The Underlying Wealth

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“The real wealth of a nation is its people. And the purpose of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy, and creative lives. This simple, but powerful truth is too often forgotten in the pursuit of material and financial wealth” (Nussbaum 1).

This quote in the opening lines of Martha Nussbaum’s book, “Creating Capabilities: The Human Development Approach” really stood out to me not only because of the truth and meaning behind the words, but also because it brought me back to the first day of class. It wasn’t that long ago that, as a class, we sat around and discussed our beliefs regarding meaning and whether life had a purpose. Personally, I believe we ascribe meaning to different events, people, and other things that affect our own lives. The reason I think we do this is to motivate ourselves and give ourselves a purpose. As humans, we often want to have an end goal. I truly believe everything happens for a reason just based on what has happened in my own life and consequently, though I know I may not have all the reasons figured out yet, I believe there are reasons that exist and usually that is enough for me. So, I personally tend to see wealth differently. Being an economics minor though I do understand that the typical definition of wealth is economic and has to do with an accumulation of an abundance of resources.  However, this is not how it should be. We tend to overlook that fact that Gross Domestic Product (GDP)  may increase each year, but it’s only a number. Relying on our conventional economics and development will fail because in the process any balance necessary for human well-being is lost. Development needs to embrace all aspects of human existence. Furthermore, I think we need to realize that without the people the material and financial wealth amounts to nothing. It is our natural resources and people that seem to really define a nation.

Recently, in some of my economics classes this semester we’ve discussed economic theory, which tends to involve simply an exchange of money, but there is so much more to quality of life. We have to integrate family values, morality, culture, health, the environment, education, and so many other aspects that are extremely important.  There are so many human values that GDP is unable to express. Some of these include health, a clean environment (clean water and clean air for example), love, hope, and even family. Economics suggest that people are better off when the market forces create an efficient economy. What I’ve found this correlates with John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarian idea of the greatest good for the greatest number. Economically, this means the greatest number of people consumes the greatest quantity of goods. However, Nussbaum does a very good job in bringing to light particular examples in this book, which I particularly enjoyed because it narrowed the big picture. Having a face and anecdote made it simpler to put the issue into perspective. So, Nussbaum uses an example of a woman, Vasanti, to drive home the point that an increase in GDP per capita does not reach her life or solve her problems. That is not to say that increasing wealth is a bad thing though. That is not the meaning to take away from the reading. Rather, what I derived was that increased wealth is in fact good as it may allow government to fund and adopt policies that could make a difference in the lives of poorer, oppressed, or struggling people, such as Vasanti. That, however, is not usually the case, because distribution of that GDP is not taken into consideration. Subsequently, what does that leave us with? It’s easy to come to the conclusion, from other readings and experience volunteering with the I Have a Dream Foundation , that despite increases in GDP, there is a significant percentage of people deprived of opportunities, especially when it comes to basic education.

Now looking at education from the perspective that we are lacking in the sense that we have focused for too long on an approach that defines wealth in terms of the amount of money people have, when we need to be focusing on individual achievement in terms of the opportunities that present themselves to people.

Nussbaum’s outline of the Capabilities Approach (also known as the Human Development Approach) was very interesting and I think that its key points are important. There needs to be emphasis on the fact that the key factors affecting quality of life are plural and distinct, meaning we cannot reduce them to one single metric without distortion in some sense. This “approach takes each person as an end, asking not just about what the total or average well-being but about the opportunities available to each person. It is focused on choice or freedom. It thus commits itself to respect for people’s powers of self-definition” (Nussbaum 18). This should be a focus in many of the schools. After only volunteering a total of two times thus far with the I Have a Dream kids, I am seeing a general interest in learning. Many of the kids I have read with are excited to read and talk about their favorite authors, books, and express eagerness to accomplish a lot in their lives. They want to be successful and thanks to programs like I Have a Dream, they have that opportunity. However, it does not seem like they have that same support in school. When talking about classes, many of the children I have talked to seem to dislike their teachers. When I say this I am not saying that the teachers are bad. I remember when I was younger I was not always the biggest fan of all my teachers. Though, my point is that they do not seem to have a lot of incentive coming from the classroom inspiring them to do their work. It seems to be the I Have a Dream Foundations incentives, such as the dot system with rewards (sleepovers, treats, etc…) and punishments (sentences, less play time, etc…) motivates many of the kids. There have been a few instances where the kids I am tutoring do not have the opportunity to get through all their work before they leave and the disappointment in their faces is obvious. The kids show the same enthusiasm as we saw last week in the Waiting for Superman film. It is our education system that is failing these motivated kids. In working with these children I am seeing how their development and achievements are going to benefit them to a greater extent than GDP or financial wealth.

Superman doesn't exist...

                As far into my college career as I am, I would have thought that I would have learned much more about our education system and its underlying dysfunction. Nevertheless, until now, I have not gotten the opportunity to delve into this subject to such an extent. I have not yet had the chance to start working with the students at the I Have a Dream Foundation, so I have not yet had the opportunity to relate my class experiences thus far with the children at the school. What I can say though is that even previous work I did with the children at the Builders Club in Polk County revealed problems in our current education system. My experience working there was incredibly educational. It made me recognize my initial arrogance that I was part of a more privileged class and consequently was truly a humbling experience.

                 Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim opens his film Waiting for Superman with a few lines that are enough to remind us each of our own childhood. “Every morning it's the same. Juice. Shoes. Backpack. The morning ritual, and with it comes the uneasy feeling no matter who we are, or what neighborhood we live in. Each morning wanting to believe in our schools, we take a leap of faith.” The routine is broken down to the basics and one that many of us can in fact relate to. In this powerful film, Guggenheim interviews several students and their families to give faces to the issues at hand. It makes it more personal, which I appreciate.

Too often, society avoids education related problems. We simply throw up our hands, overwhelmed and unwilling to take action. People tend to see the system as impossible to fix. I think part of the issue is us as individuals. Problems are avoided. Everyone assumes it’s up to someone else to come up with a solution or that their individual action will not be enough to make a significant difference. However, I don’t agree with this at all. Helping others seems to be an innate characteristic in most humans. Morals and ethics shape people’s actions and people want there to be equality in educational opportunities. However, they don’t always follow up.

Geoffrey Canada’s recollection of his childhood in the film was poignant as he explained that one of the saddest days of his life was when his own mother told him superman did not exist. He thought that even in the depths of the ghetto superman was going to come and save them. His mom thought he was crying at the shock of the truth as a child would when they first found out Santa didn’t exist. Rather, it was more than simply a feeling of disappointment. He felt crushed and cried because there was no one coming with enough power to save them. From the perspective of many of the disadvantaged children, the world seems like a cold, heartless place. They feel as though they have been given the short end of the stick, yet they do not understand why. Honestly, why should they? At their ages, it is surprising to me that they have experienced such extremes of the harsh reality we have come to accept as life. For example, one young boy, Anthony, had his own father die from a drug overdose and never got the chance to know his own mother. He, along with the other children, comes from a family that lacks educational accomplishment. All the parents in Waiting for Superman want the best for their children and are willing to undergo sacrifices in their own life in order to help their children do better for themselves. Though, many of them are struggling to keep their jobs and do not have a strong educational background. For example, in the film, the parents of one of the children, Daisy, both admitted to having to drop out of school for money issues along with having to help their parents by joining the work force. Many schools have become drop out factories and the parents and grandparents of these children that the film followed are scared that they will be influenced to become involved in things they should not.

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                Many people simply choose to “wait for superman” because the education system is so complicated. Parents feel stuck and despite the consensus that it is unfair, they seemed to agree that it is a consequence of their social status and where they live. As the video explained, there are both federal and state funding and laws regarding education. The mess of conflicting standards and mixed agendas leaves us with a tangled mess where many of the steps taken to improve schools have consequently impeded beneficial progress. Guggenheim suggests that the biggest obstacle to real reform is that according to the contract, because of unions, they can’t pay teachers based on their performance. I agree that this needs to be changed. I understand tenure was put in place to protect teachers, but it seems to be reducing their motivation to teach. Without good teachers, the school as a whole will suffer. Children tend to view education as a way to escape their circumstances, so isn’t keeping poorly performing teachers around failing the children? Personally, I feel like though our intentions are good and we want the children to do well, our regulations and tracking of the children don’t really enforce that train of thought. It’s simple. We aren’t doing enough.

                Where I think programs such as the I Have a Dream Foundation succeed is in their presentation of learning. They find different ways to make learning fun. Also, they make it interesting and relate it to other areas of the child’s life, so that learning does not only take place within the classroom.

                This summer, I traveled abroad and in Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, and Panama I was lucky enough to assist in some of their educational programs. Once I arrived, I was surprised and impressed by their integrated learning system. That is not to say that all the schools there are designed in exactly that fashion. However, it did impress me that in some of these less developed countries there was so much learning both in and outside of the classroom. I think this experience is why I found Bill Gate’s comments particularly interesting in the film. In a nutshell, his point was that “we cannot sustain an economy based on innovation unless we have citizens well educated in math, science, and engineering, and if we fail at this we will not be able to compete in the global economy.” 

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                This picture resonated with me and I couldn’t help but add it to my blog. Guggenheim pointed out that based on statistics, the U.S. has fallen behind many of the developed countries. Yet, there is one category where many U.S. students fall into the number one position and that is their ego and confidence. Despite having some of the poorest scores on their standardized testing, when asked how their performance was they respond with unmatched positivity and confidence that they did exceptionally well. So, what does this say? Personally, I believe that it just proves even further that education in the U.S. needs much more attention and support. Despite the complexity of some of the larger issues regarding system redesign, progress can be made in other ways, as is seen through organizations such as the I Have a Dream Foundation and Builders Club.

Simply stated, I believe we have to stop waiting for that heroic figure (Superman) to arrive, and local communities have to become active. As the old saying goes, as long as there is will, there is a way.

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Educational Injustice

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Today is a day we choose to remember Martin Luther King Jr. and his teachings, so I chose this quote not only because of its significance to today, but also because of its relevance to our class. I hope that throughout this volunteering experience I can continue Martin Luther King Jr.’s teachings and be a positive influence for the kids at the I Have A Dream Foundation, helping them to reach beyond the confines of society’s structural setbacks. In several of the books we’ve read thus far, along with previous experience, it’s become apparent that “social class differences in children’s life experiences can be seen in the details of life” (Lareau 35).  In Lareau’s “Unequal Childhoods” the parents treat their children different based on their economic constraints. The variance in perception of the government and educational institutions is significant among the social classes.

Part of the reason this class had such a great appeal to me connects back to previous work I have done. Our education system is broken and in the past I have worked with troubled children in a local school program called Builders Club. It drew my attention to the fact that these children didn’t have the same resources I had in terms of schooling at that age. Builders Club started each day as summer school, then by mid-day we did arts, crafts, and numerous physical activities / games with the children. Some of the children came from wealthier parents, while others came from poorer backgrounds. Some children were abused, starved, and were facing other hardships in their lives. The children truly taught me a lot and really took to me as a positive role model. For me, it wasn’t simply about teaching them, but also learning more about myself.  In the mornings, I helped teach. During this time, I found that many of the children acted out and when they were told to do something they would intentionally ignore the teacher or do the opposite, as a statement. I was assigned to a group of approximately eighteen first graders. They were all from poorer backgrounds and objected to the organization and structure within the school setting. These children were accustomed to little supervision and as Lareau points out in “Unequal Childhoods”, “for working-class and poor families, the cultural logic of child rearing at home is out of synch with the standards of institutions” (3). Many of these children “appear to gain an emerging sense of distance, distrust, and constraint in their institutional experiences” (Lareau 3). Since I did not simply act as a teacher, the children grew to trust me and talk about their issues at home. I became accustomed to hearing their comments that they didn’t have to go to school since their parents did not go, or even that they didn’t have to listen to the teacher. They didn’t believe the teachers were there to help them. Rather, they saw school as a place that they got in trouble. If they asked questions about assignments they felt as though they would be punished and told they hadn’t been listening. School was a struggle for many of the children. They opened my eyes to the differences in backgrounds and availability of resources based on socioeconomic status. However, hearing their daily comments inspired me to be a role model and prove to them how important education is, as well as listen to them (something many people don’t seem to do in our educational system today). During the afternoon camp was when I truly bonded with the children. It was the time I spent getting to know them as individuals, playing games with them, and helping them with their homework. By the end of the camp, I learned a lot not only about myself, but about them and their daily struggles.

I truly love organizations and programs such as Builders Club and the I Have A Dream Foundation that are trying to help give children the educational opportunities they have been lacking. However, Builders Club has since been discontinued in my county at home because so many people in the community saw it as a waste of local funding and didn’t recognize the importance of the program. This mindset is too common and it was difficult to witness firsthand. It makes me appreciate programs such as the I Have A Dream Foundation and I am excited to be involved.

As Kozol states in his “Shame of a Nation”, “a segregated education in America is unacceptable” (316); I agree with this statement wholeheartedly. This volunteering experience will help me to show these kids that they can succeed in school and achieve great things despite not having all the same resources I had throughout my education. When Jazz and Danielle came in on our first day of class, I was simply excited to work with children, but once they discussed our jobs and what their goals are with the program in depth, I realized how much this struck home with me simply because of the amazing, life changing experience I’d had working with kids previously.

Kozol’s goal is to bring to light the fact that there is such a disparity in the expenditures for education. Despite the close distance between many of the schools, there is too much of a difference with counties spending close to double what others have and this can affect preschool opportunities and even affect statewide testing grades that begin in grade school. In New York City, in 2002, “only between a quarter and a third of children in the district had received even a single year of preschool” (Kozol 51). There is a direct correlation between property taxes and the spending on resources in the education system. The property taxes are what determines funding for the local schools, when it is a neighborhood system. So, when the property taxes are higher, the school is better funded and therefore able to pay for better extracurricular programs, teachers, and other resources that would further improve the education of children. Furthermore, when property taxes are lower, this typically means the population is of a lower socioeconomic status, and thus those in poorer schools are not performing as well. Basically, Kozol’s point is that we need to find a way to even out property taxes because the way the system is set up now sets schools up for failure. It’s been a continuous cycle of failure because of the lack of adequate local funding.

From reading the books we’ve read thus far, along with both my previous experience, I can’t help but be excited to be involved in the I Have A Dream Foundation of Asheville.