Skip to main content
Humanities LibreTexts

Poverty and Inequality - by Katelyn Vessey

  1. Last updated
  2. Save as PDF
  • Page ID
    186594

    • Katelyn Vessey at Pima Community College
    \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    I hosted a watch party for the “Nation United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times” chapter two poverty and inequality. Well, not technique hosted a watch party, but I did have friends and family watch the video. My sister Kirstyn, my boyfriend Elijah, and my friend Katherine all took part of this project. I had them sit down watch the video and answer a couple of questions related to the video. The main goal for this project is to see how the video effects people differently.

    The whole United Nations video is good at spreading awareness for important problems that need solutions. I am focusing on the second chapter poverty and inequality. This chapter spreads awareness on the inequality of people in poverty around the world. The first question I asked them is “What is the point of the video?” Both Kirstyn and Katherine agreed that the point was to spread awareness on how poverty effects families. Katherine added that “this is an ongoing issue that has been normalized”. Everyone mentions how it is shocking to that the amount people living in extreme poverty were reduced. The video stated that over few decades over a billion people were lifted out of poverty.

    The next question I asked was “Do you think the experiment was interesting?”. The Hole in The Wall Experiment, it consists of putting a computer in a “hole” and letting children come and mess with it. In the video the kids learn computer terms like keyboard, the doctor asked how they knew those words. The children learned the words since the computer only used English, so they were forced to learn English. Kirstyn thought that the experiment was interesting but not surprising that the children learned about technology given the resources. She also mentioned that it makes the video creditable, since it was firsthand experience. Elijah thought that the experiment shows that inequality does start when they are born. He said that the experiment showed that if everyone had the same resources the playing field would be fair. Katherine said she thought the experiment was interesting because it demonstrated how important access to technology and education is.

    How does the music and visuals effect the feel of the video? Kirstyn responded by saying the music made it feel hopeful while the visuals were sad. Elijah said that the music was hopeful as well, and the visuals were sad but also brought understanding. When he said that it made me think of the saying, out of sight out of mind. If it is not brought to our attention, often we do not know what is going on in the world. The visuals did a good job with showing the reality, the need of solutions, and bring hope to those watching it.

    The last question is “how did the video overall make you feel?”. Kirstyn said that the video moved her, that it gives her hope for our overall future as a world. Elijah felt the video gave him a sense of hope toward future generations. He thought the video spread positivity that the poverty crisis can get better if we continue to work at it. Katherine said she felt she could be doing more to make things change and fight for those who do not have the same privileges that I have. I thought this project was interesting to see how everyone thought of the video, it was very similar but different response from everyone.

    “Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times | Presented by Thandie Newton.” YouTube, YouTube, 19 Sept. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVWHuJOmaEk&t=675s.

    This page titled Poverty and Inequality - by Katelyn Vessey is shared under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Katelyn Vessey at Pima Community College.