“Using sophisticated imaging, Canadian James Swain will soon begin to peer inside the brains of people who grew up in poverty.
Over the past four decades, researchers have established how poverty shapes lives, that low socioeconomic status is associated with poor academic performance, poor mental and physical health and other negative outcomes. Dr. Swain is part of a new generation of neuroscientists investigating how poverty shapes the brain.
The University of Michigan researcher will use a number of imaging technologies to compare the structure and function of brains of young adults from families with low socioeconomic status to those who are middle-class.
He knows the work has the potential to be controversial, but he hopes it will eventually lead to new teaching methods or early childhood interventions that would help children from low socioeconomic status (SES) families succeed at school and in life.
‘That would be the dream, to inform social policy,’ said Dr. Swain, who is from Toronto.
He and other neuroscientists are building on preliminary evidence that suggests the chronic stress of living in an impoverished household, among other factors, can have an impact on the developing brain.”
Read more at The Globe And Mail (thanks, DG)
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So it isn’t the brain being malnourished on various levels but rather taught different ways to perform. Why are the working and middle classes grouped together when clearly they are very different, and what about the upper classes? There could be a good study on positive and negative correlations for brain activity between the financially deprived/affluent.
Correlation != causation…
What if poverty itself doesn\’t \”shape the brain\” but lack of balanced/nutritious diet, living in more polluted suburb, and attending a less salubrious school does impact on the brain?
What if wealth itself doesn\’t \”shape the brain\” but access to balanced/nutritious diet, living in more affluent/clean/leafy suburb and attending an elite, perhaps more strict, school does impact on the brain?
Well that\’s hardly surprising.
The poorest and the richest often see to things the same way from the same state of mind. They know from experience
Too rich can have a very negative influence on someone’s mind as well. It remains a very personal thing, to what your mind/brain will respond best. Best would be ofcourse that you could experience both sides.
Many things do have its influence on a brain, but not always that much as those researchers seem to think. They focus on a certain type of people which can be found in upperclass as well (but these researchers might not be able to look through the cover some people put on top).
Too poor circumstances might numb the person and therefor he/she will not even try to trigger certain parts of him/herself, so certain parts of the brain will not get used/trained.
Also, interesting .. people with lots of money can often not see systems through to the bottom .. only reason on the surface .. whereas the poor people can quite often see both and in between.. Which type do you prefer being in charge of a company?
What is poor? What is rich?
I know poverty don’t just go away in a day or two it’s something we all been fighting for years well all our life. There are so many charities out their we put on big shows and show that we have rise big money but where does all that money goes because to ask me I cant see it each year there is more problems always something new the question is when is it all going to end .. I tell you its not because all the people that rise that money gets rich off all that money am not saying no one is 100% but its just so unbelievable how much people all over the world is suffering I ask myself this question everyday and I cant come to an answer .. I even ask why I can’t come to an answer. I watch the news once in a while and I laugh at the celebrity that plays the role of am such a wonderful person I have set up my own charity or I have donated this to that charity to me its an act … ok my opinion is they all fake .. the other day I was broke I wanted a new dress I saved for it and I got my dress then I wanted heels to go with my dress so I saved and I got my heels then I wanted a bag so I saved and I got my bag … same with a charity you want books for children in poor countries you save and you get them books … you want schools you save and you build schools yes there is a lot of poor countries that needs schools and everyone is trying to help but like I said I cant see much changes its been so many years and so much money has been rise but yet still poverty seems to be growing I just don’t understand