Reflection Paper
Ashlee Gipson
University of Phoenix

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Throughout life there are many challenges that the world is going to see and face. Everyone is walking a different path and experiencing different types of lifestyles. The challenges that are thrown the way of individuals that are out of their control can cause a great deal of grief and hardship. Generational poverty is an ongoing issue. It is also noticed that lack of employment is striking our nation. Women in particular are facing challenges that are hard to overcome and to break the stigma of. The more knowledge the masses have of these particular issues, the better equipped they will be to fight against them and to educate the rest of the world. The difference starts with knowledge and knowledge if definitely power.
The definition of pride is as follows: a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired. The reason this is noted is because a lot of issues that are brought to the masses attention derive from individual’s pride. The idea of asking for help is incredibly painful to some people because of their pride. It is noteworthy that even though there are many issues that add to the reason poverty, unemployment and hardships for women it seems that reoccurring in research is the ability to stop and ask for help. While pride isn’t the only issue, it is incredibly important to bring up with a topic regarding hardships and complex issues that affect the way we live and the way we help the people around us succeed.
Poverty is something that the entire world has been facing for a very long time. Generationally it seems to increasingly get worse. The only way to overcome these issues are to allow for education to reach the masses. Many complex factors start with knowing the issue and knowing why is it continuously growing. Resources are low and the compassion is lacking as well. Hopelessness is something that creates a continuous cycle. The idea that things can get better and there is a difference to made needs to be on the forefront of the masses ideals. If there is no hope there is no way to make the situation better. That is true for more than poverty, so it can be assumed that it is a toxic mind-set to overcoming poverty from generation to generation.
The overall realm of poverty is intertwined with many other issues. Tackling each issue one at a time allows for overall benefits to trickle down. It overwhelming to think that poverty can be ended in one day or with one action. Starting with adequate housing can add a confidence to eliminate hopelessness as well as boosting confidence to tackle the next issue. This may not be the most effective way overall, however it adds to the way we see the overall objective. Lessons need to be taught to having a lasting affect as well. Teaching life skills and making sure that education is a continuous issue that is pressed into is incredibly crucial the overall rate of success. The rates of high school drop outs are continuing to rise, and so job opportunities are less likely to have a corporate money making skill attached to them.
Resources are the incredibly important in overcoming any type of poverty. One generation to the next may not have the education to offer those resources or they may have never been shown how to get them. There is also a sense of pride for some people who grow up living in poverty to prove they can overcome. However, this mindset is dangerous as the effects of poverty start at a very young age. Offering resources and knowing how to distribute them are the best way start a resolution.
The next obstacle that needs to be addressed in overcoming hardships is the lack of employment. The access to better yourself needs to be better equipped to be readily available to the masses. It is incredibly important that jobs are available. Families lose a lot of things if there is unemployment issues. Their houses are stack of being taken away from them, good is scarce and there is again a feeling of hopelessness in overcoming this particular hardship. Jobs are crucial for self-esteem as well. Self-worth can make or break someone’s identity. It not only effects the financially, but it can lead to bigger issues like overcoming homelessness and often times homelessness. The best way to address these issues are to have resources as well. There is a reoccurring theme that we as a nation need to address to make changes for the good of our people. Where are the resources needed? How are those resources being advertised so that they can be effectively utilized?
Women face a unique amount of challenges as well. There are complex things that make a women’s chemistry. This makes it extremely difficult to explain exactly why and how these challenges are presented. Most women desire to be a mother. It is almost crucial for some women to feel whole. Issues that present themselves here are mothering well and taking care of yourself. There is has to be a balance between being a mother and still owning your identity. Children are incredibly important, but the soul of a women as an individual needs to be acknowledged as in order to live a healthy and balanced life.
Issues that also come with being a women are their stance in the working field. Some women face sexual discrimination daily. Can they run a business successfully? Can they do the same things men can? It has been proven that they can, yet some men cannot remove that stigma from their minds. They make the working environment incredibly hard to be in. Women feel the need to prove themselves, yet they shouldn’t. Women need to remember they worked hard to get to that point and they don’t have to continuously prove anything. The main objective is to continue to work hard and the rest will follow. However, being a woman I understand that is incredibly hard to break that mold and to feel adequate when you most definitely are.
Women also bare a large load daily. There is mothering, working and most times being a wife. If there are not mothering or wife duties, women seem to still fill their plates with helping others or things that are hard work. This makes it incredibly hard to take care of themselves. How can they take time out of their busy schedule in order to ensure they are rested and well taken care of? Even if there is an offer to take a break a lot of times those are not utilized. Women also have a very hard time asking for help. Medically it can be an issue for women’s overall health. Taking a step back and ensuring that medical needs a met before it is too late is crucial to the survival of a woman and their long life span. Pride is also a reoccurring theme here as issues are noted.
Learning these things has changed the perspective I have on the amount of resources we have readily available. It honestly makes me want to start from the ground up and advocate for those who cannot advocate to themselves. How can we make this better? How can I make a difference? I know that there are plenty of resources, but why aren’t things changing? I have some many questions that need to be answered and I am not sure that they can be. There is a local church in this area that offers a place to get on your feet and resources to learn how to go through the interview process. However, there needs to be more resources just like that one to make a difference. That small church is making a dent in the issue, but there needs to be more non-profit organizations nationwide that take care of their own people. Where is our compassion as nation?
I also have this extreme motivation to be the voice for the underdog. We know the issues that arise with living in poverty, yet we continue to let people live like that. We know that there are resources yet they aren’t being advocated for. The word needs to get out that there is help and there is a way to better their lives. I am not sure if pride or fear are the only issue, however I understand that hopelessness is an incredibly huge factor. Everyone faces hopeless at one point in their life and it is seen that they can overcome it. Let’s find a way to overcome the hopeless in poverty? Especially generational poverty. If one generation catches wind that there is a way to make things better, they are saving the generations to come as well. Resources are incredibly prevalent if there is a way to take them and show that they are there. Seeking out people who need help may be the best way to help. I think that my mind is reaching for ways to make the world a better place I feel a little overwhelmed, however I think that bay starts are a great way to start. I am saddened by the information that I gathered for this assignment, but I am also excited to start making a difference in people’s lives.
All of the issues that have been addressed are incredibly crucial to how we see the world we live in. The resources to make a change and the resources to educate the masses need to be addressed as well. If an issue is addressed and a solution is brought forward, that is one step closer to making sure that things are changing. The most important thing that needs to be avoided is addressing and issue and just watching it unfold. Something has to be done in order to make sure that generational poverty is eliminated, women take a stand against the issues that are thrown their way and making sure jobs are readily available. Even if jobs are not something that can be done at the Human Resources level, the ability to teach life skills is. Showing people that there is still a way to be confident and way to make sure that a change is made is such a crucial part is helping the world see a better world for years to come.

References
Beegle, D. M. (2003). Overcoming the silence of generational poverty. Talking Points, 15(1), 11-20.
Belle, D. (1990). Poverty and women's mental health. American psychologist, 45(3), 385.
Little, J. (1997). Employment marginality and women’s self-identity. Contested countryside cultures, 138-157.