Many people view poverty as a circumstance of ones own making. Consider this reasoning: Homeless people must not have worked hard enough, tried hard enough, or conformed to society enough. They did it to themselves. Is this perspective accurate, or is it just another way to separate out the worthy and the unworthy?

In this weeks resources, you hear activist Mia Birdsong examine the prevailing story society tells about poverty, how it needs to be adjusted, and how this adjustment could lead to societal change. For this Assignment, you reflect on the story of poverty that you know.

To Prepare: Watch the Mia Birdsong video listed in the Learning Resources.

https://www.ted.com/talks/mia_birdsong_the_story_we_tell_about_poverty_isn_t_true?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

-Identify two societal beliefs of the poor presented in the video.
-Explain the speakers strategy for addressing poverty.
-Apply the speakers strategy to a social work interaction you have had or have read about.
-Determine whether you agree or disagree with the presenters premise, and explain why.