The Geography of Poverty

                                       The Children of Appalachia                                       

WHO?
After reading some informative literature, I have been made aware that hispanics, blacks, and Native Americans make up the majority of the poor minority living in the United States. I once thought high-poverty neighborhoods existed only in urban areas, but it is important to note that there are just as many high-poverty neighborhoods in rural areas as there are in central, metropolitan cities. 

WHY?
In my previous post, I listed four specific reasons why an individual may come across poverty in his or her lifetime. I have come to the realization that not only may fault lie with the individual or bad luck, but the government has more control over the alleviation of poverty than I once thought. According to the spatial mismatch theory by John Kain, "increases in the concentration of inner-city poor are directly linked to the elimination of low-skill manufacturing jobs and the deconcentration of employment from central cities to the surrounding suburbs." Although only a theory, it makes a great deal of sense. Those that live in ghettos are more likely to experience racial and ethnic discrimination, residential segregation, and employment dislocations. Adding those factors with the already low educational level of most inhabitants makes for an extremely bad situation. It's also heart-breaking to realize that a great deal of those in poverty don't take advantage of government funding programs, but rather continue to work at low-skill level jobs for a few hours a day only to receive minimum wage. I have begun to feel that some are accustomed to a life where making a few bucks an hour is the norm- it's not right. In the words of John Iceland, "... people are affected by their neighborhoods and the economic and social environment of high-poverty areas negatively affects those who live there."

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?
It's obvious that the government must implement more programs that are aimed to help improve school systems across the nation, especially in areas of concentrated poverty. Education is the doorway to a brighter future, and many of the kids in poverty are being dealt a crappy hand. There is absolutely no reason why the quality of an education in America is based on location rather than consistency. I also think it is imperative for the federal and state governments to invest more money in the infrastructure of high poverty neighborhoods. It's no secret that once an impoverished individual makes it out of poverty, one of the first things they look forward to is moving out of the area. Once individuals begin to move, the neighborhood is on an even faster decline downhill than before. The bottom-line is the government must make poverty alleviation programs more interactive than before. This will make impoverished individuals more self-reliant (no crutches), but they'll also have access to quality materials to better their chances of making it out of poverty.