socioeconomic status – Psychology Benefits Society

October 17, 2018Administrator

25 Ways Psychologists Can Work to End Poverty

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the declaration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. In 2018, poverty is defined as living on an annual income of less than $12,140 for an individual and $25,100 for a family of four in the contiguous United States (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2018). While these numbers reflect Americans living in poverty as a whole, they do not adequately capture the millions living in deep poverty. Psychologists are vital to the effort of eradicating poverty – here are 25 ways they can help.

August 27, 2018Administrator

How Science and Socioeconomics Impacts a Mother’s “Choice” to Breastfeed

did whatever I thought would provide the best start for my daughter and cement me as a “good mom”. And as a young 21-year-old, unmarried, Black mother I felt even more pressure to prove this to others since I knew my age, amongst other things, unfortunately said otherwise to some people. Absent the knowledge and support of any family or friends that breastfed their children, I did my research and decided to breastfeed my daughter and enrolled in WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, infants, and Children). I was doing what I was thought was best for my daughter while simultaneously, purposefully performing an act that I thought would shatter anyone’s doubt that I could be a good, competent parent.

September 29, 2015September 29, 2015Administrator

Poverty’s Impact on Short-Term Decision-Making, Street Harassment, Mass Incarceration and the Black Family – In Case You Missed It – September 29, 2015

Welcome back to In Case You Missed It (our weekly roundup of articles touching on psychology, health, mental health and social justice issues from multiple news and commentary websites). This week, we address the impact of poverty on short-term decision-making, why we need to take street harassment seriously, the devastating impact of mass incarceration on the Black family and more. […]

September 1, 2015Administrator

What Makes People Gay (An Update), Ending Solitary Confinement in California Prisons – In Case You Missed It – September 1, 2015

Welcome back to In Case You Missed It (our weekly roundup of articles touching on psychology, health, mental health and social justice issues from multiple news and commentary websites). This week, we address the advances over a decade of sexual orientation research, the impact of post-Katrina recovery policies on Black women in public housing, an end to solitary […]

August 24, 2015August 24, 2015Administrator

Adjunct Faculty: Highly Educated, Working Hard for Society, and Struggling To Survive

By Gretchen M. Reevy, PhD (Lecturer, Psychology Department, California State University, East Bay) When we think of people who live below the poverty line in the U.S., we often picture individuals who lack adequate medical care, who are homeless, who are unable to provide nutritious food for themselves and their families, and if young, people who […]

August 12, 2015August 12, 2015Administrator

We Need to Talk about Money: How Ignoring Socioeconomic Status Hurts Research

By Meagan Sweeney, MA (Graduate Intern, APA Office of Socioeconomic Status) There is a social convention to not talk about money. We consider it rude to discuss differences in income, education, or spending ability, even among our close friends. While that rule of thumb may work at the family dinner table or office water cooler, […]

April 10, 2015Administrator

In Case You Missed It – April 10, 2015

Welcome to In Case You Missed It, a weekly roundup of news articles related to issues of psychology, health and mental health, social justice and the public interest that you may be interested in. We collate these articles from multiple news and commentary websites. Make sure to also check out these APA publications: Monitor on Psychology […]

March 20, 2015March 20, 2015Administrator

In Case You Missed It – March 20, 2015

Welcome to In Case You Missed It, a weekly roundup of news articles related to issues of psychology, health and mental health, social justice and the public interest that you may be interested in. This week, we have stories including the widening opportunity gap for low and middle-income earners, the criminalization of children by the school-to-prison […]

December 15, 2014December 12, 2014Administrator

It’s Not Just Us: We Can’t Fight Poverty Without Collaboration

This post continues our new blog series on poverty. As our nation reflects on its progress in fighting poverty over the last 50 years, this blog series will highlight how psychology can contribute further to this discussion. By Samantha Melvin (Manager, NEED Lab at Columbia University) Great research starts with a spark: a lunge for pen and […]

November 4, 2014November 18, 2014Administrator

How to End the Criminalization of Poverty

This post continues our new blog series on poverty. As our nation reflects on its progress in fighting poverty over the last 50 years, this blog series will highlight how psychology can contribute further to this discussion. By Dionne Jones, PhD (Member, APA Committee on Socioeconomic Status) A New York Times article once stated, “It’s too bad […]