## Introduction and Overview of Bridges - The purpose of the discussion is to provide an overview of what it means to start a Bridges community and how Bridges and Getting Ahead help people develop hope, resources, and a future story at the individual, institutional, and community levels [(00:00:15)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=15s). - The approach used is a social cognitive approach to class, which is not a social justice approach, and is based on the theories of Winger, Lhave, and [[Albert Bandura | Bandura]], focusing on understanding poverty and increasing resources for individuals, institutions, and communities [(00:01:18)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=78s). - There are four well-researched bases about what causes class, including individual choices, community resources, exploitation, racism, sexism, and political and economic systems, which have been politicized and often argued about in communities [(00:01:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=102s). - The truth is that all four causes are interwoven and create the issues, and to move the needle, communities need to look at all four causes, which is what the Bridges approach does, and it gets exacerbated by how people make a living in different economic eras [(00:02:49)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=169s). ## Understanding Class and its Causes - The way people represent wealth on paper has changed over time, from land and deeds in the agrarian era to stock certificates in the industrial era, and now in the knowledge-based economy, education is required, but it's unclear how to represent intellectual capital on paper [(00:03:05)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=185s). - Poverty and wealth are defined as the extent to which individuals do without resources, and there are eleven resources that are looked at, including spiritual, financial, economic, emotional, mental, support systems, and formal register integrity, which are necessary to negotiate a knowledge-based economy [(00:04:04)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=244s). - The discussion also mentions the work of Pinkett II, who added two more research bases, including educational attainment level and the support of family and community systems, which are important factors in understanding class and poverty [(00:02:29)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=149s). ## Resources, Environments, and Poverty - The concept of knowledge as a form of privilege is closely related to how individuals spend their time, and this relationship is influenced by the environment and resource base, which can range from under-resourced to over-resourced, with the middle class having a stable resource base [(00:04:40)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=280s). - Environments have demands, and individuals' resource bases can be affected by these demands, with examples including the need for a flashlight for midwives in [[Africa]] to navigate safely at night, highlighting the importance of understanding the specific needs of different environments [(00:05:03)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=303s). - The stability of resources, such as knowing where to sleep at night and having food every day, plays a significant role in determining how individuals think and plan, with those in poverty often having limited ability to plan due to unpredictable circumstances [(00:05:49)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=349s). ## Time Allocation and Hidden Rules - People from different socioeconomic backgrounds allocate their time differently, with those in poverty spending time on agency time, such as visiting welfare offices, while those in stable environments focus on other activities, and the top 1% of households having more flexibility in how they spend their time [(00:06:47)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=407s). - The time allocations and rules that govern behavior differ significantly between individuals from poverty, middle class, and wealth, with each group having its own set of hidden rules, which are unspoken mechanisms that determine who belongs and who does not, and are often related to factors such as class, race, and region [(00:08:34)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=514s). - Understanding these hidden rules and how they impact individuals' lives is crucial, as they can affect how people are perceived and treated, and can be influenced by factors such as mindset, time allocation, and money management [(00:09:18)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=558s). ## Financial Rules and Behaviors Across Classes - Individuals in stable environments tend to focus on work, education, and material security, following four rules about money: not asking for help, paying back borrowed money, not quitting a job until another one is secured, and not discussing salary, all of which contribute to their financial stability [(00:09:26)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=566s). - Those who have been in wealth for two generations or more have a different set of problems, as they have more resources and can take care of themselves, spending their time on social, financial, and political connections that help keep them safe and increase their wealth [(00:10:20)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=620s). - In wealthy communities, there are hidden rules, such as not introducing oneself at parties and not discussing money or wealth, which indicate safety and connections [(00:10:55)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=655s). - In poverty, individuals face different problems, including a lack of material security, and the rule about money is that if someone asks for help and you have the means, you must share, which can lead to a communal approach to finances [(00:11:31)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=691s). ## Generational Poverty and its Challenges - Generational poverty can lead to fears about children becoming too educated and leaving their families, resulting in phrases like "you're getting above your raisins" or being called names like "[[Oreo | Oreos]]," "coconuts," "bananas," or "apples" in different neighborhoods [(00:12:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=762s). - The access to language is different in educated and uneducated households, with formal register being used in educated households and casual register being used in uneducated households, which can exacerbate communication difficulties across different socioeconomic groups [(00:13:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=807s). ## Language and Communication Barriers - Understanding these hidden rules and language differences is critical for communities to address issues related to poverty and wealth, with two key factors being the need for communities to work together and address these underlying issues [(00:13:47)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=827s). ## Community Awareness and Response to Poverty - Poverty can exist in a community without being immediately noticeable, and it can take 20 to 25 years for a community to become aware of the issues and begin to address them, as noted by Paul Sappho [(00:14:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=847s). - In communities with high poverty rates, the top 10 percent of the population, who hold 80 percent of the resources, may become upset and leave when the poverty issue becomes more apparent, which can further exacerbate the problem [(00:14:40)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=880s). ## The Bridges Community Approach - To address poverty, it is recommended to start a Bridges community, which can help create an infrastructure to develop capacity and provide a framework for lasting change [(00:14:48)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=888s). - The concept of infrastructure is crucial, as it allows communities to grow and develop, much like the interstate highway system established by [[Dwight D. Eisenhower | Eisenhower]] after [[World War II]], which enabled the growth of the industrial economy [(00:15:06)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=906s). - Research by [[Stanford University]] has shown that there are two approaches to addressing class issues: technical and relational, and that the relational approach, which focuses on changing thinking and behaviors, can lead to more lasting change [(00:15:58)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=958s). - Bridges communities use a relational approach, which involves individuals, institutions, and communities working together to create lasting change and ultimately change policy [(00:16:32)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=992s). - Studies have shown that investing in Bridges communities can have a significant return on investment, with one community in [[Oklahoma]] reporting an annual return of over $2 million after investing $75,000 to help 10 families and 34 individuals out of poverty [(00:17:03)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=1023s). - For those interested in starting a Bridges community, resources are available, including a roadmap and contact information for the office, which can provide support and guidance [(00:17:22)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA&t=1042s). ## Sources - [website](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquqaP_dUxA)