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Learning Exercise

Social Class and Poverty Simulation

 This assignment allows the learner to experience poverty through a simulation.  Through socialization we are taught that if you work hard enough you will succeed which often leads to blaming individuals for personal failures while ignoring structural issues that inhibit success.  This simulation is a helpful tool in explaining social inequities through illustrating the difficulties of low wage labor and poverty.  Completion of the simulation and application of one of the three major sociological perspectives (Symbolic Interaction, Functional Analysis, Conflict Perspective) connects the "personal experience" with the learned material through use of the sociological imagination. on.

Material:
SPENT
Date last modified:
June 13, 2021
Created by:
Mandy Hertel
License:
creative-commons creative-commons by
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SPENT

SPENT

Interactive website which places user in poverty situation due to loss of job, and then challenges user to make... see more

Material Type:
Simulation
Author:
McKinney, Urban Ministries of Durham
User Rating:
5 stars

Exercise

Access the Playspent.org Website by selecting "Go to Material on the Merlot Detail Page".  Learners can be instructed to access the simulation by providing them with the playspent.org hyperlink in the instructions if you are using a learning management system for assignment creation.

Provide learners with the following instructions to complete the activity as a supplemental activity or as an individual assignment:

On the website homepage select "Continue to SPENT" and on the next page select "Accept the Challenge".  This will begin the simulation.  Follow the instructions as you go through the challenge until you have completed the activity.  Average time if you make it to end is 20-30 minutes.

While completing the challenge take notes answering the following questions:

1) What job did you choose?

2) What types of difficulties/decisions did you face during the simulation?  How did you handle them?

3) How much of a choice do you think you had when making those decisions? Did you ever feel constrained?  If yes, by what?  If no, why not?

4) Did you enjoy the activity? Did you see value in the activity? Why?

5) Using the information, you gathered to answer the above 4 questions complete a 300-500 word essay summarizing your simulation experience and apply one of the following theories using one of the below prompts: 

  • Discuss how a structural functionalist would explain poverty, specifically in relation to your experience.  
  • Discuss how a symbolic interactionist would explain poverty, specifically in relation to your experience.  
  • Discuss how a conflict theorist would explain poverty, specifically in relation to your experience.

Essay requirements are up to the instructor- Critical thinking and use of key terminology are recommended.

*Alteration to use activity in a flipped classroom for in-class group discussion:

Assign independent completion of the poverty simulation and summary prompts 1-4 prior to class. In class, separate students into pairs or small groups of 3 to discuss their simulation experiences.  Assign each group a major perspective to apply to their experiences or have each group complete the application for all three perspectives (takes more time) providing terms, main concepts, and examples from the simulation experiences to support the perspective.  Once small group work is complete do a full class discussion having each group share their findings and application with a short Q&A session.

*Alteration to use activity in an online course discussion board or other student to student learning tool (such as VoiceThread):

Give students instructions to complete the activity and 4 summarizing prompts as provided in the individual assignment above.  Students will complete their initial comment in the discussion board providing this information. 

The following instructions should be given for the reply post in a discussion board setting:

1) Read your classmate’s initial posts about the simulation summaries and choose 1 to reply to.

2) Choose 1 of the 3 options below to guide your reply comment using the chapter resources to support your response.

  • Discuss how a structural functionalist would explain poverty, specifically in relation to YOUR CLASSMATES experience NOT YOURS.
  • Discuss how a symbolic interactionist would explain poverty, specifically in relation to YOUR CLASSMATES experience NOT YOURS.
  • Discuss how a conflict theorist would explain poverty, specifically in relation to YOUR CLASSMATES experience NOT YOURS.

Disciplines

Audience

Technical Notes

As of 2021 this simulation offers an "ask a friend" option with the decisions that can be made as you move through.  This option if selected is intended to connect the user to their Facebook or Twitter account to "ask a friend".  The feature at the time of this submission 6/13/2021 does not work and freezes the simulation.  Students must be instructed not to select that option or they will have to sign out and start the simulation over.

Topics

Poverty, Social Inequality, Major Sociological Perspectives, Applying the Sociological Imagination

 

Type of Task

Learning Objectives

Identify the consequences of poverty on day to day life decisions

Apply the Major Sociological Perspectives to the poverty experience

Use the Sociological Imagination to understand the poverty experience

Assessment

Grading rubric for individual essay assignment:

300-500 word essay (? points)

5- Includes thoughtful commentary that specifically includes references and discussion to the simulation experience, and other course resources; personal connections when relevant and thoroughly addresses the prompts with relevant ideas.

4- Includes thoughtful commentary that includes some references and discussion to the simulation experience, and other course resources; personal connections when relevant and addresses the prompts with some relevant ideas

3- Includes partial information, references some type of course material and simulation experience and partially covers the prompts with relevant ideas.

2- Includes incorrect or minimal information, no reference is made to relevant resource material, or there are mainly irrelevant ideas.

1- Prompts not complete OR do not address prompts provided

Grading rubric for discussion board (online) assignment:

Initial Comment (? points)

5- Answers all prompts in detail

4- Answers 3/4 prompts in detail OR all 4 prompts with basic detail

3- Answers 2/4 prompts in detail OR all 3 prompts with basic detail

2- Answers 1/4 prompts in detail OR 2 prompts with basic detail

1- Prompts not complete OR do not address prompts provided

Reply Comment (? points)

5- Includes thoughtful commentary that specifically includes references and discussion to the simulation experience, and other course resources; personal connections when relevant and thoroughly addresses the prompts with relevant ideas.

4- Includes thoughtful commentary that includes some references and discussion to the simulation experience, and other course resources; personal connections when relevant and addresses the prompts with some relevant ideas

3- Includes partial information, references some type of course material and simulation experience and partially covers the prompts with relevant ideas.

2- Includes incorrect or minimal information, no reference is made to relevant resource material, or there are mainly irrelevant ideas.

1- Prompts not complete OR do not address prompts provided