Concrete Ceilings: Created By Generational Problems And Maintained By Poverty

Breaking through Concrete Ceilings: Created by Generational Problems and Maintained By Stigma and Poverty!

Topic #1 Political philosopher Karl Marx famously said that “[People] make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past.” In other words, though we create our own lives, our choices and options are affected by the circumstances that we are born into. Using course concepts and materials, write an argumentative essay that explores Marx’s idea with reference to Baby’s life.

Thesis statement: The wellbeing of parents and children should be a governmental concern because; raising children in

The foundation, on which Baby’s development was formed, was fractured before she was born. Baby was raised in an unstable and derelict environment, paired with absence of familial support, which hindered her childhood development. The stigma she encountered from her social networks enhanced her struggle with moral contradiction and personal integrity. Consequently, her understanding of social and moral values deviated from societal norms.

I. How did the environment, in which Baby was raised, affected her well being?
• Jules addiction and precarious working conditions, affected the way he treated Baby. He accused Baby of breaking things around the house at night and letting a bird into the house. He even accused her of being on drugs without any evidence. This all stems from the pressure and stress he was under. In order to escape the stress of life, Jules uses drugs. “ Due to the fact that my mind is my own worst enemy. In a way I am perpetually and permanently in a state of rehabilitation. In an attempt to recover from the shock of being born . Some people are too sensitive to withstand that.” (O’Neill, 2006,

One begs the question, what can we do as a society to better facilitate the molding of our most vulnerable citizens?
• Both Baby and Jules could benefit from care. Jules could have taken parenting classes and got enrolled in a program to learn a trade.
• A Basic Income program might have helped Jules with the finances and alleviated some of the financial stress he encountered.
• Society feared her sadness and teachers and socialworkers perpetuated the notion that she is a troubled kid. Baby said: “they are afraid of my sadness” (O’Neill, 2006, p.128).
• A caring mentor would have improved the chances of these two. In the end, we are left with a glimpse of redemption when Jules and Baby finally escaped the city and seek out the help of his(Jules) cousin. I believe O’Neill wrote this book to show that we as a society need caring advocates; educators and social workers need to be aware of each parent and child situation. It also encourages us to look at ourselves. Social workers need sensitivity training and should be held accountable for their action or lack of action.
• Basic income, access to free healthcare and education allows individuals to reset family histories more expediently than under capitalist framework (ends generational