Building understanding between poor, middle class

Dec. 8, 2011, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

Fatina Evans grew up in a middle-class family on the poor side of a mid-sized Ohio city. Surrounded by poverty, her family followed the same unwritten rules regarding money: If you have it, you spend it, because stressful circumstances make it hard to plan beyond the present.

One day it clicked that her family could afford something nicer, so they moved to a nicer neighborhood. Once there, she said they realized a shift in social norms — people were more likely to save money and maybe refinance a mortgage when money ran short. Neighborly expectations were different, too, because people were more aware of the effect of neighborhood conditions on property values.

While the neighbors were accommodating, the Evans family ultimately decided to move back to their original neighborhood, where they were more comfortable.

Evans said poverty brings about a different code, which drives behaviors the middle class might not understand or even scorn.