Assignment for Thursday, Feb. 1

Pimpare stresses, at the beginning of Chapter 6, that various forms of assistance have lifted people out of poverty, and that increasing the amount we apply to assistance programs could help more.

He seems to be countering the sometimes-heard claim that all of that money spent on poor people does no good.

Here's the question that I want you to think about:  If we did raise our assistance expenditures, and if we did make sure that everyone who qualified for assistance received it, would that count as solving the problem of poverty?  In other words, imagine that everyone who is now living below the poverty line were simply given the assistance they needed to be above the poverty line.  If that happened, is Pimpare satisfied, or would that state of affairs still leave a lot undone?

This is all really a way of asking Pimpare:  What's the end goal here?  If everyone who needs assistance gets it, is the idea that we'd just go one like that forever? 

What do you think?  Does "no one living without the assistance they need" = "poverty solved"?

1.5 pages, single spaced, printed, in class.  Use the book, but only what we've read so far.  I want your own thoughts on what Pimpare is aiming at, and whether or not you agree.

Another kind of American poverty

HERE

Experiments in Guaranteed Income

Short story on NPR: HERE.

Assignment for Tuesday, Jan. 30

Read an interesting Op-Ed: HERE

Also, read the next three chapters in Pimpare.  Carefully.  With notes.  Start soon--I want your reflective thoughts on this difficult stuff.

Assignment for Thursday, Jan 25

Just carefully read the next two chapters, and be ready to discuss them.  No writing this time.

Assignment for Tuesday, Jan. 23

OK, we're going to start in on _A People's History of Poverty in America_, by Pimpare. 

Read everything, all prefaces, intros, etc., up to the end of the second chapter. 

I want you to write something, too.  A summary of the basic approach that he takes to his topic, along with your own thoughts about the approach.  Is this a great way to study poverty?  A problematic way?  Explain.  All in your own words--you don't have to quote him.  This is two pages, max, printed.  No excuses.  You know that your print attempts will be stalled out by the print gods.  So plan ahead.  No.  Excuses.

Assignment for Thursday, Jan 18

Soak in these things.  Some of them are lengthy, so start early and take good notes.  I will assume that you have them well absorbed by class time.  Some are interactive.  Be proactive in exploring them.


Defining Poverty:  HERE.

Measuring Poverty:  HERE.

Alternative Approaches:  HERE.

An interactive map with data about poverty:  HERE.

What the Census can tell us about poverty:  HERE. 

A highly polemical, but interesting, presentation about inequality:  HERE.

In booming economies, food banks are busier than ever

Why is that?  Read about it:  HERE.

Thanks to Annie for the link!