Inquiry

WelcomePostPrompt
1. Describeyourchosenlineofinquiryandhowyoudecidedonitwheredidyoustartin
ordertogetinitialideastogethertoformyourcuriosity,questions,andideas?Discuss
yourjumpingoffpoint,theoriginaltextandquestioning/curiositythatledtothisLOI.
Whatisoneproblemournationcontinuestofaceovercenturiesevenafterlearningand
repeatingfrommistakes?Thefirstthoughtthatcrossedmymind,asastrugglingcollege
student,wastheissueofpoverty.Itisaveryintricateconceptinfluencedbysocial,
political,andeconomicelements.Mychosenlineofinquiryis,howdoculturaland
societalnormsaroundtheworldinfluencetheideaofpovertyinpersoncompared
throughthemedia?IdecidedonthisafterdiscoveringthatthetopicIwantedtofocusin
onhadadeeperfocus.Ibelievethateveryoneknowswhatpovertyis,butnoteveryone
understandsthefullsignificancebehinditortheimpactithasonordinarypeopleslives.
Inordertogetmyinitialideastogether,Ihadtostartbylookingthroughscholarly
articlesanddocumentaries.IneededtofindsolidresearchandsupportivereasoningI
knewIcouldusetobackupmystatementandbuildanargument.ThemoreIlearned
aboutpoverty,besidesthebasicfactsIknew,themoreinterestedIwasinitsorigin,
history,andfoundationinsociety.Theoriginalcuriositythatledmetothislineofinquiry
wasthethoughtofwhetherpovertycouldbeinherited,createdthroughmistakes,earned,
ornoneofthechoicesmentioned.Iwanttogainnewperspectivesandcontinuetoaddto
mylineofinquiry.
2. Whattextshaveyouread,viewed,orlistenedtogetstartedwithyourlineofinquiry?
Howhavetheyinformed,started,orshapedyourquestionsandknowledgesofar?
Sofar,beginningtheresearchprocess,Ihavereadandlistenedtotwotextsthatwereable
tohelpmegetstartedwithmylineofinquirybasedoffthetopicofpoverty.Thefirsttext
IwatchedwasadocumentaryIfoundonNetflix.Inallhonesty,Ididnotplanonforming
alineofinquiryfromtheconceptofpoverty,butthedocumentarystitle,LivingonOne
DollaraDaycaughtmyattention.Iwasabletoconnecttothistextasacollegestudent
especiallysincethedocumentarywascreatedandfilmedbyrecentcollegestudentsas
well.ThisdocumentaryinformedmeaboutthelivesofthepeopleinGuatemalanvillages
andhowdifficulttheirlifestyleswere.Thistextshowedhowtheruralvillagershada
verylimitedsupplyofresourcesandsomedaysfamilieshadtochoosebetweenputting

foodonthetableorsendingtheirchildrentoschool.However,thesepeoplelivedthrough
hardshipswithsmilesontheirfacesandbycomingtogetherasacommunitytoshare
support,hope,andtheirfaith.Thisdocumentaryaboutlivingoffofonedollaraday
helpedshapemyquestionsaboutextremepovertyanditsconditionsbecauseIwasgiven
anewperspective.Itallowedmetoquestionthelifestylesofpeoplein3rdworld
countriesandwhetherornotourworldwouldeverberidofpoverty.ThesecondtextI
readwasaspeechonTedTalksbyRichardWilkinsonaboutHoweconomicinequality
harmssocieties.Thissourceinformedmeabouthowthemanyunderlyingfactorsof
povertyaretakingagreatertollonlessdevelopedcountriesratherthandeveloped
countries.Thistexthelpedmegainknowledgeandinsightontherelationbetween
povertyandinequality.Thistalkespeciallyhelpedmeshapemyquestionsbecauseit
allowedtotakethefoundationofmylineofinquirytothenextlevelbyaskingabout
incomegapsandsocialmobilityinthesocialandeconomicspectrum.Mostofall,this
sourceallowedmetoaskquestionsaboutspecificvocabularyandtermsIneededtobuild
connectionswith,suchasthemanysocialgradients.
3. Whatsmallerquestionsdoyouhaveaboutthisissueorthevariousviewpointsyouare
awareof?Whatdoyouhopetolearnorunderstandaftercompletingyourresearch?
Considerterms,perspectives,backgroundinfo,orotherinformationyouknowyouwill
needtoexploreinordertounderstandtheconversation.
Povertycanbeaverywidespreadissuesinceitisacontinuouscycle.Inorderformyline
ofinquirytobesuccessful,Ihavecomeupwithsmallerquestionstobuilduponmy
curiosities.MorespecificquestionsIhaveaboutthisissueareifpovertyisinfluencedby
theAmericanDream,whatdoesitmeantolivewithinyourmeans,howcanour
naturebefullyinformedabouttheintensityofpoverty,andwhatdoesitmeanifunequal
countriesareworseofthanmoreequalanddevelopedcountries.Also,wanttolookinto
themediasportrayalbecausethiswillhelpmefindmoreviewpointsthatIamnotaware
of.Ihopetolearnhowpovertyisdifferentiatedbetweendifferentsocietiesandnations
aroundtheworld.Iwanttolearnhowthestandardofpovertywascreated.After
completingmyresearchhopefullyIwillhavemoreknowledgeabouthowpovertybegan
andwhyitisstillseeninourlivestoday.Inorder,togainthisIwillhavetoconsider
termssuchassocialstatusandgradients,education,incomedifferences,cultural
traditions,influencesfromsocietalnorms,andetc.Iwillhavetokeepanopenmindand

exploretheideaofpovertykeepingournationbalanced.OtherinformationImighthave
toconsiderwhilecreatingthisconversationwillbeethnicity,race,gender,and
differentdemographicssoIcanfocusinononeortwospecificregionsthatcanbe
comparedandthefoundationformyresearch.
4. Whatisyourhumanelementor"sowhat"factor?Inotherwords,whyisthisquestion
orissueworthexploring?
Thisissueisworthexploringbecausewhetherpeopleofmoderndaysocietybelieveitor
not,povertytakesatolloneveryoneslivesbothdirectlyandindirectly.Inmyopinion,
sincethetopicofpovertyisgeneralized,peopleslevelofawarenessonthisissuehas
dropped.BeforediggingdeeperintothisissueIwasveryblindsidedbytheseverityof
thisproblem.Ibelievethisquestionisworthexploringbecauseitwillhelpusunderstand
whyournationandoursurroundingneighborssufferfromthesedeficiencies,whilesome
regions/partsoftheworldbatheinwealthandglory.Byunderstandingtheimpactof
culturalandsocietalnormsonpovertyIthinkpeopleeverywherewillseehowtheir
perspectivesareinfluencedandaffectednotjustbyothers,butbythemediatheyare
surroundedby.
5. Whodoyouthinkwillbenefitmostfromtheresearchthatyouwanttoconduct?Who
willitmatterto?(Consideroneormorespecificgroupsofpeopleage,gender,
education,ethnicity,etc.)
Although,thisissueandmylineofinquirycouldpertaintoeveryoneinsociety,Ibelieve
thattheresearchIwanttoconductwillmatterthemosttotheyoungergenerationofour
societies.Mostlykids/youngteenagersandadultsspecificallyofdifferentethnicities
aroundtheworldwillreapthemostbenefitsfrommyresearchbecauseitisatthisage
thatonestartstounderstandtheworthofmoneyandtheworldaroundthem.Also,thisis
theagethatdeterminestheirsocialstatus,especiallyastheystarttoformasindividuals
andcreatetheirownuniqueidentitiesandpersonalities.Iplanonconsideringspecific
regionsinlessdevelopedcountriesaswellasmoredevelopedcountriestohaveresearch
tocompareandconcludefrom.Iamgoingtofactorinelementssuchasgender,race,
ethnicity,andetc.becausethesecharacteristicshelpdefinepeopleandmoreover,it
createsastandardofpovertywhichisfollowedbymany,differingfromeachsocietyto
thenext.

6. What,ifanything,doyoualreadyknow(factsandbackgroundinformation)aboutthis
issuesurroundingyourquestion?Wheredoesyourinformationcomefrom(preliminary
research,pasteducationalexperience,personalobservationsandexperience,etc.)
Ialreadyknowthebasicbackgroundinformationaboutpovertyingeneral.Iknowthe
definitionofpovertyandthatmanystrugglewiththisissue.Otherthanthat,Ihaveno
ideawhatinfluencespovertyintermsofculturalorsocietalnormsandIalsohavenoidea
howpovertydisplayedthroughthemediaisdifferentthanhowitisexchangedand
viewedinperson.Mostofthisinformationhascamefrompasteducationalexperiences.
VolunteeringattheHabitatforHumanityandCharlotteRefugeeResettlement
Associationhasgivenmeahandsonexperiencewithunderstandingthedepthofpoverty.
Iknowthatmorethan3billionpeopleliveinpovertyandaround1billionofthat
populationarechildrenandyoungteenagers.Thesefactscamefrommypreliminary
research,whichwasoneofthemainreasonsIdecidedtostickwiththisissueandbuilda
lineofinquiryfromitbecausethereissomuchIhaveyettolearn.
7. Whatpreconceivedopinionsdoyouhaveaboutthisissue?Inotherwords,whatdoyou
alreadybelievetobetrueaboutthisissue?Whatdoyoualreadybelievetoberightor
wrong?Whatdoyouexpecttofind?(Weallhavepreconceivedideaswhenweenter
research.Itsbesttoknowwhattheyareaheadoftimesothatwecankeepthemfrom
creatingbiasedresearch.)
Goingintothisissue,mypreconceivedopinionsarethatpovertyisaneverendingcycle
andisdestroyingournation.AnotherideaIalreadyhavethoughtaboutishowpoverty
onlyaffectsthosewhoareunderprivilegedoruneducated.Ialreadybelieveandknowof
oneortwocausesandeffectsofpoverty.Ihavethenotionthattheconceptofpovertyis
bad.Iamtryingtolookatthisissuewithanopenmind,butIhavealreadyseenand
heardsomuchabouttheseverityofthisissuethatIamassumingitonlyhasnegative
aspects.Iexpecttofindmytextsonwhy/howpovertyisinfluencedthroughbadeffects,
butmychallengeistofindtextsabouthowpovertyissustainingoureconomy,nature,
andsocialstatus.Ihopetofindresearchthatwillgivememoreinsightaboutwhetheror
notpovertywilleverstopbeinginfluencedandcompletelydisappear.