The People Like Us Video
Two videos selected for the present discussion focus on poverty. The first one presents the story of Tammy Crabtree and her children (People Like Us, 2015). The video is insightful because it demonstrates crucial aspects of financial scarcity.
First, Tammy notes that, despite her father having worked when she was little, she grew up poor and remained so in adulthood (People Like Us, 2015). As a result, one can assume that poverty is likely to be generational. For example, research suggests that children raised in impoverished conditions may be trapped in poverty and cannot escape it (De Schutter et al., 2023).
Second, one of Tammy’s sons states that he likes being a “couch potato” because that is all he knows (People Like Us, 2015, 00:01:58-00:02:05). It appears that the problem is that such individuals are rarely given an actual chance to change. From personal experience, I would say that people in difficult financial situations do not know how to improve their situation because no one is willing to guide them toward practical solutions. Overall, Tammy’s and her household’s story offers many insights into poverty.
The Economist Video
The other chosen video also focuses on living in poverty. While the first of the two primary sources describes a family’s unique experience of poverty, the second explores the reasons behind financial challenges. For instance, The Economist (2019) indicates that almost 40 million people in the United States (US) undergo economic scarcity. In comparison, more recent data suggest that 37.9 million individuals in the nation are impoverished (Creamer et al., 2022).
Nonetheless, the video states that while poverty rates may be decreasing, the nature of poverty is worsening. For instance, safety net programs designed to improve people’s financial conditions have not been effective because they target the wrong population. In particular, most such approaches were oriented toward older people, but nowadays, children are the ones most affected by poverty (The Economist, 2019). For example, research indicates that while 50-60% of individuals aged 1-4 are eligible for a safety net program, only 38% participate (Jackson & Fanelli, 2023). Accordingly, the video highlights contemporary issues that contribute to poverty in the US.
References
Creamer, J., Shriderm E. A., Burns, K., & Chen, F. (2022). Poverty in the United States: 2021. US Census Bureau.
De Schutter, O., Frazer, H., Guio, A. C., & Marlier, E. (2023). How poverty is perpetuated across generations. Escape from Poverty, 18-60.
Jackson, M. I., & Fanelli, E. (2023). Who uses the social safety net? Trends in public benefit use among American households with children, 1980–2020. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 706(1), 16-36.
People Like Us – The CNAM Channel. (2015). Tammy’s story – People like us episode #5. YouTube.
The Economist. (2019). Why is there still poverty in America?. YouTube.