Living on a Dollar a Day

The audience is immediately drawn in by the intriguing plot of Living on a Dollar a Day. It is clear that the film's opening juxtaposes the morning routines of a typical family living in a rural part of Guatemala with those of two college students who live in the United States. With this, it is easy to observe the disparities between people who are below the poverty line and those who can afford a fair standard of living in their financial behavior. Using the real-life experiences of people who have $56 to survive on for the next 56 days, the movie deftly illustrates the variations. The film plays an important role in outlining thoughts which many could not fathom because of the fortunate life that people have managed to have in America. One of the questions that crosses the minds of many is how to make a choice between keeping children in school and feeding them. The presented factor provides an indication of how happy people can become through out their hardship period defined by limited finances. Additionally, it also portrays how joyful they are despite them having little to spend. Evidently, the people in Guatemala have little to a point that their children lack an opportunity to attend school. Despite this, they have mastered how to show appreciation for what they have. Not only are the families striving to have a better life but also to survive during the presented times of difficulties.

Challenges facing the people of Pena Blanca

The major challenge facing the people of Pena Blanca is small and irregular income. The presented challenges has given rise to the other challenges faced by the people such as the inability to afford a decent living. This includes having to make a choice on the basic necessities to access for them to be comfortable such as food and education. For example, Rosa from Pena Blanca did not have the opportunity of studying to become a nurse as she anticipated as a result of poverty. It is evident that the social class plays a considerable role in this case. Taking into consideration Marx’s idea, it is evident that the people of Pena Blanca live below the poverty line as result go the ideological consciousness (Lubasz, 1976). Apparently, they do not share similar economic interests as those living in the urban areas.

Various solutions can be implemented to address the presented challenges facing the people. For example, It is evident that poverty is the major factor affecting the people. To address the issue of poverty, the people of Pena Blanca should take the initiative of actively participating in the efforts to do away with the problem. For instance, they can consider venturing in business activities such as agriculture which can increase their chances of income generation so as to lead better lives (Gangopadhyay, Rahman & Bhattacharya, 2014). The long-term impact of the presented move is a significant reduction of the poverty levels in the region; hence they will not have to live on $1 dollar a day as they do. What surprised me most about the people of Pena Blanca is their ability to find happiness and live with their current condition despite the fact that they can transform their lives for the better.

What the People Struggle with

Both in Guetamala and in America, people struggle to find comfort and happiness with the amount of funds they have for spending. Evidently, the people of Guatemala have learnt requisite ways of showing gratitude of the little that they have even if they decide to forgo education for food. Similarly, the people in urban cities in America are living happily. Their state of happiness is determined by their ability to have a good life by having all the requisite basic needs such as education and food. According to Durkheim, material poverty does not define happiness. Evidently, poverty is relative to many values which does not guarantee happiness (Abrutyn & Mueller, 2014).

Raising Awareness

Raising awareness through the media does not translate to making changes in the world. The presented move cannot constitute changes as a result of the issues associated with the method. For instance, raising awareness without educating the people about how to overcome poverty is as good as nothing. The move does not educate the people on how to overcome poverty. Rather it will only force other community members to pity the people living under the poverty line.

Biggest Obstacle

The major obstacle in putting an end to the extreme poverty is the inability of the people in the current generation to make a choice of living with less. Evidently, living with less would provide an opportunity for the people living in poverty to have requisite finances for their basic necessities. I believe that I have a place in addressing the presented issue on poverty. I think I would make the most impact in Guetamala. Evidently, I would focus on empowering the people to ensure that the get over their comfort zone of deriving happiness from their sorry conditions and find a way of bettering their lives through activities such as agriculture.





References

Abrutyn, S., & Mueller, A. S. (2014). Reconsidering Durkheim's Assessment of Tarde: Formalizing a Tardian Theory of Imitation, Contagion, and Suicide Suggestion. Sociological Forum, 29(3), 698-719. 

Gangopadhyay, P., Rahman, M. A., & Bhattacharya, B. N. (2014). Are there any roles for social conformity and deviance in poverty? Insights from a field study on working poverty and educational investment in Bangladesh. Journal Of The Asia Pacific Economy, 19(4), 539-557.

Lubasz, H. (1976). Marx's Initial Problematic: The Problem Of Poverty. Political Studies, 24(1), 24-42.