Running head: HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY

Homelessness and Poverty: Building Social Awareness through Picture Books Brittany Slater East Texas Baptist University

HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY Homelessness and Poverty: Building Social Awareness through Picture Books Our role as teachers is to expand our students knowledge of the world outside our classrooms. Due to the economic crisis hitting American families so extensively the past few years, we cant ignore the struggle many of our students may be facing at home or expect their problems to stay outside of school. Kelley and Darragh (2011) claim that almost one in five

American children live in poverty and the number of children in homeless families is the highest it has been since the Great Depression. We can address these issues with our students in an unintimidating way through the use of picture books. If chosen wisely, a picture book can teach students about social issues in the world and stimulate discussion on how different families live. These discussions allow students to expand their beliefs on culture and explore how different families and communities compare to their own (Strehle, 1999). Students will learn respect for others and have a foundation to enact future social change. Students living in poverty often feel like outcasts among their peers. By reading these books to our class as a whole, those students struggling with poverty or homelessness can feel more accepted by observing how their peers respond to the characters in the story. No matter the socio-economic status of our student, though, they can all benefit from being introduced to how we each live differently. Literature Review In her article for The Guardian, Hill (2012) notes that modern childrens books often portray children in the adult role, forced to face abandonment or homelessness without their parents. In fact, parents or adult figures are often helpless or ignorant individuals that must somehow be saved or educated by the children. Hill (2012) cites Melissa Wilson, an assistant professor of literacy at the University of Texas, who believes the role of children in modern literacy does not represent reality, but rather the needs of the adult authors. This unrealistic

HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY portrayal of the influence children can have on socioeconomic status is just one of the misconceptions that can be found in childrens books. Though we should be concerned of the dearth of childrens books that characterize homelessness and poverty, we must also note the types of unrealistic depictions several portray. Kelley and Darragh (2011) condense these inaccurate depictions into one reoccurring

theme: if someone living in poverty showcases cleverness, kindness or some other positive trait, they will eventually be rewarding and their socioeconomic status will increase significantly. These depictions not only give our students false hope on how the world works, but can also proliferate the stereotype that those living in poverty or homelessness must have done something wrong to force them into their current situation. Kelley and Darragh (2011) researched realistic fiction childrens picture books published from 1990 to 2011, and compared their depictions of poverty to current U.S. Census Bureau statistics. They found that the books lacked depictions of contemporary rural poverty and depictions of communities systemically affecting social change, among other discrepancies. For example, most of the books showcase social action on an individual level (Kelley & Darragh, 2011). Of these, about half portrayed the person living in poverty taking action to increase their wellbeing. Kelley and Darragh (2011) believe that while it is positive to portray an individual person producing change, it can incorrectly show poverty as an individual problem that can be overcome without the assistance of others. In terms of gender, Kelley and Darragh (2011) found that books almost equally portray adult males and females living in poverty, in accordance with national statistics. Interestingly, almost half of the books about adult females in poverty portray the character as a single mother. One category of the population not represented as equally is race and ethnicity. While White, non-Hispanic persons living in poverty are overrepresented in childrens literature, African-

HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY Americans and those of Hispanic descent are underrepresented (Kelley & Darragh, 2011). It is commendable that race isnt being connected to socioeconomic status, but our students of these ethnicities living in poverty may benefit from having more literature and characters to which they can relate. Children who live in poverty need to have opportunities to see themselves reflected in classroom literature, and children who are not poor need to read these books to gain empathy and recognize that poverty exists in society today (Kelley & Darragh, 2011, p. 279). The discrepancies with reality portrayed in todays books show that teachers must carefully

examine how poverty is portrayed before introducing text in the classroom. Not only should they include accurate depictions, but more importantly must match the needs of the students. While many teachers may feel wary in introducing sensitive topics such as homelessness and poverty to their students, we should consider these topics as important aspects that may affect the lives of several of our students. Mankiw and Stasser (2012) believe its not the topic itself that makes conversations difficult, but rather our approach and personal comfort level regarding the topic. They write that teachers can help students understand difficult experiences through common critical literacy and read-aloud activities. Providing access to the literature is not enough to fulfill this purpose. Teachers should engage students in daily conversations that allow them to voice their experiences and ask questions about difficult situations (Mankiw & Strasser, 2012). Giving students opportunities to reconstruct their understanding of a concept requires careful orchestration of the subject matter (homelessness), the learning process (brainstorming and building upon a topic), a theme (getting along with others), and problem-posing (what can we do about homelessness?) (Strehle, 1999, p. 219).

HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY These conversations that allow the teacher to hear the students and the students to share ideas with each other create a learning opportunity that can inspire social action. As long as the student feels their ideas are valued and respected by the teacher, they will be willing to discuss ways they can promote social change both individually and as a community. Personal Analysis

For my own personal research, I read several fictitious childrens picture books that focus on homelessness. Though the books I read were at the upper-elementary level, they could all be read to younger students. Most of the books I read did not give a reason or cause for the poverty displayed in the book. The lady in the box (McGovern, 1997) centers around a woman living in a cardboard box who briefly mentions that she lost her job and did not have enough money to pay for rent. She tried staying in a homeless shelter, but was forced to leave when another resident stole her belongings. Broken umbrellas by Kate Spohn (1994) is a unique book that does not include many character interactions or plot structures. Instead, it shows how mental illness caused an intelligent, successful university professor to become a vagrant who cherishes the items she finds on the street. Though the book does not explicitly say her condition is due to mental illness, it can be inferred through her actions and changes in personality. This book is also unique in that there is no character or action that liberates the woman of her troubles. Though heartbreaking to the average reader, the woman is portrayed as being satisfied with her life through the items she collects. The books that did portray a redeeming character almost exclusively depicted a child as the first one to treat the homeless person with respect. In The teddy bear by David McPhail (2002), a boy wants to talk to the homeless man who found his bear, but his parents quickly distance the family from the man, portraying an attitude of fear of the homeless. The book

HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY emphasizes the connection the boy has with the homeless man through their mutual love for the teddy bear. The boy eventually runs from his parents and gives the bear back to the man, an action that teaches children to give to those in need and recognize when we have more than enough possessions ourselves. The lady in the box (McGovern, 1997) shows children who must

face several obstacles to assist a woman who lives in a cardboard box in their neighborhood. The young brother and sister sneak behind their mothers back to give food and clothing to the woman in fear that their mother would disapprove. Once their mother learns of their actions, she introduces herself to the homeless woman and helps her to find a warmer place to stay. The mother takes the kids to volunteer at a soup kitchen, where they see the homeless woman. We learn that the boy considers the homeless woman a friend. This book is a good teaching tool for showing students how the homeless are people just like us, with feelings and needs. It also is an example of how a community can come together to help those in need. Gowanus dogs (Frost, 1999) is the only other book I read that portrays the systemic approach to reducing the struggle of poverty, though the actions are unorganized. It portrays many members of a community each doing one thing to help out a homeless man and a pack of homeless dogs. It is also the only depiction of a homeless person finding a job and getting themselves out of poverty. Overall, the books were extremely realistic portrayals of a life of homelessness. They showed that the homeless need assistance from others, as well as their own determination, to get themselves out of poverty. All of the books had urban settings except Good enough to eat (Cole, 2007). This was the only nonrealistic fiction book I read and it took the tone of a fable. While the other books each had one or two characters who treated the homeless as inferior to themselves, the whole community in this book ignored the existence of the young beggar girl until they

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decided to sacrifice her to the giant ogre. By killing the ogre, the girl tricks the townspeople into providing her with material possessions. The book ends with her abandoning the town and riding off with her new belongings. Conclusion Each of the books I read focused on a different aspect of homelessness: from the cause, to the ways others can help those in need to those few who cant or refuse to be helped. This variety is great for teachers, who should be able to find a book suitable to the specific needs of their students. There is not a lot of research on the depiction of poverty in childrens literature, and even less that focus exclusively on homelessness. Though some of the research on ways the literature portrays reality is contradictory, they all agree that teachers should be more explicit in introducing these topics to the classroom and using them to springboard a meaningful discussion on social awareness (Kelley & Darragh, 2011). Before introducing the topics of poverty and homelessness, Mankiw and Strasser (2013) recommend that teachers consider if the books are appropriate for the whole class or should be used to benefit the needs of particular students. Teachers must carefully check the books for stereotypes and make sure the struggling characters are not portrayed as hopeless or inferior. As teachers, we cannot expect to have all the answers to our students questions or increase their social sensitivity with just a few books. If we each make a priority to encourage dialogue, though, we can better prepare our students to enact social change.

HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY References Cole, B. (2007). Good enough to eat. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux. Frost, J. (1999). Gowanus dogs. New York, NY: Francis Foster Books. Hill, A. (2012, July 6). Children's books reflect harsh reality: Abandonment, alienation and homelessness are increasingly the themes in modern literature for children. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/us Kelley, J. E., & Darragh, J. J. (2011). Depictions and gaps: Portrayal of U.S. poverty in realistic fiction children's picture books. Reading Horizons, 50(4), 263-282. Mankiw, S., & Strasser, J. (2013). Tender topics: Exploring sensitive issues with pre-k through first grade children through read-alouds. Young Children, 68(1), 84-90. McGovern, A. (1997). The lady in the box. New York, NY: Turtle Books. McPhail, D. (2002). The teddy bear. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company. Spohn, K. (1994). Broken umbrellas. New York, NY: Penguin Group. Strehle, E. (1999). Social issues: Connecting children to their world. Children's Literature in Education, 30(3), 213-220.