“Because His Family Is Poor, That Makes Them Mad”: Perceptions of Poverty Among Young Children Who Are Poor

TITLE: “Because His Family is Poor, That Makes Them Mad”: Perceptions of Poverty Among Young Children Who Are Poor

INTRODUCTION: The experience of living in poverty or near-poverty is very common among children in the U.S., and has become increasingly so in the past decade. Living in poverty or near-poverty increases children’s risk for problems with behavioral, social, and academic functioning, and poverty has therefore received a substantial amount of attention in the child psychology literature. However, most research has focused on aspects of the experience of living in poverty that are external to the child. In this presentation, I will discuss a relatively understudied aspect of young children’s experience of poverty: their internal, psychological aspects of this experience.

METHODS: Participants are English-speaking 3-8-year-old children whose families are poor or near poor. Two play-based interview techniques are being used to assess children’s perceptions of and attributions about poverty. One technique, modelled on the Berkeley Puppet Interview (Measelle et. al, 1998), uses puppets that make opposing statements about themselves then ask for the child’s thoughts. For example: Puppet 1: “My parents don’t have enough money.” Puppet 2: “My parents have enough money. What about your parents?” Children respond verbally or by pointing to a puppet. The second technique uses two identical dolls matched to the child’s gender. Children are told that one doll is poor and the other is not, and each doll is presented with a picture of a house that is representative of typical housing in the Northeast for a family with the doll’s designated SES. Children are then told brief stories (e.g., “One of the children can count really, really high! [He/she] is so good at counting.”) and asked to select the doll that belongs in the story. After children have chosen a doll, they are asked the reason for their choice to assess their attributions. All interviews are videotaped and will be transcribed for analysis.

RESULTS: Qualitative analysis will be used to identify themes that emerge from the interviews, which cover topics including work, academic performance, behavior, social aptitude and acceptability, and family dynamics. Findings related to children’s awareness of their own families’ poverty as well as perceptions of poverty as a larger social phenomenon be discussed.

DISCUSSION: Findings will be discussed in terms of their implications for young poor children’s psychological functioning. Particular attention will be paid to the question of how young poor children’s understanding of poverty in general and as a relevant personal experience might impact their motivation, expectations for the future, and self-esteem.