Audio Transcript Auto-generated
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inequalities of poverty by Haley Montgomery
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After playing the spent game, I ended the month with $199,
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which is not enough to pay next month's rent.
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There were many other expenses that were excluded from my payments,
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such as clothing loans,
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Gas, phone bill, car insurance and toiletries,
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all of which would require $1,000 in my bank account.
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The health care plan that I chose was the bronze plan,
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bronze plan.
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It was $303 a month with an $80 copay. It was the cheapest plan.
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There was no Medicare or Medicaid and I was
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not able to access preventative health preventative healthcare.
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I was unable to afford a dental procedure
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at the time, which led to a need for a root canal,
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inability to afford proper healthcare means that health issues
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will go from less serious to more serious.
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In the end, I ended with an $800 dental bill that I was unable to pay
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some expenses
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rent,
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Other home bills, electricity and maintenance bills were unaffordable.
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My rent was $808 a month and my income was only $1,224 a month. Post taxes
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rent would take away a majority of my paycheck paycheck and
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I couldn't afford any extra expenses such as field trip payments,
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birthday presents
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or even my mother's medicine,
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car payments.
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While the game didn't include car insurance,
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it did include other expenses for the car, such as upkeep,
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which I was unable to afford.
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There was also
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accident cost and maintenance fees.
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I was also unable to afford any extra maintenance, water and electric for my home.
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Some social institutions at play here where the government and the economy,
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the government and the economy are responsible for much of american poverty.
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There's an increase in lower paying jobs.
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1150 An hour or less is the minimum wage in America.
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Higher competition for jobs and affordable housing.
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And the government does not provide enough
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opportunity to escape poverty,
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for example, are underfunded social welfare programs.
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This all shows conflict theory.
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The more that is earned by people in power position,
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the less is earned by people in less powerful positions.
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For example, while the rich get richer, the poor get poor,
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why does this happen?
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Income inequality?
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The gap between rich, between the rich and the poor is the largest it has ever been.
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Ceo. S will earn 400 times the average worker.
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The graph shows that at the top
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1% owns around 39% of the country's wealth,
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and at the bottom
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90% owns 23%.
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According to rethinking American poverty. The bottom 60% owns one
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of America's wealth.
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America gives more to rich compared to the poor,
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taxing rich and funding social
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welfare programs will make the middle class rise easier.
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What else?
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The illusion of the american dream?
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America often advertises itself as equal and provides equal opportunity for all.
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However, America is one of the most difficult countries to rise up in,
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especially compared to other countries.
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Success in America depends on a high household stability.
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Americans tend to have higher rates of teen pregnancy,
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divorce and homes run by single parents,
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which is not stable.
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American success also depends on education level.
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In the game,
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I couldn't afford to send my kid to a better school and received tutoring.
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To be successful. You need to have a good education,
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but it is not accessible for everyone.
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The main social structure, social structure with which
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perpetuates poverty is the class system.
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A common belief is that poverty is only reserved for members of the lowest classes.
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However, that is not the case.
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Most americans will need to use at least one social welfare program in their life.
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Another belief is that poverty is a result of individual failures,
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which is not true. Other life factors can cause the need for poverty.
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Middle class americans experience high income validity
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factor,
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embarrassment
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in.
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Excuse me.
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Another factor is embarrassment,
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embarrassment plays a very large part of social structure
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in the game.
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My child was too embarrassed to be on the free school lunch program and
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I was embarrassed that I couldn't do any extra things to decrease stress,
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embarrassment is a large factor that plays into poverty.
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Relative poverty is only being able to afford
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basic necessities and no other extras in life
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well,
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absolute poverty is no money available to afford bare necessities such as food,
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water and housing.
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The game left no room for any outside expense,
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and by the end I was unable to pay for rent for the next month.
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In between relative and absolute poverty.
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I couldn't really afford my mother's meds to pay to fix the plates I
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ruined at work or to help a friend experiencing a similar situation to me.
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Local poverty
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is the result.