Fighting Poor: A Study Of A Life Narrative Of A Female From A Poor Family

• Main Authors: Jia-Jen Liou, 劉佳珍
• Other Authors: Chun-Ren Lin
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/12989352240252811856

碩士 === 國立花蓮教育大學 === 國民教育研究所 === 97 === The aim of this study is to investigate the life situation of a poor female and her psychological subjects and strategies under the poverty. The study was carried out by means of narrative and field observation, and the method “holistic – content analysis” was used to complete the life narrative of the participant and the text which taking the researcher and the participant as main body for one another. The participant of the study is a mother, whose last name is Jia. She mentioned the complex and long-term difficulties she suffered during the periods of her education, working, marriage, and the financial adversity in the narration. After analyzing, the researcher found that the first difficulty she encountered was the unfair distribution of the payment structure under capitalism: the unskilled labor devoted himself and much time but earning less money which was unable to afford his living. The second one was the oppression of middle class’s knowledge: culturally-disadvantaged students were frustrated in learning because the intelligence was emphasized in schools and they couldn’t learn professional skills as well. The third one was the domination of father in marriage: the oppression from long-term male favoritism made females servile and silent in families. Mothers had to be responsible for everything and deal with the expenses but not the authority especially in financial adversity. The participant’s life situation caused her to defend her self-esteem and overcome the inferiority built since her childhood under the social construction. Facing these difficulties, she used the following strategies to show her resilience: satisfaction, toleration, being away from the plight temporarily, telling and seeking support, inspiration by role model, and living with fearless, hope, and responsibility for children. In addition, her life narrative made the researcher to re-concern about the past life subjects and to introspect the actions and practice in teaching. The researcher discussed how to assist poor children to eliminate the discredit of poverty from three aspects: course design, teaching counseling, and statement. The result of the study showed that poor females’ inferiority could be overcome from accepting diversity but not through social interests and self-actualization. In the further research, the subjects of self-esteem and inferiority should be across the main psychology of white middle class male and be re-interpreted from the social construction of races, classes, culture, and gender. In addition, practical workers could strongly confirm the resilience of the minority of poor females while helping them. Moreover, diverse learning resource should be provided for those students who were culturally-disadvantaged and in poverty to learn skills, strengthen their confidence, and then to get rid of the poverty. Furthermore, the government should loosen the criterion of poverty and cooperate with companies to assist poor people to get jobs.