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Neighborhood Effects on Ones Upbringing
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Neighborhood Effects on Ones Upbringing
Everyone wishes and dreams to have better lives for themselves and hence work extremely hard each day to ensure that it becomes a reality. They wish to live better lives than they grew up in and live luxurious if not comfortable lives. They dream of owning their own houses in posh areas and driving expensive cars. Regardless of the amount being paid everyone is constantly looking for “greener pastures” and opportunities that pay even better. They strive to get the best education and live in good neighborhoods (Crowder & South, 2005). Parents specifically intend to have their children grow up with the best that life has to offer and more so, to enjoy what they couldn’t. As a result, parents take extra shifts at work and engage in side hustles that would guarantee them more money that would allow their kids live like royalty. Some even go to an extent of getting second mortgages on their houses just so their kids can attend high end schools that they believe would mold their kids into respectable and successful people when they grow up.
There is a perception that someone’s background and upbringing define how successful they are going to be in future. It is also believed that people who grow up in poor families usually have their fates sealed and have to work extremely hard to change their birth given positions. It is even considered impossible that they would ever lead successful lives in future and would most definitely end up in the low paying jobs around the neighborhood and either continue staying in their parents houses or seek accommodation in the poor housing facilities around them (Crowder & South, 2005). These neighborhoods are faced with so many challenges. The learning facilities are of very poor standards and most children don’t pursue their education with so much seriousness. Furthermore, the medical facilities and overall infrastructure of these neighborhoods are in deplorable states. The majority of people in the town are school drop outs and either work casual jobs or just lazy around and end up engaging in criminal activities. In addition, the children in these poor areas are involved in gang related activities and engage in drugs and other unspeakable vices. As a result, the child mortality rate in these areas is usually on the high with reports indicating that a child is murdered each day.
On the other hand, children from rich and well off families are usually born with “silver spoons”. They live in very good houses and respectable neighborhoods referred to as suburbs. They enjoy the best education and many grow with ambitions of going all the way to college and becoming professionals such as doctors, lawyers, engineers etc. These suburbs have the best infrastructure from well-developed road networks to industries that provide employment to the people in the region (Kucheva, 2013). The security to all in these areas is also guaranteed as there are hardly any jobless people loitering around with criminal intentions. In addition, drug related cases and gang activities are non-existent. These suburban areas provide the ideal living conditions for people and especially families seeking better lives. Many poor people and working class families are constantly striving to acquire the required resources that would necessitate them being residents in these suburban areas.
Hard work, perseverance and commitment are key ingredients in turning ones fortunes and shaping their future. Nonetheless, growing up...