Socio-Economic Status (SES)

Socioeconomic status is commonly conceptualized as the social standing or class of an individual or group. It is often measured as a combination of education, income and occupation. Examinations of socioeconomic status often reveal inequities in access to resources, plus issues related to privilege, power and control. For more details see the APA website at http://www.apa.org/topics/socioeconomic-status/. People are classified as having ‘high socio-economic status’ meaning more income, privilege and power. Conversely, low SES equates to being poor or close to poverty, fewer resources and choice, little or no power.

Generational Poverty

Here is an excellent overview of poverty definitions, including generational poverty. The Herculean task of breaking the cycle of generational poverty is described well in this news article, click here to read it. In the article Families in generational poverty form their own culture, the author clearly describes the values of individuals living in generational poverty. As a teacher, it’s important to understand why students may not value education. This article explains how this happens from a perspective you may have never considered. Click here to read the article.