Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Children Living In Poverty: Their Perception Of Career Opportunities, Susan Weinger

Social Work Faculty Publications

Growing up in poverty often diminishes a child's opportunity to pursue a rewarding career path. This qualitative study explored whether poor children are aware that their wealthier peers' chances for success may be greater than their own. Projective techniques employing photographs of two houses representing poor and middle-income families were used to interview twenty-four children between the ages of five and thirteen years, divided equally between white and African Americans. These respondents perceived that society provides better future job opportunities to non poor children while limiting those of the poor. Although respondents suggested that they and their friends could be …