ABSTRACT
The act of reflecting on and having an awareness of the status of birth as a demographic, as a statistic, as having a heritage of poverty, is poverty consciousness. Poverty consciousness is not about identity nor is it about culture. It is an awareness of the value we attach to the totality of a human being in relation to others within the socio-cultural political dynamics of our world. This awareness is constantly evolving as is the relative value we place on some and the criteria we use to come to such values. Although there are fluctuating circumstances similar to the stock market, there are also certain "fixed" values we attach to race or even gender. Teachers in particular are confronted daily with thoughts of contempt, embarrassment, shame and fear.
