Review and Reflect #1

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George Mason University *

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101

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Sociology

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Apr 3, 2024

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Uploaded by GrandHeatStork11

Review and Reflect #1 Introduction In both of the scenarios, I started the games with $1000 dollars, and had to navigate a lot of challenges that are associated with low wage employment, housing insecurity, the expensive health care cost, and also rising financial burdens. I was able to secure employment in both cases, but was struggling to make ends meet every week. It gives an insight on people living under the poverty line. Some of the key events are finding a warehouse job in the first scenario, and the second was administrative work. Throughout the game I encountered several obstacles that shed information on complex interplay between social class, deviance, and also socialization. Application This game's outcome offers valuable insights into how being in poverty affects your health, security, and also the access to the essential resources that are needed for basic survival. For instance, living farther away from home in the game saved a lot of money on the rent, but it increased the transportation fee. This is a tradeoff that a lot of individuals make on their average day in america.(Patrick Sisson , 2018). This aligns with the module 6’s discussion on challenges of housing affordability and transportation barriers faced by low income families. (Module 6). If you live in a poor social position, it gets more and more expensive for you. Things like limited access to financial services, they often lack access to traditional banking services, things like checking and savings

accounts. They heavily depend on cashing checks and payday loans. These financial services are at a very high interest rate, causing the expenses for the people to be more than they can actually afford. Low income individuals usually pay more for everyday goods and services because of the limited access to affordable options. For Example, people who live in a rural part because of the rents being high in an urban area, have to pay more money on transportation to get to the grocery compared to a person living in urban situations. Also the purchase price of small quantity items is much more than bulk prices, at retailers. (Why it’s expensive to be poor). The lack of reliable public transport options in low income neighborhoods can result in higher cost of transportation fees for the residents. The people who rely heavily on transportations like taxis, or rideshare services, cost a lot if they add up for all the transportation purposes. Majority of the individuals in low income households can be prohibited from owning and maintaining a personal car because of the high expenses that are associated with them. The average cost of owning a car in the US is $1,015 a month.( Whitney Vandiver and Shannon Bradley, 2024). The cost of a doctor visit in the US could cost a lot of money. It led to a lot of low income individuals delaying seeking medical care due to the high cost of healthcare services. This leads to more severe health problems at the end, and potentially results in death. Without access to affordable healthcare options, individuals go to the energy room for non emergency care, leading to higher bills, and going into payments plans. Which ends up costing a lot of money in the long run.(Why it’s expensive to be poor). Moreover, the game outcomes underscore the unequal distribution of deviance based on social power. In both scenarios I faced the difficult task of leaving my sick child at

home to go to work, or I would receive a strike and lose my job. If I was sick I would have to still go to work or otherwise I would not be paid, also receive a strike. This type of decision reflects the issue that low income individuals face because of poverty and limited agency of individuals in our society. When faced with economic hardship, people start to change, they move toward becoming more work oriented. In many low income families, they have to provide for their kids. It brings a lot of focus on different subjects which leads to frustration and surge in mental health problems. The focus entirely shifts from having a good piece of mind, to a providing mind. (Social construction and societal explanation of deviance). According to data 19.4% report regular anxiety, and a range of studies indicate an increased risk for chronic disease.( USAfacts team , 2023). The major cause of these problems is people suffering in poverty. Majority of the people have broken jobs, and unstable income coming in. They constable have to think about what they can do for some extra income. Some people follow a lot of dangerous jobs, and jobs don't really pay well. It also leads them to have a little more aggressive behavior. Lot of people have problems at home because of these issues. It leads to people having more violent behavior, and also some of these problems can also cause people to have long term illnesses. Illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure. Sometimes it could lead to heart disease, resulting in death.(Social construction and societal explanation of deviance). Furthermore, the game's outcome highlights the profound impact of family dynamics on socialization and social mobility. Things like going outside with family, having a free day to give it to your kids, and also putting kids in extra academic activities to further their hobbies. The family dynamics in a low income household is very minimal and typically

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stays that way for a long time. It affects the mental state of the kids in a household like this. The SES encompasses factors like parental education, occupation and income of the household. Typically the higher the ses in a family they have access to greater education and activity materials. It positively influences children's academic and extracurricular prospects.( Real world chapter 5: Groups). Typically in low income households it's not really possible for them to support their kids “extra” life. The social capital in a low income family is also very low. The socio economic status of this type of family, limits them from having socialization groups. The peer influences on them are also very different than in normal scenarios. Social capital does extend to institutions like schools, religious organizations and community groups. Supoor this doesn’t really help low income individuals, as they are focused on minimal survival, spending time on building relationships could cost them more than anything.( Real world chapter 5: Groups). Additionally, the game outcomes illustrate how multiple social status can intersect and create unique challenges and conflicts for individuals. Examples like not being able to afford healthcare or pet fees due to financial conflicts, reflect the poverty and social identities on parenthood and pet ownership. ( Real world chapter 5: Groups). Low income individuals face a lot of stigmatization due to societal perception associated with poverty. Some of the labels applied to them are criminal, undeserving and lazy. Low income people may face discrimination regarding their race, sex, or ethnicity. Most low income individuals are disregarded from mainstream institutions and systems of social

control due to structural inequalities. This pushes individuals to alternate survival strategies that may seem deviant from societal norms. The criminalization of poverty reflects how social control mechanisms get used to further reinforce low income individuals status. Despite all of the marginalization of low income people, they demonstrate heavy resistance and navigate their substances. The movements led by low income communities challenge the social construction of deviance and advocate for changes that address the root causes of poverty and inequality. Reflection Playing this game provides me with valuable insights into the structural and systemic aspects of poverty, and the inequalities in our society. I have not experienced any type of financial hardship, or at least to that extent. Some of the game's scenarios had some resemblance to my life previously. I felt a deep sense of empathy for the individuals who face challenges like this everyday, and have to like it. These games reinforced my understanding of the social and structural factors that initiate poverty. Overall playing this game helped me understand it properly, and inspired me to advocate for people on social and economic injustice that are happening around us. OUTSIDE SOURCE

Sisson, Patrick. 2018. “High Housing Costs and Long Commutes Drive More Workers to Sleep in Cars.” Curbed . Retrieved February 27, 2024 (https://archive.curbed.com/2018/3/6/17082570/affordable-housing-commute-rent-apartment ). Vandiver, Whitney. n.d. “What Is the Total Cost of Owning a Car?” NerdWallet . Retrieved February 27, 2024 (https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/loans/auto-loans/total-cost-owning- car#:~:text=When%20you%20take%20into%20account,in%202023%2C%20according%20to %20AAA .) USAFacts. 2023. “How Does Poverty Affect Americans’ Mental and Physical Health?” USAFacts . Retrieved February 27, 2024 (https://usafacts.org/articles/how-does-poverty-affect- peoples-mental-and-physical-health/#:~:text=People%20living%20in%20poverty%20are %20more%20likely%20to%20experience,worry%2C%20nervousness%2C%20or %20anxiety.&text=Bar%20chart%20showing%20the%20share,poverty%20line%20experience %20these%20feelings .) .

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