“We /They”
A fascinating conversation we are having at City House is how to describe what we do. Some people are bothered by references to “the poor” on our blog masthead. It sounds like we are referring to persons with disadvantages as “less than”. We are actually trying to make the opposite point. That is, we think we need “the poor” more than they need us. It’s just that when we turn toward the middle class world of which we are a part, “we” would never understand what it is that City House does without describing the “them” that we serve. It may be a sad state of affairs, but it is the truth.
October 18th, 2007 at 9:01 am
I too have been jarred by “the poor” in the materials, even though I”m a big supporter of the work of City House.
I recall when advocates insisted that “people” be the first word to describe “people with HIV” or “people who are homeless” because it’s too easy for those not experiencing homelessness or poverty to think “the poor” are fundamentally different rather than that they too are people experiencing a conditions any of us could be in at some point.
October 18th, 2007 at 9:20 am
Hi JoAnn,
This is just the point made by someone else recently. Hearing it twice now suggests that City House needs to take a serious look at this language issue. Thanks for your comments. I hope you visit the site regularly and make more contributions.