Reflection for Issues of Culture and Diversity 

Katie Lamparella

1. What did you know about the number of social classes in the US before this module? 

 Before engaging in this module, I only knew about the lower middle and upper

class. I knew that there were different subcategories within these groups but did

not know much more than that. I also did not realize the true effects of the

different social classes and the stigmas and biases that can come with them. 

2. What numbers, facts or stories depicted in the documentary on poverty called your

attention the most? 

 I think that one of the numbers depicted in the documentary that surprised me the

most was the one that in 2008 there was less than 4% unemployment yet there are

still people who even with employment can’t afford the basic needs of shelter and

food. Another fact that was in the documentary that surprised me was the lady

that would Dontae plasma twice a week just to have a bit of money. 

3. What of your personal biases about people living in poverty did the documentary put into

question for you? What other biases were rather confirmed in the documentary? 

 One personal bias that I think I had before watched this documentary was that if

people have a job, then they would also have housing, it might not be the nicest,

but it would be available within their budget of what they could afford. This

documentary showed me that even if someone has a job in most cities that job

will not make them enough money to have the necessities.  I think that I had this
 bias partially because I grew up in a very small town, so housing was not very

expensive where I'm from and I hadn't really thought about the bigger cities and

the cost of living. 

4. What can you say about the people depicted in this documentary and potential solutions

to their struggles?

 One thing that I think can be said about the people depicted in this documentary is

that their everyday people that do have jobs that would make them the income

needed to have a place to live and have the necessities that they need for life if the

area that they were in made that possible. In a lot of the areas that these people

were in that just wasn't a reality that they could attain. I think some solutions to

some of their struggles could be that we as a country need to lower the cost of

living in some places where it's so inflated to make it more attainable for people

so that everyone has the basic right to shelter and food and the things that they

need so we aren't seeing homelessness and poverty in such high numbers even if

it's not depicted in the overall population of an area. 

5. Select one of the documents related to the teachings of the catholic church on poverty and

expand a little bit about what such document is about? 

 I think one of the documents that really stood out to me was the document A

Place at the Table: A Catholic Recommitment to Overcome Poverty and to

Respect the Dignity of All God’s Children  U.S. Catholic Bishops, 2002.  In this

document it suggests that “The Catholic way is to recognize the essential role and

the complimentary responsibilities of families, communities, the market, and

government to work together to overcome poverty and advance human dignity.”

(p. 18) I think that this quote especially shows that we as Catholic future social

workers and future educators really need to look at the entire person and what we

in our future professions can do for the entire person not just a specific situation

that they're in but to really help make a change in their life that they can continue

to carry on. For me especially as a future educator this document really reminded

me of the importance of teaching about the dignity that each human has and about

the basic rights that one should have access to.  I think we can really help to make

that change in our communities no matter if it's a bigger small change. Another

quote that is made in this document is that “Work must be an escape from poverty

not another version of it” (p. 17) So the work that we do needs to be enriching us

in some way and not keeping us where we're stuck in a specific social class.  I

think that overall, the United States as a whole need to look at the wages that

we're paying people and the affordability of the basic needs that everyone has. We

as a Catholic community also need to look at this and help voice our opinions on

making that change.