Sparkle (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
myownface) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2018-01-25 07:40 am
myownface) wrote in fandomhigh2018-01-25 07:40 am
Entry tags:
Urban Survival - The Uglier Side of City Living, Thursday, Period 2
Today, Sparkle was actually looking pretty pumped as he sat on the desk at the front of the class. His Big Bad Wolf costume had gone over pretty well in class last night. At least, he figured it had. It was probably not a bad sign when the instructor said 'I would tap that wolf,' was it?
That mood would probably fade with this discussion, at least.
"Hey again, guys," he greeted. "Our last few classes have been about things like basic needs, and why people might find themselves on the street... or in a similar situation." Good to make a nod toward that, yes. He was starting to figure out his audience, here. "You guys brought up a few good ones that I hadn't listed myself, like refugee situations and overbearing government systems holding the people back."
That was about the best he had for whatever the fuck Auradon was all about. God.
"This week, we're going to start talking about things that keep people down once they're there. Laws with a bias against people already in that situation, money, whatever. And then I'm going to get you guys to dig in and list other factors that might complicate the situation further. I'm going to start with poverty, since that one is, in many cases, the most obvious cause of sustained homelessness."
He shrugged. That didn't seem to necessarily be the case with some of this lot, but it still seemed like it was a factor. Hopefully he wouldn't be talking over anybody's heads this week.
"So, you're living in poverty. You don't have the money to sustain yourself, to afford a home or food or whatever in order to live. Money's the solution, right? So you get a job. Easy." He paused, raising an eyebrow. "Except that you're homeless. Odds are you're wearing dirty clothes and you stink like body odour and the fucking gutter, and do you even have a phone? If you get hired, how is your employer even going to contact you? There are some places that have services that'll take messages and let you use a phone. A decent homeless shelter will do what it can to facilitate that for you. But not every sity does that, and there are more than a few shelters who have a reputation of abusing the people who need their help. They might not be the easy solution that you think you need."
He shrugged.
"What else is holding you back from getting that job? How about prejudices, like sexism, racism, homophobia? An inherent bias against you based on where you came from or who your parents are? What if there isn't work to be had? What are the factors that led to your unemployment to begin with, and can those things even be undone from where you're standing? And that's just the shit that factors into poverty. Money might not entirely be the issue, here. The last time I taught this class, I had people pointing out that injury might keep you from getting out of the gutter. Language is going to be a barrier, there. A lack of legal identification is a roadblock in many places, and getting identification is almost impossible without money, which you need a job in order to get. It's a fucking cycle, you know? You might be in a situation where you can see all the puzzle pieces that you have to put together in order to get out again, but they're all out of your reach. Somewhere beyond your ability to grasp at. Trust me, that's a place to be that'll fuck with your head in ugly ways."
And then he spread his hands, gesturing to the room.
"I know I'm missing things. It's impossible for me to list it all, we only have like an hour, here. So it's your turn. Once you're down, what are some things that'll make it difficult to get back up again?"
You were a bright, if intimidating class. Sparkle had confidence in your ability to horrify him further.
That mood would probably fade with this discussion, at least.
"Hey again, guys," he greeted. "Our last few classes have been about things like basic needs, and why people might find themselves on the street... or in a similar situation." Good to make a nod toward that, yes. He was starting to figure out his audience, here. "You guys brought up a few good ones that I hadn't listed myself, like refugee situations and overbearing government systems holding the people back."
That was about the best he had for whatever the fuck Auradon was all about. God.
"This week, we're going to start talking about things that keep people down once they're there. Laws with a bias against people already in that situation, money, whatever. And then I'm going to get you guys to dig in and list other factors that might complicate the situation further. I'm going to start with poverty, since that one is, in many cases, the most obvious cause of sustained homelessness."
He shrugged. That didn't seem to necessarily be the case with some of this lot, but it still seemed like it was a factor. Hopefully he wouldn't be talking over anybody's heads this week.
"So, you're living in poverty. You don't have the money to sustain yourself, to afford a home or food or whatever in order to live. Money's the solution, right? So you get a job. Easy." He paused, raising an eyebrow. "Except that you're homeless. Odds are you're wearing dirty clothes and you stink like body odour and the fucking gutter, and do you even have a phone? If you get hired, how is your employer even going to contact you? There are some places that have services that'll take messages and let you use a phone. A decent homeless shelter will do what it can to facilitate that for you. But not every sity does that, and there are more than a few shelters who have a reputation of abusing the people who need their help. They might not be the easy solution that you think you need."
He shrugged.
"What else is holding you back from getting that job? How about prejudices, like sexism, racism, homophobia? An inherent bias against you based on where you came from or who your parents are? What if there isn't work to be had? What are the factors that led to your unemployment to begin with, and can those things even be undone from where you're standing? And that's just the shit that factors into poverty. Money might not entirely be the issue, here. The last time I taught this class, I had people pointing out that injury might keep you from getting out of the gutter. Language is going to be a barrier, there. A lack of legal identification is a roadblock in many places, and getting identification is almost impossible without money, which you need a job in order to get. It's a fucking cycle, you know? You might be in a situation where you can see all the puzzle pieces that you have to put together in order to get out again, but they're all out of your reach. Somewhere beyond your ability to grasp at. Trust me, that's a place to be that'll fuck with your head in ugly ways."
And then he spread his hands, gesturing to the room.
"I know I'm missing things. It's impossible for me to list it all, we only have like an hour, here. So it's your turn. Once you're down, what are some things that'll make it difficult to get back up again?"
You were a bright, if intimidating class. Sparkle had confidence in your ability to horrify him further.
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