To facilitate people moving out of the culture of poverty, I believe we need
to pour money into schools in low-income areas. We need to equalize the
educational system and provide real opportunity to kids coming out of this
culture. The culture of poverty is also a culture of hopelessness. In the
early '80s a business woman in Oakland told a class of 1st graders from
low-income families that she would pay for their college educations if they
would do well enough to get into college. She kept in touch with over the
years, providing mentors and making sure they had tutoring when necessary.
Every one of those student went to college.

Pam




> The theory of the culture of poverty as Lewis described it has been proven
> in the field of Applied Anthropology, and his studies are pretty much
dogma.
> It's the mindset that goes with this 'culture' that I'm talking about and
it
> can be one of resignation or dependence, the end result is the same:
living
> entirely in the present, with little or no ability to conceive of the
future
> and how to plan for it.  As I said earlier, I can see why that happens.
> However just as one can move from one culture into another, you can move
out
> of the culture of poverty.  It's not easy but you can do it.
>
> Kat
> >