Critical Reflection
farh_sName ________________________
Date ________________________
Critical Reflection #4- “The Myth of the Culture of Poverty”
Gorski, P. (2008). The Myth of the Culture of Poverty. Educational Leadership, 65(7). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr08/vol65/num07/The-Myth-of-the-Culture-of-Poverty.aspx
Read the assigned article(s), then answer the following questions honestly and completely in short answer form. Your response to EACH section of every question should be between 150-500 words. Answers that do not fulfill the minimum word requirement will NOT earn credit. Collegiate-level writing is expected, including, but not limited to, using complete sentences, appropriate punctuation, proper paragraph structure, and editing for spelling and grammar mistakes. Please cite any sources you use, and quotations are not counted in the word minimum.
Use appropriate supporting evidence for your statements. Answer each prompt question thoroughly. If you can ask "why?", "how so?", or "how do you know that?" after reading what you've written, you've got more work to do. Your answers are for your own reflection and will only be viewed by your instructor. Each question should address the information in the article, content from class, and your reflections of the material.
1. According to the article, “what is the so-called “culture of poverty”? What are some common stereotypes of people who live in poverty? What are some incomplete ideas you have or have had about people who live in poverty? Moving forward, how can you reevaluate these incomplete ideas and apply them to everyday life?
2. In what ways do or could the myths about poverty in the article affect the population with whom you work?
3. Gorski describes the deficit perspective in schools, the idea that teachers and schools may define students by their weaknesses rather than their strengths. Look through materials that your organization produces: their website, brochures, flyers, fundraising letters, etc. In what ways is the population you serve described in terms of weaknesses? In terms of strengths?
4. Based on our discussion in class and the article, what role do you think the government should play in providing assistance for its citizens? How is the Federal Poverty Line determined? Do you think that Line is fairly determined? Why or why not?
5. Gorski names a handful of American iconic persons or groups who have done significant antipoverty work in the U.S.: Martin Luther King, Jr., Helen Keller, the Black Panthers, Cesar Chavez. Choose one about which you know the least, and describe 1-2 of their antipoverty efforts: Who was it aimed to help? During which period of time did they operate? What was their work, and where did it take effect? What were the results of their work? (400 words minimum)