Please begin by doing the following:
Read Andrea Elliott’s New York Times investigative journalism series on homeless children in New York City: “Invisible Child” (there are five parts to the article)(http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013/invisible-child/#/?chapt=1)
As you read, think about the following questions:
• How does stigma against the poor and working class impact how they are represented in our popular culture and news media? How do the documentary Class Dismissed and the New York Times article represent these populations differently?
• What are the “real life” impacts of stigma for individuals who are poor or working class? What is day-to-day life like for the individuals in the article and documentary?
• How have your own ideas about the poor and working class been challenged? Or not challenged?
• What critique can you make of the article and documentary? Do they have noticeable biases? If you are from the poor or working classes, do you think their representations are accurate?
Write a 3 page reflection which both responds to the questions above, but which also explores the emotional side of social class inequality and stigma. Elliott’s article is titled “Invisible Child” for a reason. What does it mean for an entire segment of our population to be invisible? Are there ethical considerations at work here? Treat your reflection less as an academic paper and more as a scholarly blog. Write clearly and intelligently, but don’t feel you have to cite academic sources unless it helps you. If you write poetry, feel free to incorporate some into your reflection as well.
