Rogerian Argument

Sidney Faine

Professor Crumit-Hancock

Rogerian Argument Essay

5/2/2017

Poverty in Communities

            A common characteristic in communities all over the globe is poverty.  The average percentage of communities in financial need is 80% (Leiner, 2014); that’s well over 3 billion people who seek help. Due to the lack of finances, the citizens in these communities suffer from aggression, depression, anxiety, dropping out of school, and coming into contact with crime. (Leiner, 2014). There have been many debates as to whether these communities deserve help from others or not, and after looking through numerous articles it is clear that many people have been attempting to provide help. However the real question is, what is the correct approach to help these communities in need? By reading Community Anti-Poverty Strategies: A Conceptual Framework for a Critical Discussion, The Jewish Quarterly Review, and The Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Children Exposed to Poverty, many solutions have been mentioned such as economic help, charity organizations, and other various types of donors. However, the Community Anti-Poverty Strategies: A Conceptual Framework for a Critical Discussion is the only article that provides strong options to help improve these communities.

            Although many people around the world are trying to find solutions to help those in economic need, there are many people that think those in poverty should fend for themselves. Not only did those in poverty “dig their own grave” per say, but they also made it difficult for their children and grandchildren to dig themselves out of the poverty hole as well. Basically, half of the population wants to help those in need, while the other half thinks they should provide for themselves, and if they cannot afford certain things, than that is due to their own actions and decisions. For example, global poverty strategies were considered, but after a long debate, concerns were shown towards a large demographic change on the “scope and nature of global poverty.” (Strier, 2008). Although not all may agree, this is a very accurate statement. When the world undergoes a drastic change, chaos is bound to happen. Therefore, if it was decided to completely end world poverty, problems and possibly even riots would break out. Community Anti- Poverty Strategies: A Conceptual Framework for a Critical Discussion also discusses national, regional, and community level changes as well as the global change mentioned above. However, it was also discussed that if anyone were to make a large change towards poverty in the national or regional level, it would not work properly. This being said, a community-level change is the only proper solution according to this article. The author, Roni Strier, states that poverty strategies at the community level are, “linked to the political nature of poverty research,” and are to some degree, “research funding agencies.” (Strier, 2008).

            Although there is a lot of controversy on whether or not to help the communities suffering from poverty, I think that the answer is pretty clear. Although a global change can drastically harm the world, I think that if communities were to start out slowly, and work within their own city limits to improve themselves, poverty could surely cease. Obviously, it will not end all at once, it will take time and lots of help and donations. However, over time I truly believe that the world could end poverty by helping one another out. This plan is beneficial to all communities that decide to join, because in the long run it will improve the lives of everyone involved. Not only is this plan beneficial, but it is valid as well. Communities could construct a donation fund to those in need, while also providing efforts to help their fellow citizen.

            There are many similarities and benefits that come along with each argument discussed above. For example, both arguments discuss helping communities, whether it be on a larger scale or a smaller scale. Both arguments also discuss the benefits of supporting those in need with donations that are not needed by the more fortunate.  However, the argument I suggested also benefits the surrounding communities and makes the world a better place altogether. Therefore, those that are not in poverty should slowly move towards making the less-fortunate communities a better place to live.                  

           

Annotated Bibliography

Leiner, Marie “The Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Children Exposed to Poverty.” Salud

            Mental. April 3, 2014. Print.

            This article focuses on the relationship between poverty and the affect it has on children in a community. The author, Marie Leiner, studies a sample of children living in numerous cities in Mexico that face poverty compared to children living in more stable cities, such as El Paso, Texas. The rest of the article explains the type of study she used to measure the emotional problems these children face, while also giving a conclusion as to what her study found.

Shoshan, Boaz. “Poverty and Charity is the Jewish Community of Medieval Egypt.” University

            of Pennsylvania Press. July 17, 2008. Print.

            In this article, Shoshan discusses the poverty that Jewish communities have faced throughout the years. However, Shoshan focuses more on how poverty makes their community healthier by bringing all the people together to provide charity to those who are less fortunate. Therefore, unlike the article used beforehand, this article provides an argument as to how poverty helps the community.

Strier, Roni. “Community Anti-Poverty Strategies: A Conceptual Framework for a Critical

            Discussion.” Oxford University Press. 2009. Print.

            This article discusses how communities are a reoccurring theme when it comes to poverty in an area. However, Strier also discusses how this relationship has not been adequately proven. Therefore, this article helps prove both sides of the argument correct by proving that neither side has an adequate amount of information. 

Week 13: Free Writing

You always hear about how emotional people get when they leave college to go home for the summer. I personally never thought that I would be the emotional type in this situation, but as my freshman year comes to a close..I now understand what everyone has been saying. In my dorm room, my roommate and I had 2 walls covered entirely with pictures of us and our friends. As I was taking down my half of the wall, I began to feel the emotions bubbling up inside me. Not only is it sad that I won't see a lot of my friends for the next 3 months, but the fact that I won't see a lot of the senior class ever again is what really makes me sad. Altogether, I just want to thank everyone here at Defiance for making my first year so amazing.

Week 13: Playlist

If I had to create a playlist for my life it would be,
1.) Mr. Boombastic by Shaggy. As a kid, my family and I would drive over to our friends house to go swimming in their pond. On our way there, we would listen to tons of Shaggy's songs, but this one was always one of my favorites. Now, whenever I hear it playing, I'm sent back to soaking up the sun and making memories with my family.
2.) Rapper's Delight by Sugarhill Gang. When I was younger my dad would take out his Sugarhill Gang CD and listen to it during our entire car ride, no matter where we were going. Because of him, I am now able to rap every single word to the entire song whenever I hear it playing. And every time I hear it, it takes me back to my younger days and bonding with my dad.
3.) Fergalicious by Fergie. You know that song that makes you want to dance every single time it comes on? Fergalicious is that song for me. Whenever I'm out with my friends or even just driving on, I can't help but rap every word along with Fergie. Even my friend Liz knows to play this song whenever she's in charge of the aux.
4.) You're Gonna Miss This by Trace Adkins. This was the song dedicated to my senior class, and every time I hear it I think of one of my best friends, Blake, singing it as loud as he could into my ear. And no, he's not as good of a singer as you think. But back to the point, this song reminds me of all the good times I had with my class and all the memories I'll always cherish with them.
5.) Wannabe by Spice Girls. Believe it or not, my grandma, who was in her 70's at the time, knew every word to every song by the Spice Girls. When I would go to her house as a kid, we would watch The Spice Girls movie, and then listen to the CD whenever she would drive me to her friend's house to swim. Now that my grandma passed away, this song has even more meaning to me. It always reminds me of spending time with my grandma and how fun and outgoing she was.
6.)  London Bridge by Fergie. By now it's clear that I'm a big fan of Fergie, but this song doesn't just make me want to dance, it takes me back to my high school basketball days. Although it may not be the most appropriate song, it was on our warm up playlist and every time it came on, my fellow seniors and I would sing our hearts out. It may not be the best warm up song, but it always got me and my teammates fired up.
7.)  Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran. With both my grandpa and grandma passing away earlier this year, this song always hits home with me. It reminds me of how, although it's painful, both my grandparents are in a better place now.
8.) Keep'n It Real by Shaggy. It's also obvious that I'm a big fan of Shaggy, since I practically grew up listening to all of his music (thanks to my dad). Not only does this song remind me of summertime with my family, but it gives good life advice about "keeping it real" with everyone you meet. Basically, this song has taught me to be yourself and not change just to be like other people.
9.) All Night by Chance the Rapper. I wanted to add this song to my life playlist because every time I go out with my friends this song is always playing. Basically, whenever I hear this song, it reminds me of my first semester here at Defiance and all the memories I made with my friends here.
10.) That's What I Like by Bruno Mars: Every time this song comes on, my entire basketball team either sings to it or dances to it. Now, whenever I hear it I get flashbacks to our first season together and it always brings a smile to my face.

Week 12: Free Writing

One of the main things I've  learned here at Defiance College is that your team is always there for you. Early this year I lost both my grandpa and grandma due to certain illnesses, however through it all my teammates and coaches were there to keep me up. They made sure I was doing okay and even signed a card for me with really heartfelt words in it. Some of my team even came to the visitation to support me in this tough time as well. As the year progressed, many of my other teammates lost family members as well, yet we were always there to help them out when they were feeling down. Now, one of the toughest people on our team just lost one of her biggest supporters, her brother. During tough times like this, it's important to remember that you have a whole other family standing behind you to pick you up, whether it be from losing a loved one, going through an injury, or simply having a bad day. Your team is always there for you.

Week 12: Elevator Music

In the video, "Elevator Music," a teenage girl and an elderly man are seen standing in an elevator together. As they stand in silence, the girl pulls out her phone and starts playing some music rather loudly. This obviously irks the elder man, thus he takes out his phone and plays his own type of music just as loud. As the video continues, more and more people enter the elevator, and more and more people take out their phones and play the music they prefer as loud as possible. At the end of "Elevator Music," a man enters the elevator with a boombox, and everyone knows that his music will overpower all of their phones, so they turn their music off. However, the man decides to listen to his music through his headphones instead of blasting it for everyone else to hear. I personally think that the author made the music in this video stands for everyone's opinion, and that they're all trying to overpower what everyone else things. However, once the last person comes in with the boombox, the others realize that even though he has the loudest system (opinion) he keeps it to himself so that it will not disturb the others. I also think that the author's audience can pertain to anyone simply due to the fact that each person in the elevator is of a different age and race. However, the audience could also relate to those who are involved in politics and matters such as that. Altogether, this video can teach people in a community to respect one another, take turns when speaking out, and that in the end, sometimes silence is the best answer.

Week 11: Free Writing

One of the things that irks me the most is when people don't take handicap accessibility into consideration. Obviously, having a father with MS has drastically changed my perspective on this issue, however more people should be aware of it. When choosing a college, one of my first concerns was if it was handicap accessible or not, because I wanted my dad to feel comfortable when he'd come and visit or come watch one of my basketball games. After looking into Defiance College, I thought it was suitable enough for him. However, after having my dad actually come here, it has come to my realization that the campus is not all that accessible after all. Yes, Defiance has gone out of its way to provide elevators and handicap accessible sidewalks, but there are also many things that are not adequate enough. The bathrooms do not provide doors that open for those with walkers or wheelchairs, and the dorms also have very tight quarters that are hard to maneuver through. Many students that are enrolled in the Cultural Diversity class have also realized this due to the "wheelchair project" that they conduct. I guess what I'm trying to say is, people assume that a place is handicap accessible just because it has parking spots and buttons to open doors, but in reality much more is needed.

Week 11: Transition to College Writing

Dear Seniors,

"College work requires new kinds of motivation and self-discipline." When I read this line out of Keith Hjortshoj's book, The Transition to College Writing, I couldn't think of anything else that was more true. In high school you can get by with studying the night before for a test, but if you do that in college you can kiss your GPA goodbye. And believe it or not, you actually have to pay attention in your classes once you get to college, because in a blink of an eye you can be 10 slides behind and lost on what the professor's talking about. Another point that Hjortshoj makes in his book is that the variation between high school and college is most dramatic in the first year, and he is not wrong about this. Obviously your first year in college will be the most different. You won't have to get up at 7 AM every day for school, and some days you might not even have class. Another dramatic difference between your senior year of high school and your freshman year of college is the amount of studying you'll have to do. It's not a joke or a suggestion, you need to study. A LOT.
However, there's a couple things that Hjortshoj didn't mention about your transition into college. Although the coursework is more difficult, and you really have to manage your time, you're not alone on this. There's plenty of people that are willing to help you with homework you don't understand. And another thing that may not seem important is managing your time and when you're going to sit down and do your work. A lot of first-year students skip over this step and end up missing assignments or stressing about due dates. Just a little tip, set a scheduled time to study, do homework, and catch up on the classes you're having trouble in. If you do these things, your first year will be a piece of cake.
Some people do not take these tips into consideration. For some reason, they think that these are just myths, when in reality they're not. If you believe that you can walk into college and keep the same studying procedures, you're lying to yourself. If you come in with this mindset you can end up hurting yourself in the long run, and no one wants that.