Rowley, J. Stephanie. Kurtz-Costes, Beth. Woods, A. Taniesha. “The Development of Stereotypes About the Rich and Poor: Age, Race, and Family Income Differences in Beliefs.” Journal of Youth and Adolescence (2005): pp. 437-445. Web. 18 March 2011.
This article describes the many stereotypes that follow low-income citizens concerning social policy, school, sports, etc. Research show that negative stereotypes have a negative impact on the group of people being stereotyped. So are low-income people lazy and apathetic or has society told them that so much that now they believe and act that way?
This article stresses how negative stereotypes have a strong affect on children and adolescents. Since low-income citizens are already viewed as ignorant and lazy then their children will most likely be seen that way also. Students and children are already taught to look down on other children of a lower class. This will eventually effect the way a child sees themselves and can cause a chain of cognitive development issues. Children as young as five years old are able to catch on to the widely held belief that upper class people are more respected and competent.
I really like what this article says because it goes along with what I’m trying to prove to other members of the community who have never experienced financial hardship, it states “Most middle and upper class individuals have never experience severe and enduring financial hardship, and therefore are unsympathetic to the plight of indigent people.” I think its important for the rest of the community to see how these stereotypes have a negative impact on out children because they grow up thinking they will amount to no more than living in poverty without the possibility of an education. In order to make this society equal and productive people of all class should help those in financial hardship because productive citizens aren’t those who have grown up thinking they won’t succeed.
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