Return-Path: <nifl-workplace@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id fACI8h010990; Mon, 12 Nov 2001 13:08:44 -0500 (EST) Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2001 13:08:44 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <71.159b6f07.292169a6@aol.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-workplace@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-workplace@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-workplace@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: DEBBYDAM@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-workplace@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-WORKPLACE:348] Re: from HandsNet WebClipper Digest X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: AOL 6.0 for Windows US sub 10539 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="part1_71.159b6f07.292169a6_boundary" Status: O Content-Length: 3279 Lines: 34 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Thanks to Barbara for making this summary of findings available to us. I am struck, on this initial reading, by the permanence of class status among this population. The general taboo on discussing and naming and analyzing class in the US has, I think, hampered our ability to think clearly about how difficult it is for individuals to achieve fundamental changes in their economic status, and how much harder it is becoming of late. Class inequality increased during our recent period of prosperity--I beleive we are now the country with the highest, or certainly one of the highest, levels of inequality. It is interesting that so few of the approaches to welfare to work policy effect the amount of family income, even if they change the ways in which individuals assemble it in a given period of time. Yet, we already know that education, over the long term, is clearly linked to higher income. It is unlikely that short bursts of education and training will make a difference for people without high school diplomas. For them, we need attention to making education far more available throughout life, as well as attention to raising the minimum wage and ensuring access to affordable child care and health care. There are no quick answers. We should not, as educators, interpret these results to mean that our work has no impact--only that it is not valued and supported enough make the difference it can. Debby D'Amico
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