Ruby Payne:

1
Ruby Payne

• Framework for
• Understanding Poverty

2
Introduction Ruby Payne

• We must understand the hidden rules of those in
  different SES for them to be successful.
• Teach and provide support, do not scold for their
  hidden rules.
• To move from poverty to middle class, one must
  give up relationships for achievement.
• You need education and relationships to move from
  poverty.

• Poverty is relative
• Poverty occurs in all races and countries.
• SES is a continuous line, not a clear
  distinction.
• Generational poverty is different from
  situational.
• These statements are patterns not absolutes.
• Each SES level has its own hidden rules.
• Schools and business follow middle class rules.

3
Chapter 1 Resources

• Financial Money to purchase goods and services.
• Emotional Able to choose and control emotional
  responses.
• Mental Having mental abilities and acquired
  skills to deal with daily life.
• Spiritual Believing in divine purpose and
  guidance.

(Payne, 2005)
4
Chapter 1 Resources

• Physical Having health and mobility.
• Support System friends, family, and backup
  resources.
• Relationships/ role models access to those who
  are nurturing and not self-destructive.
• Knowledge of hidden rules knowing the unspoken
  cues and habits of a group.

(Payne, 2005)
5
Role of Language and Story

• Language consists of registers (type of
  language).
• Discourse patterns (how one organizes
  information).
• Story structure (how one goes about telling a
  story or recalling an event).

6
Registers of Language

• Frozen Language is always the same (e.g.,
  Lords Prayer, wedding vows).
• Formal Standard in work and school. Complete
  sentences, specific word choice.
• Consultative Not quite as direct as formal and
  used in conversation.

• Casual Language b/w friends and limited to
  about 400-800 words in total vocabulary. Strong
  use of non-verbal cues.
• Intimate Language b/w lovers, family members,
  and sexual harassers.

7
Register Impact on Interaction

• You can go down one register in a conversation
  w/out offense, but not two.
• Most children in poverty do not use formal
  register at home or know how to use it.
• Formal register middle class hidden rule.
• Writing does not use non-verbal cues, thus MUST
  use formal register.

8
Discourse Pattern

• Getting to the point
• Formal get straight to the point.
• Casual go around and around to get to the point.

• Primary Secondary Discourse
• Primary discourse L1
• Secondary discourse L2
• A student who only knows casual in L1, now has to
  learn casual in L2 and formal in L2.

9
Discourse Impact on Interaction

• When parents use casual and school uses formal,
  there can be a disconnect.
• When a child has to write a story, then casual
  register impacts the child as does discourse
  patterns.
• What is the average teacher looking for out of a
  writing assignment?

10
Group assignment Chapter 2

• Discuss the impact of language differences in an
  IEP meeting with a parent from poverty.
• Register
• Discourse Pattern
• Story Structure.
• Describe how the parent and the educators feel.
• What are some ways to ease any tensions?

11
Comparing Generational Poverty

• Generational Poverty
• Decisions made based on needs of entertainment
  and relationships
• Ability to fight or have someone who is willing
  to fight for you.
• Money is for entertainment and relationships
• The world is what is locally around you.
• Comments are usually made about you before you
  are introduced to others.

12
Comparing Middle Class

• Middle Class
• Decisions are made related to work and
  achievement.
• Able to use words as tools to negotiate conflict.
• Money is for security.
• The world is your own nation.
• You introduce yourselves to others

13
Comparing Wealth

• Wealth
• Ramifications of the financial, social, and
  political connections.
• Money is for security.
• The world is international.
• Someone in the group formally introduces you.

14
What does that mean for schools?

• Assumptions about IQ and approaches to school
  work may relate more to hidden rules than to
  actual facts.
• Students need to be taught the hidden rules of
  middle class.
• Work w/in the attitudes and hidden rules of the
  students and parents whenever possible (instead
  of forcing middle class rules).
• If you understand their values, then you will be
  less frustrated in your interactions.
• Poor students may not see themselves as poor.

15
Group Project Apply the Theory

• In your groups, discuss the following
• 14 y/o girl from poverty has been given an
  assignment from her home ec. teacher to balance a
  household budget for 4 on 3000/ mo. She is to
  list all necessary expenses, prioritize them,
  and assign different people in the family to be
  in charge of different parts of the family budget
  (grocery shopping, paying the bills, etc.).
• The teacher comes from a middle class family with
  little experience of families from poverty.
• Describe the responses given compared to the
  teachers expected responses from the student.
• How might that impact the students perceived
  ability?

16
Characteristics of Generational Poverty

• Background noise Almost always the TV is on,
  people talk over one another in conversations.
• Importance of personality You bring your
  personality, because it is what you have. If you
  have a good, entertaining personality, then you
  are valued.
• Significance of entertainment It is important
  to get away from basic survival for awhile and
  entertainment is a for of escapism.
• Importance of relationships Since you depend on
  others, you need to get along with them.

17
Characteristics of Generational Poverty

• Matriarchal Structure The mother is the most
  important (caretaker)
• Oral-language tradition You say things instead
  of read or write them, and you use casual
  language.
• Survival orientation Little room for abstract,
  academic topics. You talk about people and
  relationships.
• Identity tied to lover/fighter for men Men are
  expected to work hard physically. Idea of the
  sensitive male is not valued.

18
Characteristics of Generational Poverty

• Identity tied to rescuer/ martyr for women Be a
  care taker and put the family first.
• Importance of non-verbal/ kinesthetic
  communication Touch, space, and gestures are
  used to communicate.
• Ownership of people People are possessions.
  You dont betray them and you take care of one
  another.
• Negative Orientation Failure at anything is the
  source of stories and being made fun of.

19
Characteristics of Generational Poverty

• Discipline Punishment is about penance and
  forgiveness, not change.
• Belief in fate Destiny and fate make or break
  you not choices.
• Polarized thinking Things are either black or
  white (few shades of grey).
• Mating dance Use your body to attract others or
  complement others on their body (not their mind,
  personality, etc.)

20
Characteristics of Generational Poverty

• Time Think of the present, not the past or
  future. Think of time as an emotional event and
  not actual date/ day.
• Sense of humor If you have one, then you are
  valued. You joke about other people (most often
  people you know).
• Lack of order/organization Many of the
  homes/apartments are unkempt and cluttered.
• Lives in the moment Not a lot of goal setting
  or planning. Consequences are not often
  considered.

21
Review the Family Diagrams (pg. 55).

• Mother is always at the center in generational
  poverty.
• Many times relationships are confused however,
  everyone is always aware of the main caretaker
  mom.
• Many relationships do not result in marriage.
• Men will often come and go in relationships.
• Who you depend on on any given day may vary
  depending on the current situation.
• Many times teenage parents pass their children
  back to mom and take on a sister role.

22
Generational Poverty _at_ School

• Disorganized
• Excuses, excuses
• No homework
• Aggressive
• Class-clown, Joker
• Concrete thinker
• Cant get started
• Cant monitor own behavior

• Laugh when disciplined
• Will work if they like you
• Tell stories in casual language
• Dont know middle class rules
• Dislike authority
• Talk back
• Extremely participatory

23
Moving from poverty to middle class

• Emotional memory bank emotions that are
  accessed habitually and feel right.
• In poverty, relationships are the most valued.
  As you move away from placing importance on these
  relationships toward placing importance on
  achievement you may feel wrong.
• Emotional resources and stamina allow the
  individual to live with feelings other than those
  in the emotional memory bank.

24
Why take the risk to change emotional memory bank?

• Current situation is too painful for the
  individual to stay
• A compelling goal or vision of the future drives
  the individual
• A talent or skill takes the individual into new
  surroundings
• A spouse or mentor provides an emotional comfort
  level while the individual learns the new skills/
  knowledge.

25
Group Project

• Step 1 Get together in your groups
• Step 2 Discuss Ellie who is described on
  pages 63-64
• Step 3 Offer up some suggestions of
  interventions that might have been tried to keep
  her from dropping out of school. Possible
  suggestions are on pages 66-67 however, think in
  terms of what a school psychologist might offer.

26
Penance and Forgiveness

• Discipline is not about change.
• The mother is the disciplinarian.
• She is judge, jury, and executioner.
• She determines the amount and price of penance.
• Once it is complete, she provides forgiveness.
• Behaviors go back to normal after forgiveness is
  granted.
• As mother is in control, self-control is not a
  requirement.

27
Behavior Related to Poverty

• Laugh When Discipline Saves face.
• Argue Loudly w/ teacher Distrust of authority/
  poverty is participatory.
• Angry Response Angerfear (loss of face?)
• Inappropriate comments Causal Language

• Physically Fight do not use language to resolve
  conflict. May be less of a man/woman if dont
  fight.
• Hands always on someone else communication is
  often nonverbal
• Cannot follow directions little procedural
  memory in poverty. Sequence not used.

28
Behavior Related to Poverty

• Extremely Disorganized Lack of planning
  scheduling, or prioritizing. Also may not have
  tools.
• Complete only part of the task W/out self-talk,
  they may only see part of the task.
• Disrespectful of Teacher lack of respect for
  authority

• Harm other students, physically or verbally
  habitual response, way to buy space or distance.
• Cheat or steal weak support system, financial
  need.
• Talk incessantly Poverty is participatory.

29
Problem Solving Steps

• Stop Take a moment before acting.
• Think Think of all possible options.
• Choose Choose the best option.
• Do Do that option.
• Evaluate How did that work out for you? What
  would you do differently next time?

30
Group Project IQ and Poverty

• Students in poverty score on average 9 points
  lower on IQ tests.
• Payne states that this is due to lack of acquired
  knowledge consistent with middle class.
• What are some other possibilities that we find IQ
  differences b/w different cultural groups and
  different SES groups?

31
Importance of Relationships

• 9 out 10 students who have successfully left
  poverty say that a relationship with another
  individual (e.g., teacher, counselor, etc.) made
  the difference to them.
• A successful relationship occurs when emotional
  deposits are made to students and emotional
  withdrawals are avoided. This is true in any
  relationship.

32
Middle class view of Deposits and Withdrawals

• Withdrawals
• Seek first to be understood
• Breaking promises
• Unkindness, discourtesies
• Violating expectations
• Disloyalty, duplicity
• Pride, conceit, arrogance
• Rejecting feedback

• Deposits
• Seek first to understand
• Keeping promises
• Kindnesses, courtesies
• Clarifying expectations
• Loyalty to the absent
• Apologies
• Open to feedback

33
Poverty view of Deposits and Withdrawals

• Withdrawals
• Put-downs or sarcasm about their humor
• Insistence for full explanations about a person
  or a situation
• Insistence on the middle-class view of a
  relationship
• Using the parent voice
• Telling the individual his/her goals
• Making judgments on the value and availability of
  resources
• Assigning pejorative character traits

• Deposits
• Appreciation for humor and entertainment
• Acceptance of what the individual cannot say
  about a situation
• Respect the demands and priorities of
  relationships
• Using the adult voice
• Assisting with goal-setting
• Identifying options related to available
  resources
• Understanding the importance of personal freedom,
  speech, and individual personality

34
90/90/90 Schools

• At least
• 90 combined minority
• 90 free or reduced lunch
• 90 successful on standardized assessments
• 5 Commonalities
• Strong emphasis on achievement
• Clear and integrated curricular choices
• Frequent assessment to monitor progress
• Strong emphasis in writing in all academics
• External scoring of student work

35
90/90/90 Success through

• Ongoing and focused professional development
• Modeling of effective teaching and assessment
  practices
• Ongoing professional collaboration
• Effective communication between school staff,
  parents, and students
• Visible tracking of student progress on a
  frequent and regular basis.

Work by Douglas Reeves