Katrina’s Aftermath May Offer Some Rays of Hope Respected Educator Ruby K. Payne Says Relocation Can Offer Evacuees a Chance to Break the Cycle of Generational Poverty

Release focuses on the cycle of generational poverty, its causes and effects, and examines what impact relocation to other cities will have on those who were living at or below the poverty line in Louisiana.

(PRWEB) October 7, 2005 -- In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many people in the United States have awakened to the issue of poverty in new ways. The storm and its aftermath exposed horrific living (and dying) conditions in the U.S., arguably the richest nation in the world.

Indeed, grinding, gut-wrenching poverty is not confined to the so-called Third World. It continues to be all too real in this country.

According to Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D and author A Framework for Understanding Poverty, for many of those affected by Katrina, poverty is not just a way of life, it’s a generational legacy. To live in generational poverty (two generations or more) means an individual must be a problem solver—a problem solver in a sensory, non-verbal, reactive environment. But to survive in school and work (middle-class environments), one must be a problem solver in a verbal, paper world that requires planning. “The two worlds are diametrically opposed,” says Payne.

Additionally, environments create mindsets or patterned ways of responding in certain situations. Virtually all environments have hidden rules—unspoken cueing mechanisms that tell you whether you do or do not belong. There are hidden rules by race, by religion, by region of the county, but we also have them by class. A telling example of this difference in mindset is no more evident than when considering the basic elements of everyday life such as food. For those who live in poverty, food marks the line between being destitute and poor, so the issue for food in poverty is quantity: Are you full? Did you have enough? But in middle class, the issue is quality: Did you like it? Was it good? In wealth, it’s presentation: Was it artistically presented? Did it have aesthetic appeal? Did it go with the theme?

So how will relocation to middle class environments impact Katrina evacuees who grew up in poverty? Payne notes that the two key factors that move one out of poverty are relationships and education. Money is important in that it can provide the necessities so that time can be devoted to learning, and money stabilizes the environment. However, if only money is provided, and nothing is expected in return (like learning or service), then transition does not occur. That is why 80 to 90 percent of individuals in America who win the lottery are in worse financial shape five years after winning than they were before winning. That is why a professional athlete will make millions of dollars, then have nothing left soon after the sports career ends.

The key reason for this according to Payne, is that the issue of class is not simply a matter of have and have nots, it’s an intrinsic difference in how money is viewed. In middle class, things are the primary possession. The rule about money in middle class is: I don’t ask you for money, and you don’t ask me; the thinking is that money is to be managed. But for those who have lived in generational poverty, you live in the tyranny of the moment, and you don’t have material security. The driving forces of your life center on three things: survival, relationships, and entertainment. People become your primary possession. And the rule about money is this: If you ask me for money, and I have some, I must share it with you. The thinking about money is that it must be spent, and often a priority is entertainment because entertainment takes away the pain, and poverty is painful.

Relocation will enable Katrina evacuees to observe and develop relationships with people different from themselves. According to Dr. James Comer, “No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.” And when you know people different from you, then you have someone who can teach you the hidden rules—if you desire to learn them. That knowledge, coupled with education, can help a person make the transition out of poverty. Says Payne, “Education will teach them how to live in the paper world, and exposure to new environments, and interaction with other classes will help to reshape their perspectives about money.

Dr. Ruby K. Payne is author of A Framework for Understanding Poverty, which has almost a million copies in print. She is president of the Texas-based aha! Process, Inc. An organization dedicated to positively impacting the education and lives of individuals in poverty around the world. To learn more about aha! Process, Inc. visit www.ahaprocess.com.

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