Understanding and Working with Students and Adults from Poverty

In this first section of the Payne readings, the part that jumped out at me most was the chart that outlined the "Hidden Class Rules." It had three columns, each one dedicated to either "Generational Poverty", "Middle Class", or "Wealth". Within these class divisions, the chart outlined basic upspoken behaviors and rules that each group tends to pick up as a part of being raised by other people of that status. These rules include things like what drives desicion making, what defines a possession, how the world is defined, how fighting is done and so on. Payne essentially creates a basic overview of these hidden rules in order to show a distinction between classes and how that leads to different experiences in the classroom or at work.
I think the reason that this chart struck me was because I was at first very insulted by it. Although I do completely understand that Payne was intentionally grouping people and making generalizations, it is still hard to read it and not think about all of the examples that I have to refute her stereotyping. It was especially in her saying, "physical fighting is how conflict is resolved" (3) of the poverty section, and, "Fighting is done through social inclusion/exclusion and through lawyers" (3) about the wealthy class. I can think of so many people who clearly fit these explanations, but the part that bothers me is that I know so many people who work hard to get out of these labels. I know that in order to write a guidline like this, one must file people into specific categories that don't always work for everyone, but I guess it's just sad that we are able to do so this easily.