SRU Workshop teaches people how to better communicate with different social classes
SLIPPERY ROCK — Food to a person in poverty can sometimes be seen as a luxury, just as long as they get to eat enough, while meals to a wealthy person are often more about the presentation and tastes.
That was the lesson learned Wednesday at Bridges Out of Poverty. Consultant Monica Bein explained to community members at a Slippery Rock University workshop how unspoken rules can influence interactions between different social classes, and how actions meant to be friendly can come across as uncomfortable or even disrespectful.
“If you are feeding people, it really could break relationships if you don’t choose the right food,” Bein said. “For a person in poverty, it’s about how much food they have. For a middle class person, it’s ‘What do you want, what are you in the mood for?’ For a wealthy person it’s about presentation.”
Many people in attendance at the Bridges Out of Poverty workshop were officials with social aid nonprofits and school districts, and Bein told them how they could improve their interactions with clients, who may have grown up in generational poverty.
The workshop, one of two this week, was coordinated by SRU, Butler County and Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV, which used American Rescue Plan money to bring the training to the area.
The Bridges trainings are based off of writings by educator Ruby Payne, who has penned several books on the culture of poverty and its relation to education.
Wendy Kinnear, Region 5 coordinator for Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV, said the organization decided to bring the training to SRU now because children in poverty are shown to have lost more during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There was an understanding that kids in poverty lost more, there were a lot of barriers for them,” Kinnear said. ”This money is to make that better by building the emotional framework for understanding their situations.“
A portion of this story is shared with you as a digital media exclusive. To read the full story and support our local, independent newsroom, please subscribe at butlereagle.com.
