Poverty and Single Parents

In America the enigmatic and troubling growth of one parenthood (Mathur, A., Fu, H., & Hansen, P. 2013). The woman looks stressed and exhausted from the above photograph. In particular, the woman rubbers her eyes, a common symptom of stress or exhaustion. Furthermore, because her phone is on as seen in the photo, the female may have had bad news from someone. This photograph is significant as it illustrates some of their families' challenges. The image, for example, is that the woman does not have anyone to share or seek advice from other than her younger son. Besides, the woman in the photo seems to earn less than married moms. The closet behind them is empty which indicates that they have some financial problems (Mathur, Fu, & Hansen, 2013).

Reference

Mathur, A., Fu, H., & Hansen, P. (2013). The Mysterious and Alarming Rise of Single Parenthood in America. The Atlantic. Retrieved 2 November 2017, from https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/09/the-mysterious-and-alarming-rise-of-single-parenthood-in-america/279203/

Image 2: Increased Poverty level in Troy, New York, (Teicher, 2014)

The image above depicts some of the challenges single mother faces is Troy New York. The boy in the photo is dull and sad. This picture is relevant in that it shows some of the challenges families living below the poverty line in New York experience. Notably, the boy has been drinking coffee from the same bottle since he was a baby (Teicher, 2014). This indicates that the mother is having financial problems since she cannot afford to buy a cup for her son. The sadness shown by the boy’s facial expression is also an indicator of lack of proper or enough food due to the constant taking of coffee. Lastly, the boy has no shirt on which confirms their struggle in the family due to lack of basic needs such as clothes.

Reference

Teicher, J. (2014). A New Way to Talk About Poverty in Troy, New York. Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2 November 2017, from http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2014/07/17/brenda_ann_kenneally_documents_life_below_the_poverty_line_in_troy_york.html

In the current society, single mothers especially the blacks have a plethora of challenges. From the above photo, the woman seems stressed up. The manner in which she holds her forehead indicates she is deeply thinking about something. The house seems congested since we can see that the distance between the toilet and where they are eating is very small. As seen in the Why Blacks Have Had 10 Times Less Wealth for the Last 40 Years (2015), below the table there is a basket of dirty clothes which indicates that the house is indeed congested. This suggests that they are living in a small apartment hence an indicator of low financial income. Moreover, the kids are eating smashed potatoes which affirms some of the struggles single mothers face in the society.

Reference

Why Blacks Have Had 10 Times Less Wealth For the Last 40 Years – Voice and Viewpoint. (2015). Sdvoice.com Retrieved 2 November 2017, from http://sdvoice.info/why-blacks-have-had-10-times-less-wealth-for-the-last-40-years/

Image 4: A woman in Chicago holding a sign that says "Lost Job. Single Mom”, (Perry,2013). 

The woman in the photo is stressed due to lack of a job. From the flyer she is carrying, there is a message she is trying to pass across. The image is relevant in that it shows that most single mothers depend on jobs for their survival, unlike the married ones. The woman in the photo is asking for help from well-wishers. At the end of the placard, she has written God bless (Perry, 2013).  This shows that the woman is undergoing a lot of problems and this can be seen even from the clothes she has put on. Notably, it is likely that the woman is living in the street since she has her briefcase carrying her belongings with her. Therefore, the photo is relevant since it has outlined some of the problems single mothers encounter whenever they lose their jobs.

Reference

Perry, J. (2013). Is sexism obscuring the cure to American poverty?. MSNBC. Retrieved 2 November 2017, from http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/sexism-obscuring-the-cure-american-pove

Statistically, social class has a tremendous effect to children than parents. Parents’ social class plays a significance role to the performance of their kids at school. For instance, good parenting techniques such as telling bedtime stories plays a great role to the growth of a children. Moreover, parents from high social class are likely to enjoy access to better healthcare, take their kids to prestigious schools, and marry people within their social status. For instance, in the third photo, the woman may not be able to take her kids to prestigious schools due to lack of finance. Moreover, people from higher social class have a higher chance of securing employment opportunities compared to those from low social class as show in the fourth photo. In a nutshell, these photo essay has educated me about some of the challenges single parents especially women face in the society. Moreover, it has also educated me on how social class can influence the life of an individual.

References

Mathur, A., Fu, H., & Hansen, P. (2013). The Mysterious and Alarming Rise of Single Parenthood in America. The Atlantic. Retrieved 2 November 2017, from https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/09/the-mysterious-and-alarming-rise-of-single-parenthood-in-america/279203/

Perry, J. (2013). Is sexism obscuring the cure to American poverty?. MSNBC. Retrieved 2 November 2017, from http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/sexism-obscuring-the-cure-american-pove

Teicher, J. (2014). A New Way to Talk About Poverty in Troy, New York. Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2 November 2017, from http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2014/07/17/brenda_ann_kenneally_documents_life_below_the_poverty_line_in_troy_york.html

Why Blacks Have Had 10 Times Less Wealth For the Last 40 Years – Voice and Viewpoint. (2015). Sdvoice.com Retrieved 2 November 2017, from http://sdvoice.info/why-blacks-have-had-10-times-less-wealth-for-the-last-40-years/