UNIT B: Blog 8: Working Poor Women

Blog # 8

New urban poverty created loss in jobs, the real estate market decreased, and the loss of “legitimate enterprise.” New urban poverty also created an increase in mothers in poverty and welfare, increased crime, created empty streets, created poor school and decreased their learning environments. It brought about violence, increased the number of people that self-medicated, drug abuse rose, isolation of people rose, and the along with all of these things the chance for hope for recovery became smaller and smaller. The fact that this new urban society arose caused increased concerns for mothers and their children. They were worried that their children’s lives would be affected due to the fact that parents were being incarcerated and drug use among people was increasing and they were worried that child might find it appealing. Also because of this society down fall mothers were worried that their children would become violent and get pregnant at a younger age (PowerPoint Ch.4).

An example of these fears is from Jessica, a case study in the 7 days @ minimum wage videos. She worried for her children’s safety in their neighborhood because of the violence so her children are not aloud to play outside. For mothers and children that are living in the low income neighborhoods it is worse for them than women living in mixed income neighborhoods. A case study from Chapter 4 for Traci and Tariq shows how the affects of the new urban society or the “outcast ghetto” that they live in makes her fear for her child’s future. For example Tariq’s father was incarcerated and she worried that this fact and violence that he was surrounded by would affect him. For mothers that are living with children in low income family neighborhoods their fears are much greater, but not much greater than mothers with children that are living in mixed neighborhoods. They both have to worry about financial issues, job related issues, child care issues, but for mothers with children in lower income neighborhoods they have an increased problem with violence and not letting their children being by themselves.