Social class is something that defines our society by influencing the experiences and opportunities available to members within each class. However, one can observe that the separation of each class creates problems within our society. The poor, for example, have limited access to resources and opportunities that can enable them to improve their financial standings. In other words, the rich continue to be rich and the poor continue to be poor not only due to differences in money, but also due to differences in social capital. This difference in status creates segregation between social classes that not only prohibits members in each class from interacting with one another, but also limits access to important resources such as employment, health care, and education. In other words, social status reinforces itself, making it more difficult to alleviate poverty and control financial strain because opportunities are so restricted. In addition, poverty can be triggered by external factors such as mental illness, natural disasters, or other things that are beyond control.
As we have been able to observe this past summer, poverty in Cleveland can be defined, experienced, and caused in many ways. Within each of our placements, we have been exposed to unique groups, some that were characterized by defining factors, and others that explored the overall scope of poverty. I feel that this exposure has defined my personal outlook on poverty. I have learned about the structures that influence poverty from higher levels like government, and about the role they play in decreasing financial burdens within the city. I have also learned about smaller organizations and the role they play in providing services to specific groups of people. Learning about these different groups; refugees, red cross victims, and of course those who struggle with mental health, has enabled me to expand my understanding of poverty and of the mentality of the poor. It has also clarified for me the faces of poverty that are so often left unclear due to segregation within society. I believe that this separation of social class is the key that leads people to misunderstand the reality of what it means to be poor. Often, people question why the poor do not take advantage of opportunities that are available to them, wondering why some would prefer to beg for money as opposed to taking a low wage job at a fast food chain. Though I cannot speak directly for the poor, I believe that such answers can be found by taking a moment to try and understand what it is like to live in poverty.
Though it is important to consider the differences that define social classes, it is also important to consider the factors that unify members of each class, especially when trying to understand life through the perspective of poverty. Every life, for example, is full of experiences: of struggles and celebrations, lessons and realizations, happiness and distress. Every person experiences emotions, and every emotion is reflected in a unique way through different personalities. Everyone has something to offer. As humans, we come to understand this through the strengths and weaknesses that we possess. One of my favorite examples of this concept comes from a conversation that I had with a client this past summer, when we talked for hours not only about the problems that he was dealing with, but also about his passions and aspirations. He, who had lived through more hardships and struggles than one would expect for someone who is just 21, told me about his interest in psychology. Obviously, this news was exciting to me, and it was only natural for me to be inquisitive with him. I asked, I listened, and I learned so much in that conversation to the point where I often think back to it when I struggle with solving certain problems. He told me about techniques that he would use as a psychologist and taught me how it is important to ask people questions that lead them to make decisions on their own instead of pushing advice on them or working to convince them to work for your own hopes and goals. He made me realize how important the thoughts and aspirations of others truly are, and completely changed the way I understand human thought, all in one conversation. He is so intelligent, and has been told otherwise on more than one occasion during his lifetime. He struggles with the idea of seeking an education, unsure if he is ready to take that step.
The problem with poverty is that people do not see that side of the equation. Instead, they focus on the fact that this young man does not have work. They ask why he is not filling out his application for McDonalds, and they wonder why he would prefer living in transitional housing instead of looking for work and saving up for a place of his own. The problem is that people do not listen when he talks about how he wants his life to change. Yet, everything transforms when you know him. Everything transforms when you know his story and discover the potential he possesses, when you realize that poverty is not about who is better or who is worse, but about who did have a chance and who did not. Poverty happens to people who are human, to people who are just like you and me. People with lives, families, hopes, and aspirations. Poverty happens to people we can understand, because the people who experience it are more like us than most take the time to realize. I often wonder what the world would be like if everyone tried to befriend someone living in poverty. Would people realize that we are confined and defined by what we are able to afford? Would they realize how silly that is? Or how much it does not make sense? What would change? For me, taking time to get to know the poor changed everything. I began to look around, to notice people in a way that I never had before, to make connections, and most importantly, to learn from people who have gained copious amounts of wisdom from their experiences. For once, I worked with the poor, and not for them. I let them teach me, and tried to offer them something in return.
One moment that made me feel as if I truly made a difference was another conversation I had with a client who was very distressed. This person was telling me about the many hardships that they had been through, emphasizing how alone they had felt in the process. When I told him that I was sorry, he got frustrated with me and told me that I should never apologize to someone for what they have been through, because I have not been through it myself. He told me that I could never understand; that it was impossible. In that moment, I looked at him seriously and asked him if he understood what it meant to empathize. He said no, so I explained to him what empathy was, and how it was possible after all to hurt for someone else. I told him that even though I have not had to struggle with many of the things that he has throughout his life, I still understood what it was like to hurt, what it is like to be sad, and what it is like to be afraid. I reminded him that even though we are different, we experience the same emotions. I reminded him that we are connected in that way, and he understood. I hope that he remembers that moment as much as I do. I hope it established for him what it reinforced for me: the idea that connecting with others is much easier than people make it out to be. That it is, indeed, possible to understand what someone else is going through, and to support them when they need it the most.
In turn, the support that is offered in such moments and in other defining moments throughout our lives plays a crucial role in influencing the decisions we make, the chances we take, and the way we understand and approach our lives. You develop a career, for instance, first by having parents and teachers in grade school that lead you to high school, second by having teachers or other role models in high school that guide you to college, and finally, by having influences in college that help you discover your career. No one ever accomplishes such things without some form of mentor or guide who influences the development of individuals in regard to mentality, or directly provides them with opportunities that enable them to further their personal aspirations. In fact, having support us gives us confidence in ourselves and hope for our futures, no matter how old, young, rich, or poor we may be. Nevertheless, the more money you make, the more guidance and support you are likely to receive, and for me, this is where I see a lot of opportunity for change.
When people have money, they also have the chance to meet other people who can help them reach their goals due to their academic environments. When people do not have money, the chance of reaching their goals becomes slimmer, as their environments do not include as many influences and opportunities. Providing networks to better this situation, however, could change the way that the poor live their lives and further develop the chances that they have. Therefore, just as I resolved in my research paper this past summer, a mentoring program could connect them with people who have the ability to access certain resources, making up for some of the social capital they lack. Though this may seem as only a small provision, I believe that will change their lives drastically, enabling them not only to better manage their illnesses, but also to seek and take advantage of new opportunities, such as education or employment. In addition, I feel that a program such as this will enable people to better understand poverty by providing them with the chance to get to know the poor on a personal level that will not only enable them to realize the solidarity that exists between the rich and the poor, but will also completely change the way they think and feel about poverty, just my experience did for me.
Working at ___ this summer has changed me and the way I think about life in numerous ways. In fact, I would venture to say that the experience has taught me about living life the way it is meant to be lived. When I think about the relationships and friendships that I made this past summer, I am reminded of a prayer I once learned during a seminar about love. The prayer is called “Fall In Love” by Fr. Pedro Arrupe, and it describes exactly the way that I felt during my internship this summer. This prayer encourages you to seek “what you are in love with, what seizes your imagination” because it “will affect everything” from “what breaks your heart” to “what amazes you with joy and gratitude” (Arrupe). Every day when I went to work this summer, I felt like I was where I was supposed to be. Every little interaction, every realization, every experience, was so important. I gained a new perspective on life and realized that it is not about the life that you live, but about the way that you live it. I smile to myself when I think about how close I feel to the people at ___. I never realized how meaningful a simple greeting from a client could be, or how much I could be affected by the advice or encouragement of a co-worker. I feel that the experience was unique and special that I will never forget, and will hopefully be able to continue experiencing for years to come.
