Question for book people

[luv2show]

For my Advanced Sociology class, I had to chose a topic to research, that can be applied to families. I have chosen socio-economic status' and the effect it has on members of the family.
Ex) Are children of a "lower/poorer" class more likely to become involved in drugs and alcohol?
So basically, I'm studying how the behaviors, characteristics and lifestyles of the "classes" &how they differ.

In one section for this ISU, I am required to read a book that involves my topic. He said preferably it should be nonfiction. Does anyone know and book that involve this? I'm thinking something like poor boy loves rich girl... something along that line I think would be the easiest to find and study.

Thanks for your help!!

[Tatesgram]

Interesting topic. I can't recommend a book, but I can tell you that I was raised in a lower end middle class family, mom stayed home, dad worked two or three jobs while we kids were growing up. I witnessed families that had a lot less than we had, and yes usually there were drugs and/or alcohol involved. Mostly alcohol. The interesting thing about this was, several of the kids chose to improve their circumstances, get better educations and make something of themselves, while others continued the lifestyles of their parents. Heavy drinking, partying and just getting by. We didn't see a lot of food stamps or welfare, nor did we see a lot of people blaming others for their situations. Or at least, I didn't.

I believe today, there is too much blame on anyone/everyone else. There's always someone telling you why you can't improve your circumstances, why you'll never improve, why you won't get that new car, house, job...

I started earning my own money when I was nine years old, cutting grass and babysitting when I was eleven. My parents provided the essentials, anything else, you had to earn the money and buy it yourself. No one told us we couldn't, they just told us if we wanted it, we had to work for it.

Sorry, got a little off track. I'm interested in reading other views.

[WashingtonBay]

I would propose that teen drug and alcohol abuse is no more common in poor families than rich ones, I think the rich kids party just as much, sometimes more because they can afford it, but it is more likely to be temporary and non-limiting, because of different pressures and expectations from their wider group of peers.

[luv2show]

Thanks Tatesgram! I appreciate your input, I don't mind anyone getting off topic, your information is helpful! It sounds like your family made you take responsibility at a really young age. I think that's a good thing, we have way to many irresponsible, unmotivated people entering the work force today.

WB - I definitely agree with you there, I was just writing something as an example. That's actually something I want to look at though. Just because some people are struggling financially, does not mean that they haven't instilled the proper morals and values in their children. I know a lot of rich people that are into drugs and alcohol. So I think it will be interesting to see what trends the research shows!

[luv2show]

Here's some other things I'm going to be looking at:

- Is there a link between s-es and education - how far will they get in life.
- links between s-es and attitudes towards other people, life in general.
- links between s-es and attitudes towards material goods.
- s-es & responsibilities
- s-es & sexual activity in teens/adolescents.
- link between s-es and happiness (now that is going to be tricky!)

etc..

*s-es - socio-economic status :p

[3equines]

This is a fictitiuos novel, but it is very very real in the way it describes a girl's experience in the California foster care system and the subculture of homeless youth. Topics it adresses are sexual exploitation and substance abuse, but it does this from a high-imapct first-person point of view.

"White Oleander" by Janet Fitch. Published by Little, Brown & Co., 1999.
ISBN# 0-316-56932-1

[JennyandJosey]

This might work...

Amazon.com: The Glass Castle: A Memoir (9780743247542): Jeannette Walls: Books

It reads like a novel but is a true story/memoir of a girl who grew up very poor I think in the Appalacian Mountains area. It also tells of very dysfunctinal parents so I don't know if it would apply or not.

Wow, I didn't know an Amazon link would embed like that.

[3equines]

I've been mulling over the relationship between socioeconomic status and happiness, substance abuse, etc. First, I like to think - what is happiness? I think it is a state of being satisfied with your identity, your material comfort level, and your potential to fulfill dreams and goals in the future.

My feeling is that hope and the presence of opportunity are strong predictors of happiness, along with identity and role performance (social expectations).

It would take a novel to support this conclusion, but for my own life story in a nutshell goes something like this: interrupted family process as a youth, living between foster homes, streets, and institutions in early teens, drop out of school and work full-time from age 16 on to support myself. A lot of unhappiness and dysfunctional behaviors at that point in my life, including substance abuse. However, there were opportunities present to find alternative ways to live, and alternative ways to find 'happiness', which eventually gave me the emotional stability to seek other opportunities, such as my education.
My advantage was living in a relatively rural area with a stable community and resources, such as land to live on for cheap (if you really want to know, in my early 20's I 'homesteaded' 80 acres with a bunch of 'alternative' type friends, We were dirt poor and generally dysfunctional as a group but it was a good experience, lots of hard work), the presence of vision (social role/identity), and ties to people with a higher socioeconomic status (land owner, donated vehicles, etc).
As I matured, and discovered my passions in life (horses, mountains, gardening), my financial status hadn't changed but my happiness and hope factor did. I had dreams, goals, desires which I believed could be fulfilled. Entering a community college and pursuing a degree in nursing has been a big part of my own pursuit of happiness (opportunity). I am still dirt poor, I still live on someone else's land, but I am transcending one socioeconomic status for another - one of the amazing things unique to America. Currently, I am happy. I have everything I need, and I know that next summer I will start making good money, as I will be graduating from college with my nursing degree in June. It's been a long trip, so far.

Now, if I had been raised in a large city, my outcome may have been different. Fewer resources, less support, less hope, less opportunity, higher cost of living, harder struggle to survive. Youth at risk in a city easily adopt negative identities, and have fewer adults to look up to for role models. In general, urban life has a different set of ideals, which influence the internal perception of hope, happiness, and opportunity. Material things and entertainment are valued more highly in urban culture; where I come from, community and hard work are more highly valued. It's easy to see which is the most affordable. These ideals and values create social roles that dictate our percieved needs and desires. The ability to fulfill such roles has a strong impact on happiness.