A Framework for Understanding Poverty

by Ruby K. Payne

This book breaks down and explains some of the characteristics and behaviours of individuals living in poverty especially generational poverty.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Teaching, Poverty, Sociology, Psychology, Economics

199 pages, Paperback

First published August 24, 2001

About the author

Ruby K. Payne is an American educator and author best known for her book A Framework for Understanding Poverty and her work on the culture of poverty and its relation to education. Payne received an undergraduate degree from Goshen College in 1972. She holds a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies from Loyola University in Illinois, and is the founder of aha! Process, Inc., a company that informs schools, companies and other organizations about poverty.

Reviews

[Malbadeen · Rating 1 out of 5]

updated review: WAIT!!!!! STOP!!!!!! IF YOU PURCHASED OR ARE CONSIDERING PURCHASING THIS BOOK YOU NEEDN'T DO IT. SAVE YOURSELF SOME TIME AND GOOGLE "MISEDUCATING TEACHERS ABOUT THE POOR: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF RUBY PAYNE'S CLAIMS ABOUT POVERTY"

do you believe that ascribing to a middle class aesthetic is the pinnacle of existence? Do you believe that education is the best, most acceptable, most desired way to gain prominence in our society? Do you believe we should continue down this path?
then hurray - here is a book for you!!!
if you think people lacking financial resources automatically lack social awareness, couth, or skills that are worth noting
then hurray - you will love this book!!!!
if you feel good when you understand a group of people based on a checklist of criteria and if you believe you can understand a person based on their place in this group
then hurray - i have a "must read" for you!!!

[Don · Rating 1 out of 5]

Payne's book is a perfect example of what is wrong with the conservative approach to education. In this book, sold to districts all over the country, Payne peddles soft racism and discredited social theory, based on her anecdotal observations, rather than real research.

It’s a pretty appealing formula: rather than address the root causes of poverty in this country or community, demonize the poor through condescension and disapproval rather than outright hostility. I had the misfortune of going to a professional development opportunity presented by one of Payne's lackeys. She chose exactly this approach, regaling our teachers with increasingly improbable stories about the sexual and economic (often linked) immorality of the poor, ostensibly to illustrate the need for more structured lesson plans to suit the poor. The poor, in Payne’s work, are “spiritually deficient,” and in desperate need of the values of the middle class.

This argument is troubling on a number of levels, but most importantly, for how it essentializes the experience of poverty. For those who would fix education by fixing the value structure of the poor, poverty is not only inevitably marked by experience with substance abuse, laziness, crime, and sexual abuse; they are inherent characteristics. Valorizing the middle class as emblematic of virtue, these critics ignore a country that has a class independent problem with morality. To argue, in the country with the greatest wealth and greatest debt per person in the world, that the poor lack the structure to save money is an unbelievably simplistic and empirically incorrect argument.

[Riku Sayuj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Building High-Achieving Schools

The book is primarily directed at building a model for combating poverty by tackling them at the earliest level of perpetuation - in schools.

Schools, Payne advocates, should be our first line of defense against encroaching poverty and also our most effective weapon to beat it back. Unlike most economic tools, schools can be fine-tuned and  deployed according to strict frameworks.

The thrust is thus primarily on how to deal with poverty in schools and how to equip the students with tools and education to fight their way out of it.

For this teachers have to understand what poverty is and the disadvantages that characterize poverty — these are usually classed as inherent problems of the students, instead they have to be reframed as disadvantages that are the duty of the teachers to correct in any decent school environment.

The ‘Framework’ in the title is then a Framework for the Teachers.

A Framework For Teachers

Payne uses what he calls an ‘Additive Model’, implicit throughout this book, as a vital tool for better understanding and addressing poverty, as well as the underlying factors that perpetuate it.

Some of the most important aspect of the Model are:

1. Identifies the mindsets and patterns that individuals use to survive different economic environments-and provides a vocabulary to talk about it.

2. Identifies strengths and resources already found in the individual, family, school, and community-and adds new information and a new perspective for creating and growing resources.

3. Offers economic diversity as a prism through which individuals and schools can analyze and respond to their issues.

4. Identifies skills, theories of change, program designs, partnerships, and ways of building schools where students achieve.

5. Encourages the development of strategies to respond to all causes of poverty.

Poverty & Its Baggages

An individual brings with him/her the hidden rules of the class in which he/she was raised. Even though the income of the individual may rise significantly, many of the patterns of thought, social interaction, cognitive strategies, etc., remain with the individual.

Schools and businesses operate from middle-class norms and use the hidden rules of middle class. These norms and hidden rules are not directly taught in schools or in businesses.

For our students to be successful, we must understand their hidden rules and teach them the rules that will make them successful at school and at work. We can neither excuse students nor scold them for not knowing; as educators we must teach them and provide support, insistence, and expectations.

Out of Poverty: A Resource-Kit

To move from poverty to middle class or middle class to wealth, an individual must give up relationships for achievement (at least for some period of time). Two things that help one move out of poverty are:

a. Education and

b. Relationships.


Leaving poverty could indeed be a conscious exercise. Four reasons one chooses to leave poverty are:

1. It’s too painful to stay,

2. A vision or goal,

3. A key relationship, or

4. A special talent or skill.


Typically, poverty is thought of in terms of financial resources only. However, the reality is that financial resources, while extremely important, do not explain the differences in the success with which individuals leave poverty nor the reasons that many stay in poverty. The ability to leave poverty is more dependent upon other resources than it is upon financial resources. Each of these resources plays a vital role in the success of an individual:

1. FINANCIAL: Having the money to purchase goods and services.

2. EMOTIONAL: Being able to choose and control emotional responses, particularly to negative situations, without engaging in self-destructive behavior. This is an internal resource and shows itself through stamina, perseverance, and choices.

3. MENTAL: Having the mental abilities and acquired skills (reading, writing, computing) to deal with daily life.

4. SPIRITUAL: Believing in divine purpose and guidance.

5. PHYSICAL: Having physical health and mobility.

6. SUPPORT SYSTEMS: Having friends, family, and backup resources available to access in times of need. These are external resources.

7. RELATIONSHIPS/ROLE MODELS: Having frequent access to adult(s) who are appropriate, who are nurturing to the child, and who do not engage in self-destructive behavior.

8. KNOWLEDGE OF HIDDEN RULES: Knowing the unspoken cues and habits of a group.

The education system should be able to equip the students with these vital resources.

Knowledge Of Hidden Rules

This aspect might sound a bit esoteric and bears illumination with a couple of examples:

1. The importance of Socially Accepted Language:

All the state testsSAT, ACT, etc. are require an understanding of formal language (called ‘the formal register’). It is further complicated by the fact that to get a well-paying job, it is expected that one will be able to use formal register. Ability to use formal register is a hidden rule of the middle class. The inability to use it will knock one out of an interview in two or three minutes. The use of formal register, on the other hand, allows one to score well on tests and do well in school and higher education.

This use of formal register is further complicated by the fact that these students do not have the vocabulary or the knowledge of sentence structure and syntax to use formal register. When student conversations in the casual register are observed, much of the meaning comes not from the word choices, but from the non-verbal assists. To be asked to communicate in writing without the non-verbal assists is an overwhelming and formidable task, which most of them try to avoid. It has very little meaning for them.

Another aspect:

Another version of this is noticeable in educated people from the lower segments of society: They often they turn out too formal in their language. And thus cant function so well in intimate/casual social settings, which are also essential for career progression.

In a school setting this means that:

• Formal register needs to be directly taught.

• Casual register needs to be recognized as the primary discourse for many students.

• Students need to be told how much the formal register affects their ability to get a well-paying job.

• Students need to be told the importance of being adaptive in their registers.

2. The importance of learning to Manage Money:

One of the biggest difficulties in getting out of poverty is managing money and just the general information base around money. How can you manage something you've never had? Money is seen in poverty as an expression of personality and is used for entertainment and relationships. The notion of using money for security is truly grounded in the middle and wealthy classes.

The above are only a couple of simple examples, the reality is much more complex and requires much greater effort from the educational system.

Being in poverty is rarely about a lack of intelligence or ability. Many individuals stay in poverty because they don't know there is a choice-and if they do know that, have no one to teach them hidden rules or provide resources. Schools are virtually the only places where students can learn the choices and rules of the middle class.

Teachers must recognize a larger role: as Motivators + Educators + Enablers, so must the school system and the governments.

It is time we mobilized this important weapon in the fight against poverty.

[Kristine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was required reading last year at one of my buildings. I would retitle it "Reinforcing Poverty, making stereotypes stick." I found it to be extremely troubling.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of generalizations, yes. Entirely wrong- no. The role of language and story; Hidden rules among classes & Characteristics of Generational Poverty are some of the better chapters. There ARE rules of behavior and language in the middle class (and other classes) and trying to function in a middle class atmosphere requires knowledge of these rules. This is not a judgment statement, just statement of fact; just as knowledge of French would be a requirement for success in France. The difference is that knowledge of middle class rules is generally valued whereas the knowledge of those in poverty is dismissed and devalued.

I would say that a serious student of class and issues related to poverty in the U.S. would want to include this book in their reading, but would not want to rely on it for the reasons that other reviewers have stated. It is predominantly anecdotal and short on hard data. Nonetheless, it is a decent starting point for new teachers or social workers who may not have much exposure to the realities of low-income, urban areas and their students' lives at home.

[Bridget · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book came highly recommended from various TFA types. It is horrible. it is full of subtly veiled stereotypes and essentialization, couched in psuedo-pyschology from someone who claims to understand the lives of people living in poverty because she married someone who grew up in poverty. I think this book could actually be really dangerous for the mindsets it reinforces while presenting itself as a compassionate, indispensible guide to working with certain populations.

[Donnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is some useful stuff in here, but there are some huge problematic things going on in this book. Primarily it's very classist.

I also think its a dangerous book in the sense that if one allows oneself to read this book without a questioning mind, one may get sucked into the simple explanations the author offers. It's quite payneful how she explains poverty.

[Dayspring · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. After hearing reference to this book so many times within the realm of education, I finally sat down to read it myself. Let me save you some time - don't bother reading this book! It's misguided and is based on Payne's personal perspectives, not on research. I now understand why I've heard such strong critiques of Payne; ultimately I think not only that is the book ill-informed, but also that Payne's "case studies" and conclusions are more harmful then helpful. It perpetuates stereotypes and assumptions. I definitely would NOT recommend this book.

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I would like to run this book through a Social-Science version of Mythbusters.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got Ms. Payne's book based on some interesting excerpts that someone posted online. The excerpts had to do with the different types of speech and how they influence learning and even ways of thinking. The poster quoted some sections from the book which assert that the differences in speech between the general classes of poverty, middle class and wealth have much more impact on the brain than most people realize. This intrigued me. The book is targeted at school administrators and employers, but I think a lot of people could benefit from reading it.

Framework, starts out by re-defining poverty as more than just an economic issue. Payne, outlines the various resources that aren't typically taken into account when talking about poverty: emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, support systems, relationships and role models, knowledge of hidden class rules. The lack of financial resources is quite obvious in any discussion of poverty. The emotional is less so: "Being able to choose and control emotional responses, particularly to negative situations, without engaging in self-destructive behavior". Mental resources are also typically left out: "Having the mental abilities and acquired skills (reading, writing, computing) to deal with daily life". Support systems are never thought of: "Having friends, family, and backup resources available to access in times of need. These are external resources". Relationships and role models: "Having frequent access to adult(s) who are appropriate, who are nurturing to a child, and do not engage in self-destructive behavior". Knowledge of the hidden class rules: "Knowing the unspoken cues and habits of a group". In fact, I would say that a lot of people in any class make assumptions (many times they are incorrect) which prevent them from understanding people in the other classes and lead to false judgments levied against those in the other classes. But more on that later.

She also spend a little time making a distinction between situational poverty, where one falls on hard times and drops from wealth to middle class or middle class to poverty and generational poverty. Generational poverty being the situation where a family is in poverty for two or more generations. If you come out of poverty into middle class, you are still, for the purposes of the book, someone who came from poverty. Your children will still have some of the echoes of the effects of poverty. It is not until their children that the traits disappear. This fact is largely unknown even to those who carry the traits of generational poverty with them.

After Payne defines poverty by way of resources, she moves onto language and story structure and how those things influence thought and actions. The first topic in chapter two is the "Registers of Language". There are five registers in every language: Frozen, Formal, Consultative, Casual and Intimate. Each is defined as follows:

Frozen - Language that is always the same. Examples are, the Lord's Prayer, wedding vows, etc...

Formal - The standard sentence syntax and word choice of work and school. has complete sentences and specific word choice.

Consultative - Formal register when used in conversation. Discourse pattern not quite as direct as formal register.

Casual - Language between friends and is characterized by a 400 to 800 word vocabulary. Word choice is general and not specific. Conversation is dependent upon non-verbal assists (moving hands, facial expressions, gestures). Sentence syntax is often incomplete. "Know what I mean"?

Intimate - Language between lovers. Also the language used in sexual harassment. (ie. "Blow me")

These registers were the result of work done in 1967 by linguist Martin Joos. One thing that he discovered while conceptualizing these registers of language was that you can drop one register in a conversation and still be socially acceptable. But to drop two or more is socially offensive. (In the middle of a prayer, someone in the room says, "How 'bout them Bulls". That would be a social gaffe.) This, clearly illustrates one of the barriers that most people are unaware of when dealing with people from different classes.

Much of this linguistic work found that people coming from generational poverty exclusively use casual register in their language. The middle class and the wealthy tend to use formal register for the most part. At the most basic and obvious level, this creates a barrier to entry into the professional world. But, it has deeper effects than most realize. Growing up around casual register has impacts on the developing skills of a child. Long-term effects that are quite damaging. In formal register, the pattern of discourse is a narrative with a beginning and end. You start at point A and work your way to point B. The general goal of formal register's pattern of discourse is to get straight to the point. Payne says, "In casual register, the pattern is to go around and around and finally get to the point. For students who have no access to formal register, educators become frustrated with the tendency of these students to meander almost endlessly through a topic".

These differences in language registers between the classes are affected by language acquisition in early development as pointed out by linguist and educator James Paul Gee: "Primary discourse is the language an individual first acquired. Secondary discourse is the language of the larger society". For example, an American who grows up in a home where Spanish is the primary language will need to learn English as a secondary discourse. What Gee discovered is that acquisition of language is the more natural and best method of learning a language, and acquisition is only possible when there is a significant relationship between the role model and the developing child. Getting back to formal and casual register, this means that someone growing up in generational poverty will very likely only learn casual register for primary discourse. This is quite detrimental to any further learning developments.

As mentioned before there is a distinct difference in the pattern of discourse between formal and casual register. Payne provides some diagrams and explanations to try and illustrate the differences. In general, formal register story structure in formal discourse starts at the beginning, works through a plot and then reaches an end. The most important part of this order is the plot. In casual register story structure, "the story is told in vignettes with audience participation in between". The most emotional or climactic part of the story is usually the very first part of the discourse, and characters involved in the story are judged. Two examples:

Formal register:

"James insulted Bill, so Bill punched James in the nose. A fight broke out on the factory floor until security came to break things up".

Casual register:

"Man, Bill popped Jim on the nose and there was blood everywhere! But he wasn't going to take what Jim called him. Jim's such a goddamn troublemaker! (someone interjects, "Bill's a loudmouth! Jim was right to give him some get back") Yeah, whatever. So before I knew what was going on, everyone started taking a swing at Bill or Jim. This wouldn't have happened if Jim would've kept to his self instead of sticking his nose in where it don't belong. It's sad that the guards came in and stopped the fight. I wanted to see Jim get flattened. That no good sonuvabitch deserves a good beating".

These differences in register, discourse and story order are largely responsible for establishing some rather important skills in a developing child's mind. Regarding casual register as the primary acquired model of language, the following can be said based on the work of psychologist Reuven Feurstein: "If an individual depends upon a random, episodic story structure for memory patterns, lives in an unpredictable environment (as is typical of generational poverty)... then...

If an individual cannot plan, he/she cannot predict.
If an individual cannot predict, he/she cannot identify cause and effect.
if an individual cannot identify cause and effect, he/she cannot identify consequence.
If an individual cannot identify consequence, he/she cannot control impulsivity.
If an individual cannot control impulsivity, he/she has an inclination toward criminal behavior".

This is just a little sample of what Payne discusses in the book and there are a many more interesting examples and ideas that bear out in my personal experience. In fact, reading the book clarified for me a lot of the reasons why I have such difficulty dealing with people from a solidly middle class background and perceive many of them to be arrogant and insensitive. The book provides good arguments to counter the assumptions that anyone can do or be anything they want if they try hard enough. There are definitely things you can't do when you don't have the full set of tools in your toolbox. A lot of middle class people make the assumption that there is a full tool kit for everyone. Make no mistake, I'm not insulting the poverty class and there are always exceptions to the rule. Some people can bring themselves out of generational poverty into middle class. It's rare, but it's possible.

My only criticism is that the book might be about ten to fifteen years too late. I'm noticing a lot of bleed over of the hidden class rules from poverty into middle class. For example, the poverty class male needs to be a "lover and a fighter". The middle class male must be a provider and self-sufficient. But these days, the "fighter" part of the poverty class male is becoming more of a societal requirement in middle class. (If only there was more review space)

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Payne offers outstanding discourse on variations in socioeconomic outlooks and perspectives. I used this quite a bit when dealing with offenders in my work as a probation-parole officer.

Payne has an uncanny ability to vet out subtle cultural nuances and how they relate to one's world-view. I highly recommend this book as a quick study for understanding the things people do - things which might otherwise leave you bewildered.

Now, I understand that there are some folks who dismiss this book as soft on research and even damning of poor people I don't see it that way and I think such detractors are really missing the Dr. Payne's point.

There is a reason for everything people do. From a sociological perspective, outward appearances don't fully explain why people behave as they do if we fail to take social context into account. Dr. Payne does an exemplary job of providing insights to meet people on a plane where they define the terms of their existence rather than attempting to make them 'fit' neatly into 'ours'.

That is where people are missing the mark; they are invoking their particular world view to make sense out of worlds that have nothing in common with their own. Yet others are put off owing to feelings of being marginalized by what they consider being labeled since they are a member of the group being described. My response is that we have to start somewhere and it is easy to criticize any body of work when we act to dismiss whatever tends to make us feel uncomfortable. My suggestion is to lay our prejudices (both for or against) the topic of study and try to see if any of it makes sense when personal bias is filtered out of the scheme.

The book is slightly academic in nature - Dr. Payne is an educator after all - but, by no means is this book a difficult read. It is quite short and could easily be completely read in one sitting. It is the kind of book that makes you think so, you will most likely be re-reading and using it as a reference book.

What you will find most intriguing about the book is its ability to accurately depict the intricacies of social systems - both within their own context - and, moreover what happens when socioeconomic worlds collide.

[Mason Wiebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

During Grad school, I skimmed this book and remembered that it had a lot of good info about the cultural differences between classes (poverty, middle-class, wealthy), so when I saw that a friend was reading it down here, I decided to give it a second look. It is written with educators in mind, so it was only slightly applicable to what I am doing at this point in my life, and it is written about poverty in the US. What I found very interesting is that so many of the things we see here that we think are just a part of the Nicaraguan culture are actually part of the poverty culture. A lot of what was discussed in the book really made me look at a few things differently down here. I would have liked her to elaborate a bit more on the reasons behind the behaviors that she says are related to poverty. Instead she included a lengthy reference section and appendix (almost half of the book!).
I think that all teachers and anyone who works with people living in poverty should read this book. It offers practical solutions to many problems commonly encountered when, for example, a middle-class teacher continually has behavior problems with her/his students who live in poverty. I like that it doesn’t advocate teaching children from poverty that their way of life is bad or wrong, just that if they hope to survive in the middle-class world, they need to learn about the rules of that culture.

[Glenda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'd forgotten being forced to read "A Framework for Understanding Poverty" for a PD in my school a few years ago. It's still used in my district as a basis for a class by the same name.
The tone is condescending rather than authoritative. Having been a very poor kid growing up, I resent academics who blame w/out also assigning some personal accountability for individuals' circumstances, which, as I recall, is the case here.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good understanding of different value systems and having a broader view. I caution readers to not take it too literally as it is still important to individualize people and not think they fall into on group or another simply because of their income. DON'T OVERGENERALIZE :-)

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been through this Ruby Payne training twice and each time I am amazed at how helpful it is. I have learned so much about the struggles of each class. It was very practial to use with students or the public in general.

[Sorento62 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was eye opening in helping me understand the influence of class on world view and values. For example, entertainment being valued in poverty and exclusivity being valued in wealth.
I am a little bewildered by some of the negative reviews on this book. Ok, the author generalizes -- so there are some stereotypical situations at play. But generalizing and categorizing are how we make sense of things and gain the tools to influence them.
OF COURSE, the generalities and stereotypes do not explain everything and everyone. But they do help open ones eyes to such things as that middle class values are not universal or even objectively "right".
I think the author is not judgmental at all. I found her a champion of coming to understand the validity of the values and skills each of us learns in the context of our family.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author does follow through on her promise to help you understand poverty better. She provides a lot of insights into how people in poverty make decisions that were quite eye opening to me. They helped make sense of a lot of behavior that I had currently found inexplicable. However, when it comes to "what to do about it," how do you help a child learn the behaviors that will take her out of poverty, the book was lacking. The chapters on application were nothing more than over-generalized, high-level lists of strategies, without out any explanatory details. There wasn't enough information there for me to understand the techniques she was talking about, let alone apply them. That was frustrating, since once I understood a little bit more about poverty, I wanted to be able to help.

[Jamila · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sure I will get some heat for this but . . . This book is part a book study, so I was required to read it. The book was very disturbing. The author goes on endlessly about low-income students and described "low-income" value sets and how these translate to poor academic performance. Her goal is to have students learn middle-class values and communication styles to enable them to achieve a middle class lifestyle. This book is all about getting students to conform to a middle-class European-American standard. It is insulting and could be dangerous in the hands of someone with little life experience or perspective. A more accurate title would be "Outdated Stereotypes for Oversimplifying Poverty."

[Tagcaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you teach in a Title I (high poverty) school you should read this book every couple of years. It really helps you understand your students and why they do what they do. Often their behavior is frustrating to teachers. When you get to the point that you can no longer deal with it, read this book.

[Kev Willoughby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and practical. A statement near the end of the book from author Dr. Ruby Payne summarizes the entire book succinctly: "Education level and income level are closely related, but being under-educated should not be equated with lack of intelligence."

Dr. Payne further supports this point, affirming that "the role of the educator or social worker or employer is not to save the individual (living in poverty), but rather to offer a support system, role models, and opportunities to learn, which will increase the likelihood of the person's success. Ultimately, the choice always belongs to the individual."

And therein lies the role of the educator: to present those choices to the student and to make the student aware of the life-changing opportunities available to them during their formative years in the school setting.

One of my greatest takeaways from the book was the revelation of the "hidden rules" of middle class. Because most school settings (even those in high poverty areas) are structured around middle class methods of communication and expectations of behavior, children coming from poorer homes are already at somewhat of a disadvantage when they arrive at school. It is incumbent upon the educator to recognize what those differences in communication and behavior are, and to meet the child where they are instead of expecting the child to know and understand something that has not been modeled at home. And the research supports the idea that the underlying causes of disproportionality in students and families of lower-income schools is due to differences in income, not race.

With practical exercises and true-to-life vignettes that are easy and interesting to read, this book serves as a ready-to-use book study that would provide eye-opening opportunities to improve school administration, leading to more effective service to the students and families of impoverished areas. This is a highly recommended book study, especially for Title I communities. Although the book and the research of Dr. Payne is focused on the poor, her methods are effective and recommended for improving the lives of all students in those communities, regardless of social class.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was full of implications relating to the population of students I work with. As I read the several case studies, examples, and theories about the cultural differences of people in generational and situational poverty, I was flooded with memories of particular situations with students in the past. Things that have frustrated me that are caused by: different cultural values and priorities, different forms of communication, different family relationships and values, a lack of support systems/role models that goes far beyond my initial understanding. I have about 12 flags of activities to try, things to remember, and strategies to use in the classroom.

[Laura Beard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has some really good points and research, but is also missing more of the macro approach to poverty.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome. Easy to understand and immediately useful. WIN.

Some key points to remember:
1. Poverty is relative. If everyone around you has similar circumstances, the notion of poverty and wealth is vague. Poverty or wealth only exists in relationship to the known quantities or expectation.

2. Poverty occurs among people of all ethnic backgrounds and in all countries.The notion of a middle class as a large segment of society is a phenomenon of this century. The percentage of the population that is poor is subject to definition and circumstance.

3. Economic class is a continuous line, not a clear-cut distinction. Individuals move and are stationed all along the continuum of income.

4. Generational poverty and situational poverty are different. Generational poverty is defined as being in poverty for two generations or longer. Situational poverty exists for a shorter time is caused by circumstances like death, illness, or divorce.

5. This framework is based on patterns. All patterns have exceptions.

6. An individual bring with them the hidden rules of the class in which they were raised. Even though the income of the individual may rise significantly, many patterns of thought, social interaction, cognitive strategies, and so on remain with the individual.

7. School and businesses operate from middle-class norms and use the hidden rules of the middle class. These norms and hidden rules are never directly taught in schools or in businesses.

8. We must understand our students' hidden rules and teach them the hidden middle-class rules that will make them successful at school and work.

9. We can neither excuse them nor scold them for not knowing; we must teach them and provide support, insistence, and expectations.

10. To move from poverty to middle class or from middle class to wealth, an individual must give up relationships for achievement (at least for some period of time).

11. Two things that help one move out of poverty are education and relationships.

12. Four reasons one leaves poverty are: It's too painful to stay, a vision or goal, a key relationship, or a special talent or skill.


She has a great table of the hidden rules of different classes: poverty, middle class, and wealth, across attitudes to food, time, education, money, family structure, and even humour. As she says, there are no universals with humans, but this put a lot of things I've personally witnessed into context.

Recommend, recommend, recommend.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book and attended training in my first few years of teaching in a high poverty area in the 2000's. One part that is still helpful to me is understanding how what I value can be different from my students and those values cause us to make different choices. For example, many of my students have MUCH more expensive phones than me. It's not because I can't afford a nicer phone but because I value financial security more than entertainment. I'm cheap :) The book has its flaws but it helped this white middle/upper class teacher to not judge my students and their families or expect them to make choices that align with MY values.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title a ‘framework’ for understanding poverty Payne chose is a very fitting description for this book. I found it to be full of information about the differences between classes and the challenges one may face moving between classes. I found the chapter divisions to be clear and plan to reference back to specific concepts and strategies for future use in the classroom. This book is a good starting point for anyone looking to better understand poverty and the effects it can have on an individual.

[MaryKay]

Favorite quote:

"Yet the role of the social worker, educator, or employer is not to save the individual but rather to offer a support system, role models and opportunities to learn which will increase the likelihood of the person’s success. Ultimately, the choice always belongs to the individual."

[Charles Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generational versus situational poverty

As has always been whispered, the best indication of success is where you came from. That is hardly a politically correct method of discussing poverty. But, Payne does a better discussion of poverty than this old saw.

Situational poverty can happen because of a divorce, employment termination, medical condition, or other unforeseen factors which dumps the individual presumably temporarily in poverty. From this the individual may escape back into a higher strata of economic well-being. This person may have the resources and knowledge base to move back to the previous level.

Not so the generational poverty victims described in Payne’s book... The case studies here fully describe the dismal reality of those stuck in poverty, those who lack the formal language skills and actual appearance which separates them from those more likely to be hired or to succeed in general. The language skills are not white talk, rather green talk, the power of money. And, these skills will not be learned without a buy in on the student’s part.

Unspoken cues and habits of a group lock them into a strata difficult to leave, although it is always easier to go down than up. The life styles of poverty, middle class, wealth and trust funds are remarkably different. Moving up a step means discarding those cues and habits and probably associates and family of the previous level. Apparently, marriage/cohabitation between two different levels can be very stressful.

Generational poverty tends to be self-reinforcing and is passed down to the next generation as a navigational key. Often, this involves matriarchal and chaotic relationships. Early pregnancies are common. (Locally, poverty women have been overheard saying they pick the “fathers” of their children by their lack of genetic capital in order that their children will support them with S.S.I. Our superintendent confirms there is an element who ask their children to be placed in “special ed. ” to generate S.S.I. funding.)

Thus, on the national average, students who bring middle-class culture with them are slowly decreasing in percentage.

Children of poverty often are forced to assume adult roles. Positive affirmations are needed because they lack such resources in their own environment. Such children view discipline differently than their upper level peers.

As a group, children in poverty are more likely to experience developmental delay, perform worse on conative and achievement tests, and experience more behavioral and emotional problems than their more advantaged peers.

According to Payne, the condition of poverty can actually change the function of the brain. Poor diets and hunger lead to poor cognitive functioning and greater difficulty in learning. And, Betsy DeVoss says there is no such thing as a free lunch.

According to the book, 41% of U.S. children are either in poverty or near poverty, creating disadvantages that will haunt them the rest of their lives. And, it is much harder to get out of generational poverty than situational poverty.

Payne does a terrific job of describing the dilemma, but, once again, no real solutions are offered. Teachers and others who thoughtfully read these pages may be in a better position to attempt improving the situation of those stuck in generational poverty, but, until a full support system is available visible improvements will be difficult to verify.

Sixth edition, 2019.

[Lgordo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would have better reviews if the Appendix was the first chapter. If you're given to screaming "RACISM" at the mildest provocation, you might want to start at the end and work your way back. It helps that the appendix is nestled between about 20 pages of research notes and 9 pages of bibliography, so you won't be tempted to yell "THIS IS ANECDOTAL SHIT" either.

All those reviews are from people who stopped reading before Chapter 3.

It isn't hard to accept that different classes have different rules for engagement. We know the wealthy are not like us. It is not hard to read the list of rules provided and nod at how superficial and cruel the wealthy can be. And we can read the list of middle-class rules and nod because those are all good and right and proper and how we live.

The reason people struggle to leave their class is partly due to this moralizing we do about "our" rules. We don't see them as game rules that we live by. We seem them as moral imperatives and the correct way to live.

So when someone lists the rules for poverty and they include behaviors that are antithetical to middle-class values, we have three options:

1 - believe that poor people are morally bankrupt and inferior humans.

2 - deny the rules of poverty and shout "racism!" and "lack of research!" (both absurd as these rules are studied across cultures and one of the more cited researchers worked with European immigrants to Israel; ergo, Caucasian poor).

3 - rise above the narrow moral box you've been raised in, see that there is more on heaven and earth than is thought of in the philosophy you were raised in, and accept that these rules exist because they are beneficial and correct *in their own context*. This is what Dr. Payne does with this book.

This book passes zero judgement on the people upon whom it focuses. Dr. Payne repeatedly states not to judge or attempt to change how students behave; rather, the goal is to expand their toolbox to include middle-class rules, as those are the ones necessary to rise out of poverty.

It's funny, because a while ago there was a big internet "gotcha" that the marshmallow trick doesn't predict success so much as the background of the child. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds were less able to delay gratification. This was considered some kind of anti-racist discovery, although I'm not sure how. (It also supposedly negates the original study, which it does not.) It does, however, perfectly jive with what Dr Payne writes in this book. She lists a number of skills that are necessary to succeed in the (primarily middle class) workplace, including delayed gratification. She explains that these skills, for whatever reason (she does not propose a reason why) are less common in children from disadvantaged backgrounds. And she provides an outline for how to teach these skills, so they can succeed.

This book provides a new lens through which to see the world. It is a useful lens that makes sense of things that are otherwise difficult to parse. And it provides tangible ways for middle-class people to rise above their values and help those who need it.

[Alaase Mahalah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My work for today. This book was a revelation! Ruby Payne Ph.D masterfully explores the dimensions of poverty beyond money and analyses the different mindsets from poverty to middle-class to wealthy. Payne explores the realities of poverty in a very honest and relatable way and offers actionable strategies for preparing children of poverty to navigate successfully through the hidden roles of this middle-class rigged society. The barriers are real, the matrix is set up against you. It's only through understanding that one can overcome! #AlaaseX #Rubypayne #understandingpoverty #growthmindset #keystothematrix #unlearnandrelearn

[Thomas Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I teach at a “Title One” school. This book helped me to understand the reason why my students behave a different way than I think they should. Understanding what the different socioeconomic classes value and the best way to communicate with them is a valuable asset to have in the classroom. The goal is not to be a middle class “savior” of poverty students, but rather educate them on how to be successful in the classroom and beyond the classroom.

Payne made a point that two of the ways people born in poverty escape poverty are through education and a valuable role model setting an example for them. I am in a unique situation to provide both to poverty stricken students each day.