“Life in the State of Poverty” is a welfare simulation experience that is designed to help participants begin to understand what life might be like for a low-income family. The objective is to increase the student’s awareness of the realities faced by those who might be living in poverty and to review community resources that may be available to them. In the process of trying to take care of their families, participants gain an understanding of poverty by experiencing some of the confusion, defeat, frustration, exhaustion, and despair that low-income families experience. This event was held Tuesday, October 31, 2023, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Festival Ballroom Grand and was available to all JMU faculty, staff, and students.
I found this to be an interesting event to look at because I don’t personally come from a place of poverty and it really never crossed my mind that something like this would be helpful to learn from. By participating in this simulation, attendees can gain insights into the day-to-day struggles of low-income families. I now realize that an event like this helps to bring awareness and understanding to what others may be going through, which helped me to empathize with a situation that I haven’t personally experienced. This is a helpful workshop that will give you insight into some of the stereotypes and misconceptions you may have heard about lower-income families.
Unfortunately, all of the “Life in the State of Poverty Simulations” are done for this year, but there is another IPE (Interprofessional Education) event called “Building Cultural Humility.” For this event, Students and faculty are invited to examine personal and institutional values that influence their thoughts, feelings, and actions through a series of shared readings, videos, group presentations, and respectful discussion. While it’s not exactly like the poverty simulation it is still an insightful workshop that will help you see other teachers and students through a different lens.
Event Dates:
- Wednesday, November 8, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Monday, November 13, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, November 15, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Events such as these play an amazing role by helping everyone feel like they are a part of the community. By sharing the responsibility of addressing these social issues we fortify our connections to those with whom we may differ. Not only will learning from these events open you up to what it’s like to lead a less fortunate life, but it may also help the less fortunate open up to you because they see that you are making an effort to understand and empathize with their struggles. With this kind of open communication, we can start to collaborate with one another, which will help to bring support to all of our communities.
ShoutOut! James Madison University 
I remember considering attendance to this event and I wish I had done so. I think it is incredibly important to understand the experiences of others, ones that we may not have had ourselves. Our lived experiences are not the lived experiences of others. We cannot speak for or suggest the emotions and hardships that individuals living in a state of poverty may be going through.
What exactly was the participatory aspect of the event for the attendees? Were there certain activities or discussions that offered up this important perspective?
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This was really interesting to learn more about this event. I think it is really important to be knowledge and aware of the daily struggles that people in poverty go through. Poverty is so common and often looked over by people from an outside perspective. I think it is crucial for everyone to understand and sympathize with individuals struggling through poverty because it not only allows people who are financially stable to appreciate and be grateful for what they have, but it also allows them to see this perspective and may influence them to do more to help individuals in poverty.
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As someone who has heard about this event and have had friends who attended I want to acknowledge what you’re offering here but maybe move beyond some of the framework you’ve put forth. I believe the biggest issue with a poverty simulations, and other simulations both physical and virtual, is that you cannot accurately simulate certain lived experiences. The event had people go into groups and take on various roles, people who attended said they had fun and because of the way it was set up they were bale to talk and laugh off something if they weren’t able to complete it or perfectly manage their finances. I understand what this simulation is attempting to do, but especially at a predominantly white institution with a large middle and middle-upper class population, I feel as though there would be better ways to appropriately convey such a message. Because at the end of the day participants are able to walk away from a simulation, they’re able to go back to a life where they somewhat have financial security or at least aren’t impoverished. And that’s not to say people who attend have not experienced poverty or are impoverished, but I believe a majority of attendees are not impoverished and that there are better ways to show that poverty is a systemic failing of the government and our society to not adequately manage our capital better and regulate egregious amounts of wealth. Because poverty doesn’t have to exist in our country, but it does. Thus, I appreciate your insights into this and I do agree that it is important that we attempt to understand,d but I would extend beyond this to say that maybe there are better ways for this message to be conveyed.
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