Poverty and Child Development Essay -- essays research papers fc

From the very second I was born, until this very day, I had understood life to be a certain way. Life had interpreted its course and my family, as well as myself, study suffered ups and downs. Weve been through measure which were good and which were the worst of the worst entirely families do. What I didnt enjoy is that regardless of the good and the bad, that the life I confrontd was sheltered to the point where I couldnt fathom the idea that all people had not lived a life similar to ours. Sure, I understand that about were more miraculous and some were less rosy-cheeked, but to which extent? Within my circle of influence, our friends and family, thither was a certain level at which we enjoyed our lives in a at ease sense. Wed occasionally see a homeless person on the subway or in the city, but I never knew that there was a tout ensemble class of people in between. Ive perpetually heard of poverty and didnt know much more closely it except for the fact that people e xisted that were less fortunate, those who lived in this supposed poverty. Jonathan Kozols book astonishing Grace depicts the issues that face families who are living in a world of poverty, homelessness and in a world where less fortunate is an understatement. Kozol writes about his experience in the South Bronx where he comes across some of the most disturbing facts about our fellow human beings. He speaks of families who live in an undernourished, impoverished society where a great majority of the inhabitants have been faced with disease. He visited a building in which one bad-tempered family has contracted the HIV virus. A woman contracted AIDS from her maintain who she thought was faithful. Her daughter later contracted the deadly virus when she was plundered by the father. In fact, in his conversation with a nurse who takes boot of Alice Washington, a woman that Kozol interviews, in this building there are Including the children, peradventure 27 people (Kozol p. 13, in Am azing Grace) She continues to say Theres lots of other people have it but dont know. People are so under-educated and under-privileged in the society where they live, that they are hydrophobic to even find out if they have contracted the disease. This brings us to another(prenominal) problem that the families here are faced with, deprivation of help from the government. Although Jonathan Kozol implies that there may... ... problems with women who have children out-of-wedlock. Although she defends the fact that they shouldnt be judged as a whole because of that fact, it seems to me that she feels strongly about traditional family settings including a two parent, heterosexual household. Sidel as well as comes across as someone who has a hint of religion in her values. Personally, I agree more with the liberal standpoint. I feel that all people should be equal, especially since were all citizens of the same city, nation, and world. I believe we should have the same opportunities, al most as much as I believe that those who want to achieve something in live willing take the initiative and shape their destiny to reach their goals. BibliographyKozol, Jonathan. Amazing Grace. NewYork Crown, 1995. 1-24.Kozol, Jonathan. Amazing Grace. NewYork Crown, 1995. 27-54.Sidel, Ruth. The Enemy Within Keeping Women And Children Last. NewYork Penguin, 1998. 1-32.Surgrue, J. Thomas. Poor Families in an Era of urban Transformation. American Families. Stephanie Coontz, Maya Parson, Gabrielle Railey, Routledge, 1999. 243-257.