Poverty, the foreign culture

OK, I'm new at this blogging bit. My posts are long now but will hopefully become a single paragraph in the near future. Hey...I have a lot of pent-up stuff that wants to come out...

I've found the best way to discuss poverty to the middle class is to relate to poverty as a foreign culture. Imagine going to a country far different from your own. I've been to several rural villages in a remote area of South Africa and I'm an American. Rural Africans do things far different from the way I do things. They don't do things *wrong*...just different. They look different, eat different foods, dress different, their homes are made of mud with dirt floors. Their customs are far different from mine, etc.

Poverty is a foriegn culture as compared to the middle or wealthy class. Poor people don't do things *wrong*...just different. Their priorities are far different from mine. Sometimes these priorities may seem wrong, but I've known middle class folks who've had screwed up priorities as well (ie: me). Poverty folks dress different, live differently, drive different cars, spend their money differently, and on and on.

Believe me...I'm not one to recommend books. I absolutely hate it when someone hands me a book and says something to the effect of, "here...this will change your life". They usually mean, "here...this will make you think like me which will make me happy". Anyway, if you want to read the best book on understanding the poor read "A Framework for Understanding Poverty" by Ruby K. Payne, PhD.

"Framework" is not a churchy book. It's not even a Christian book (although Dr. Payne is a Christian, I understand). It is a thin, 150 page textbook/workbook written by an educator for education students. Her basic purpose was for teachers in training to be prepared to know 'why' the poor act the way they do since most first time teachers may be working in the poor parts of town. The overall theme is how poverty is NOT a lack of money. It IS a lack of one or more resources in which money is just one of the list of 8. Resources like financial, emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, support systems, relationship/role model, and knowledge of hidden rules. Also, there are 2 types of poverty: situational and generational. The 2 are completely different.

Facinating if not essential for anyone ministering to, working with, or befriending the poor. I highly recommend this book - which can be found at most college book stores (I got mine 6 years ago at Hardin-Simmons).