Class Notes on Kozol

Class Discussion on Kozol

What is Kozol's argument in this piece??

The culture of power provides temporary fixes to the problems of poverty  in Mott Haven which keep the cycle of power in its place, and put a "bandaid' on the "broken leg" which never really fixes the problems.

Kozol blames INSTITUTIONS not INDIVIDUALS.

Kozol disagrees with Mead who says,  "If poor people behaved rationally they would seldom be poor for long in the first place" (21).  

People with LESS PRIVILEGE have FEWER CHOICES.
Power offers people choice and freedom to make decisions for long term success rather than short term survival.









AGREES:
"Evil exists...  I believe that what the rich have done to the poor in this city..."(23)
Kozol tells us this to show us that RICH PEOPLE have power but don't use it. 

How do we know that Kozol agrees?

DISAGREES:
Mead: "If poor people behaved rationally they would seldom be poor for long in the first place" (21)

EVIDENCE:
cockroaches
hand out blankets instead of heat
all about fixing the problem temporarily...
incinerator
dumping trash
putting so many poor people in one place with "nothing to grow on"