Re: The culture of poverty | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Karen Frayne (Karen.FrayneSONOMA.EDU) | |
Date: Mon, 15 May 95 10:21 CDT |
Reply to: RE>>The culture of poverty Joani writes: Karen: Let's face it, a very small percentage of people raised in "comfortable" or "high-income" families, will turn away from the high value placed on "property and privacy" they grew up with. We cohousers are the exception rather than the rule from that population. As for the sense of community that you (and I) have observed in poorer communities, I believe that most people raised there would trade it in a minute for a significant amount of "property" and/or "privacy" Most likely, as much as they missed it down the road, they wouldn't go back to living like that unless they could take their "property and privacy" with them. What do you think? Karen (me) writes back: I agree that if folks could get out of low income neighborhoods, they would. But if the place they could get out to were coho, rather than single-family dwellings, if we could be welcoming of such difference, and not just accepting of it but acknowledging of our own needs of the gifts others have to offer, think how much people from these neighborhoods would have to offer us. My mom was raised poor, really poor, by parents who had not gone to high school, who usually didn't have jobs. My mom always says that one thing it gave her, even though she'd never want to go back to it, is a good sense of perspective and what's important in life. I wonder, Joani, do you think there's a way to welcome people who are really different from you? We welcome students into the university, recruit them from high schools in LA and rural areas, and they arrive at Sonoma State and we give them time and energy and money and advice. I help them do their math and listen to their doubts and dreams. About 33 percent of them are retained and graduate from the university. It would be a difficult thing to get the word about coho out to people we don't see every day, but I think it would be worth it. kf
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Re: The culture of poverty Joaniblank, May 13 1995
- Re: The culture of poverty Karen Frayne, May 15 1995
- Re: The culture of poverty Mmariner, May 16 1995
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