Working Poor Women’s Paid Labor (POST 8)

Urban poverty is basically joblessness that causes people (especially single mothers) to go into welfare and concentrated poverty. Neighborhoods, like Jessica’s from the profiles of women workers, are increasingly crime ridden and she fears for her children’s safety because of drugs and violence. Mothers also worry about the schools their children attend in places where urban poverty is rampant. These schools have poor standards and have diminished aspects for the student’s learning. Even if the mother creates strong personal ties with her children, raising them is none-the-less negatively affected by distrust, fear, uncertainty and economic dependence.
Women in mixed income neighborhoods don’t have to worry as much about the fathers of their children getting sent to jail and the impact that can have on their children. These women don’t have to worry about their children seeing how lucrative and attractive dealing drugs can be as they would in an urbanely poor neighborhood. Also mothers in mixed neighborhoods worry less about their daughters becoming pregnant at a young age or their sons getting involved in violence and gang membership.
It is important to note that urban poverty not only affects mothers and children, it also affects the elderly and men. The elderly in poverty may have to choose between having heat in their homes, food on the table and buying medication that they need, according to the American Low Wage Worker’s Tour video. Men in poverty, especially men of color, have the least flexible jobs of all. This may limit how involved they are in their children’s lives.
Job flexibility can really affect the lives of those living in urban poverty, especially if they get sick. Since many have no sick leave, they go to work sick. If their kid gets sick at school they have to choose between picking them up or getting fired. Many people living in urban poverty work two jobs like the woman who is bus driver and also works for janitorial service, and has no sick says or vacation days and can’t afford the health insurance. She had gull stones removed and had to use all the money she saved over 9 months for a new car. Another time she got an upper respiratory viral infection and she had to pay about $400 out of pocket and lost 2 days of work.