how poverty affects the brain

Joseph Condry

8am

How Poverty Affects the Brain

1. For the first study, it showed a recurring theme in the children’s MRI showing that those growing up exposed to higher levels of violence, have weaker skills to do things such as having good judgment, awareness, and ethical and emotional processing. Also this was a direct correlation to the second study, finding that things like chaos at home, parent without jobs, malnutrition, and abuse, can affect interactions and eventually, blocking the connections in the brain. In another study Venessa, a teenage girl, was view to see what type of an effect being in such a violent environment everyday had on her brain and its development. It was found that it impeded the development stem cells, the connective process, and the usage of neurons. Overall the studies concluded that those exposed to constant violence etc. had a less organized brain activity. 
2. Based on this new finding, you can then generalize certain areas and help these kids become not only become aware but also get a different, more selective education. For example, if you know a certain school is in a more violent area, you then could plan accordingly their lesson plans, instruction, and teaching approach to best help them. 
3. The major dangers of having this research without context is that how could you know what brain is what? You can't do this research without having the prior knowledge of what these kids have been exposed to. Basically without that prior knowledge you cannot make accurate decisions/conclusion on the study. 
4. This relates to our call of action activity because we then ourselves will know how to teach, speak, and overall interact with these kids based on where they are from. This will insure that they not only feel comfortable, but also learn as effectively as they can. 
5. Mainly, my concerns lie only in the findings. Its troubling to think that growing up in poverty had a direct relationship not only on the physical being, but also the brain and its development. But knowing this, i can plan not only my present accordingly, but also my future.