#relative-deprivation

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Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

The hardest part of growing up lower middle class wasn't the lack of money. It was learning to want things quietly, because visible desire in a household running on tight margins felt like an accusation against the people who were already giving everything they had. - Silicon Canals

Emotional training around scarcity shapes behavior in lower middle class childhoods, teaching children to suppress desires to avoid adding stress to their families.
Retirement
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

What no one tells you about a working-class retirement - Silicon Canals

Retirement can lead to unexpected physical and identity challenges for those who defined themselves by their work.
NYC politics
fromtherealdeal.com
1 day ago

Doomed to fail: Why Rent Guidelines Board always gets it wrong

The Rent Guidelines Board's process is ineffective and cannot set appropriate rent increases for diverse tenants.
#housing-crisis
LA real estate
fromwww.npr.org
1 day ago

65, single, seeking a roommate: More seniors are being priced out of living alone

Older adults increasingly share homes due to rising housing costs, with a significant increase in those aged 65 and over seeking roommates.
LA real estate
fromwww.npr.org
1 day ago

65, single, seeking a roommate: More seniors are being priced out of living alone

Older adults increasingly share homes due to rising housing costs, with a significant increase in those aged 65 and over seeking roommates.
California
fromABC7 San Francisco
1 day ago

NAACP responds after homeless man 'dumped' in Oakland by San Leandro police

San Leandro officers forcibly transported a homeless man to Oakland and 'dumped' him, prompting outrage from civil rights groups.
#lower-middle-class
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago
Relationships

You know you grew up lower-middle-class if the most stressful sound of your childhood was the phone ringing at dinner - and you understood, before anyone explained it, that some calls meant someone needed something the family didn't quite have, and that understanding became the background noise of every evening for years - Silicon Canals

fromSilicon Canals
1 week ago
Psychology

6 things people who grew up lower middle class instinctively calculate before entering any restaurant, and none of them involve whether they're actually hungry - Silicon Canals

Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

You know you grew up lower-middle-class if the most stressful sound of your childhood was the phone ringing at dinner - and you understood, before anyone explained it, that some calls meant someone needed something the family didn't quite have, and that understanding became the background noise of every evening for years - Silicon Canals

Growing up lower-middle-class means living with constant worry, always one crisis away from trouble despite appearing fine on the outside.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 week ago

6 things people who grew up lower middle class instinctively calculate before entering any restaurant, and none of them involve whether they're actually hungry - Silicon Canals

Growing up lower middle class instills lasting mental habits that influence decision-making and risk assessment, even after financial circumstances improve.
fromShore News Network - The Latest Breaking, Viral and Trending News
2 days ago

Federal judge allows parts of discrimination lawsuit against NYC agency to proceed

The lawsuit was filed by Deshanae L. Brown, who alleges she was subjected to discrimination based on her race, sex, and disability, citing violations of federal and state laws including Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Law
Remote teams
fromFast Company
2 days ago

Why employees are giving up remote work and moving back to urban centers

The pandemic-induced migration from cities has reversed, with workers returning to urban areas due to tightening return-to-office mandates and job availability.
#affordable-housing
fromKqed
2 days ago
East Bay real estate

1 Way to Help Oakland Teachers' Salaries Go Further? Affordable Housing | KQED

Real estate
fromFast Company
1 week ago

The housing squeeze is quietly reshaping where Americans can live and work

Finding affordable housing is a significant challenge for various groups of renters in the U.S. economy.
East Bay real estate
fromKqed
2 days ago

1 Way to Help Oakland Teachers' Salaries Go Further? Affordable Housing | KQED

Oakland is creating affordable housing for teachers to combat high living costs and retain educators in the district.
Real estate
fromFast Company
1 week ago

The housing squeeze is quietly reshaping where Americans can live and work

Finding affordable housing is a significant challenge for various groups of renters in the U.S. economy.
NYC parents
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Is Mandated Reporting Racist? What Families Must Know

Low reporting standards and systemic racism lead to unjust CPS reports, disproportionately affecting Black and Brown families.
#social-security
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
2 days ago

New Social Security Proposal Deals Higher Earners a Harsh Blow

Capping Social Security benefits for higher earners is proposed to address funding shortfalls, but its likelihood of passing is low.
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
1 day ago

Social Security Issues Major Warning to Retirees

Retirees must be vigilant against increasing government impostor scams targeting their Social Security information.
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
2 days ago

New Social Security Proposal Deals Higher Earners a Harsh Blow

Capping Social Security benefits for higher earners is proposed to address funding shortfalls, but its likelihood of passing is low.
Social justice
fromThe Nation
3 days ago

Why Black People Can't Earn Our Way Out of Racism in Maternal Care: A Q&A With Khiara Bridges

Khiara Bridges's book, Expecting Inequity, critiques maternal healthcare's treatment of low-income people, emphasizing the intersection of race and class.
NYC food
fromCity Limits
4 days ago

Opinion: SNAP Incentives Don't Match How New Yorkers Actually Shop

Updating food assistance programs to align with actual shopping habits can better address food insecurity in New York City.
fromTruthout
5 days ago

Low-Income Moms Struggle to Keep Their Families Afloat Amid Gas Price Increases

Luna Rosado, a single mother, has seen her gas expenses rise by $40 weekly due to a 30 percent increase in prices after the war in Iran. This has resulted in $160 less for groceries and other necessities each month, forcing her to constantly adjust her budget.
Washington DC
Education
fromLos Angeles Times
4 days ago

L.A. County student homelessness has surged, study finds. Here's what the numbers show

Student homelessness in Los Angeles County increased by 28% from 2022-23 to 2023-24, driven by housing shortages and economic hardship.
fromPhilosophynow
4 days ago
Philosophy

The Collective City

Islamic philosophy invites plurality and coexistence, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and the acceptance of error in understanding.
NYC real estate
fromInside Investigator
4 days ago

Cost of housing in Fairfield County outpacing parts of NYC

Housing prices in Fairfield County have surged, surpassing many neighborhoods in New York City, with no community under $300,000 by 2025.
Healthcare
fromwww.amny.com
5 days ago

Scaling Success: The Medicaid Model New York Can't Afford to Ignore | amNewYork

The American healthcare system prioritizes volume over quality, leading to rising costs and poor outcomes.
Mental health
fromCity Limits
5 days ago

Opinion: Helping Formerly Unhoused Older New Yorkers Age With Dignity

Supportive housing provides essential safety, security, and privacy for seniors, significantly improving their quality of life and addressing homelessness and affordability issues.
fromHyperallergic
5 days ago

Tonika Lewis Johnson: Segregation and How to Disrupt It

Tonika Lewis Johnson's Folded Map Project connects residents known as 'map twins' who live on the same street name but miles apart, revealing structural inequality and personal commonality.
Arts
#housing-market
SF real estate
fromwww.housingwire.com
6 days ago

How the ROAD to Housing Act could improve home affordability

COVID-19 and Federal Reserve actions led to a housing market frenzy, but rising mortgage rates and inflation have since decimated affordability.
SF real estate
fromwww.housingwire.com
6 days ago

How the ROAD to Housing Act could improve home affordability

COVID-19 and Federal Reserve actions led to a housing market frenzy, but rising mortgage rates and inflation have since decimated affordability.
Los Angeles
fromCalifornia Post
6 days ago

Tragic past of LA woman living in squalid sewer - as her family reveals her downfall

Jameelah Robinson, a mother of three, is living in a storm drain in Los Angeles, refusing help from her family and city services.
US Elections
fromFortune
6 days ago

Wealth taxes on billionaires and $30 minimum wages are part of the same plan, advocate says. 'They should pay their fair share' | Fortune

Most voters support a billionaire tax, with 52% of California voters favoring a one-time 5% tax on the state's billionaires.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Psychology says people who grew up poor and became successful often can't fully enjoy it - not because they're ungrateful, but because some part of them never stopped waiting for it to disappear - Silicon Canals

Successful individuals often struggle with feelings of scarcity and anxiety about their financial stability, despite their achievements.
fromTruthout
6 days ago

A Shady Nonprofit Pushes Back On Pennsylvania's Proposed Minimum Wage Hike

"Today's vote ignores the well-documented harmful consequences of wage hikes by economists. Not only would this proposal slash up to 86,000 jobs, it would also worsen inflation for Pennsylvania workers and residents."
Non-profit organizations
Parenting
fromBuzzFeed
6 days ago

Millennial Parents Are Sharing Their Endless Financial Struggles, And It's Painfully Relatable

Millennial dads are experiencing significant financial stress and concerns about their economic situation.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 days ago

Next week's disability cuts will make people destitute and you might not understand how bad they are until it's too late | Frances Ryan

Almost 750,000 severely ill and disabled people in Britain face a significant cut to their universal credit support.
New York City
fromNew York Post
4 days ago

NYC is so broke, the Brooklyn Bridge might get roommates

The City Council proposes renting hidden rooms in the Brooklyn Bridge to generate revenue for New York City.
Law
fromURL Media
4 days ago

For Asian Immigrants in NYC, Legal Help Remains Out of Reach With Life-Altering Consequences

Mohan's deportation highlights systemic issues in immigration legal services for Asian immigrants in New York City.
NYC politics
fromGothamist
4 days ago

NYC's poorest residents would get free subway and bus rides under Council plan

Nearly 1 million low-income New Yorkers may receive free subway and bus rides under a proposed expansion of the Fair Fares program.
Education
fromSilicon Canals
6 days ago

The class divide that nobody maps is the one between people who were taught to call authorities when something goes wrong and people who were taught that calling authorities makes everything worse. Both groups are navigating the same systems with completely opposite instruction manuals. - Silicon Canals

Childhood experiences shape how individuals interact with authority and systems, influencing their responses to crises throughout life.
US news
fromwww.npr.org
5 days ago

'We call it the walking bus': How kids are getting to school amid ICE operations

Immigration enforcement actions have increased fear among residents in Democratic-run cities, impacting families and children significantly.
NYC real estate
fromThe Atlantic
6 days ago

How to Keep the Suburbs Tenant-Free

The rise of corporate landlords is reshaping suburban housing, increasing rental options but facing potential legislative challenges.
NYC parents
fromCity Limits
6 days ago

For Homeless Families With Health Needs, NYC's Hotel Shelters Pose a Challenge: The Food

Homeless families in NYC face inadequate food options in hotel shelters, impacting their health and financial stability.
Social justice
fromSlate Magazine
6 days ago

The Horrifying Secret of the Child Detention Center We Shared as Detainee and Warden

The Cheltenham Youth Detention Center has a troubling history of racial segregation and a lack of memorial for children who died in custody.
Right-wing politics
fromFortune
2 weeks ago

Economists agree: You're not crazy for feeling like the rich get richer, and the poor are doing worse. Welcome to the 'K-shaped economy' | Fortune

The K recovery illustrates a growing economic divide where the wealthy prosper while the poor struggle, echoing historical patterns of inequality.
London politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 week ago

London has England's highest levels of child poverty, data shows

London has the highest child poverty rates in England, with over half of children in some boroughs living below the poverty line.
#poverty
fromBuzzFeed
2 months ago
Public health

People Are Confessing The Unspoken Truths About Growing Up In Poverty, And It's A Must-Read If You've Always Been Comfortable

fromBuzzFeed
2 months ago
Public health

People Are Confessing The Unspoken Truths About Growing Up In Poverty, And It's A Must-Read If You've Always Been Comfortable

UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
6 days ago

Families hardest hit by energy crisis could be given funds dispensed by local councils

UK ministers are considering financial support for families affected by rising energy costs due to the Middle East conflict.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
6 days ago

People who keep their circle small aren't antisocial. They genuinely learned that intimacy and popularity are opposing forces, even though loneliness occasionally shows up as the cost of admission - Silicon Canals

Intimacy and popularity are competing pursuits; small social circles reflect a natural structure of human relationships, not a failure of social development.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
1 week ago

The loneliest people aren't those who lack social skills - they're the ones whose social skills are mismatched to their environment, like someone fluent in a language nobody around them speaks, which is why they can feel completely isolated in a room full of people - Silicon Canals

Loneliness can affect anyone, even those with good social skills, highlighting the importance of meaningful connections over mere social interaction.
US Elections
fromThe Nation
1 week ago

How Trump's Economy Is Crushing Everyday Americans

Rising costs of living are forcing Americans to choose cheaper, shelf-stable food options while economic policies worsen financial strain.
Boston real estate
fromwww.businessinsider.com
6 days ago

2 charts show how the highest and lowest earners spend their money

Lower-income Americans face significant financial challenges, with spending disparities compared to higher-income households affecting their budgets and lifestyle choices.
NYC politics
fromCity Limits
6 days ago

Opinion: New York's Mental Health Crisis Demands We Invest in Programs That Work

Scaling and coordinating effective behavioral health programs is essential for creating a continuum of care in New York City.
New York City
fromNew York Post
4 days ago

Mamdani's outrageous child-care boondoggle shows who comes first in NYC

Mamdani's 'free' child-care center costs taxpayers $10 million to renovate and $2.3 million annually, serving only 40 children.
fromArchDaily
3 weeks ago

Mobility Justice: Urban Equity in an Era of Innovation

Every city contains two transportation systems. One is the visible network of roads, rail lines, sidewalks, and bus routes mapped in planning documents. The other is the invisible geography of privilege and exclusion embedded within it: the neighborhoods that received highways instead of parks, the communities whose bus routes were cut, the sidewalks that abruptly end at the edge of a district.
Alternative transportation
Education
fromSilicon Canals
2 weeks ago

Nobody teaches you that class isn't about income. It's about which mistakes are survivable. A rich kid's DUI becomes a learning experience. A poor kid's missed rent payment becomes a credit score that follows them for seven years. Same species, different physics. - Silicon Canals

Credit scores reflect structural inequalities, where similar mistakes lead to vastly different consequences based on financial safety nets.
UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
1 week ago

More than 13 million living in poverty, new figures show

The UK saw a rise in relative poverty, with 13.4 million people affected, including four million children, according to new government figures.
NYC politics
fromThe Nation
1 week ago

The Affordability Crisis in Midsize Cities Is Not Inevitable

Providence faces a severe affordability crisis, with rising rents and housing burdens affecting renters significantly.
New York City
fromHoodline
6 days ago

Nearly Half Of NYC Workers Struggling To Make Ends Meet

Many New Yorkers struggle to afford basic living costs due to stagnant wages and rising expenses.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
2 weeks ago

People who genuinely understand money but still feel broke aren't bad with finances. They grew up in a system where having enough was redefined every time they relaxed, so their brain permanently registers stability as the moment before loss. - Silicon Canals

Money anxiety stems from childhood experiences of financial instability where relief was followed by new crises, not from financial illiteracy or lack of knowledge.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 week ago

The most expensive thing about growing up poor isn't what you couldn't afford. It's the decision-making architecture it installs, where every choice runs through a scarcity filter that adds cost to options other people experience as free. - Silicon Canals

Financial scarcity significantly impacts cognitive performance, altering decision-making processes and creating a lasting influence on individuals' choices beyond material deprivation.
NYC parents
fromThe74million
2 weeks ago

Report: Schools Across New York Are The Most Segregated in the U.S.

New York state's public schools are the nation's most segregated, with school attendance zones directly overlapping 1938 redlining maps that excluded communities of color.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 week ago

The real class divide isn't between rich and poor. It's between people who were taught the world will accommodate them and people who were taught to accommodate the world. Both are right about the world they grew up in. - Silicon Canals

Social fluency stems from early life experiences, not wealth, shaping expectations of how the world responds to individuals.
US news
fromThe Washington Post
3 weeks ago

One-third of Americans skip meals or other needs to afford health care

Rising health care costs force Americans to reduce spending, skip meals, delay major life decisions like homeownership and parenthood, and postpone retirement.
NYC politics
fromGothamist
2 weeks ago

More than 2.2 million New Yorkers lived in poverty in 2024, report finds

Nearly 2.2 million New Yorkers lived in poverty in 2024, with 59% of the city's population either low-income or in poverty, twice the national average, as federal program cuts threaten further hardship.
Higher education
fromwww.amny.com
3 weeks ago

Op-Ed | A six-decade legacy of access and opportunity | amNewYork

SEEK, the nation's first state-funded academic opportunity initiative founded in 1966, has helped over 100,000 students access and complete college degrees through comprehensive support services including tutoring, mentoring, and financial assistance.
Left-wing politics
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

There's a reason upward mobility feels impossible - I found the infrastructure that ensures it - Silicon Canals

Modern economic infrastructure systematically maintains wealth distribution across generations through credentialing, capital access, and hiring networks rather than rewarding merit and hard work.
Silicon Valley
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

The reason you feel like you're falling behind isn't burnout - it's a class architecture designed to make upward mobility feel possible while making it structurally impossible - Silicon Canals

Persistent feelings of inadequacy stem from societal narratives about mobility that promise success through individual effort while maintaining structural barriers that prevent actual advancement.
Food & drink
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Why food justice isn't being served in America

Food justice advocates often misrepresent South Central Los Angeles as a resource-depleted food desert lacking grocery stores and knowledgeable residents, contradicting anthropological research documenting abundant food retail and community food practices.
Real estate
fromwww.housingwire.com
1 month ago

Mixed-density housing keeps expanding as affordability reaches a breaking point

Housing attainability—expanding housing types and mixed-density planning—must complement affordability efforts to preserve access to homeownership and community quality of life.
Business
fromHarvard Gazette
2 months ago

Inequality and location, location, location - Harvard Gazette

Geography significantly shapes housing and labor market outcomes, influencing wages, location choices, rent control effects, and demographic-driven economic dynamics.
World news
fromFlowingData
2 months ago

Imagining a global lottery where you are born with less

A birth-lottery tool compares countries' starting conditions using life expectancy, income, and education via the Human Development Index.
US politics
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

In the U.S., Who Deserves Financial Stability?

Cultural defaults like individualism and the American Dream shape attitudes toward social welfare and can help or hinder changemakers seeking equitable policy solutions.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

The difference between people who grew up with money and people who grew up without it shows most clearly in what they check first when they open a menu - Silicon Canals

Childhood financial circumstances create lasting behavioral patterns in decision-making, visible in how people scan restaurant menus—price-first versus description-first—revealing a scarcity mindset that persists regardless of current wealth.
fromEmptywheel
2 months ago

It's the Inequality, Stupid: Why Test, Trace, Isolate Won't Stop Covid-19 in America

Everything is changing, and in the face of that, America is failing. Over 90,000 souls have paid for our failing. Millions more are living in terror for their livelihoods and their families. But Covid-19 isn't a technology problem, or a science question, or a supply chain issue, or even a question of doctoring. This challenge is public health, and that is something we've been failing at for a damn long time.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

Food Insecurity Is a Workplace Issue

Food insecurity raises employee anxiety, reducing attention and causing lower task performance and engagement; alleviating food insecurity improves engagement.
World news
fromwww.independent.co.uk
2 months ago

The UK's most deprived neighbourhoods where crime and unemployment will rise the most

England's 613 most-deprived neighbourhoods face a potential 27% crime rise and economic inactivity rising to 46.1%, worsening isolation from the workforce.
Left-wing politics
fromSilicon Canals
2 months ago

I grew up lower middle class and the first time I saw a friend's parents throw away leftovers I understood we were different-here are 9 other moments that made it clear - Silicon Canals

Growing up working-class shapes perspectives, routines, and assumptions, creating distinct approaches to life and different definitions of normal.
Business
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

Who Can Afford to Spend Money?

Rising inequality and job losses increase consumer psychological stress and threaten a consumer-dependent economy unless individuals build financial resilience, community solidarity, and empathy.
US politics
fromwww.aljazeera.com
1 month ago

Struggling to get by: Behind the US underemployment crisis

Economic policies and federal funding cuts left nonprofit workers vulnerable, causing layoffs, hiring freezes, and prolonged financial hardship despite extensive job searching.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

Psychology says people who grew up poor develop a relationship with money that wealthy people mistake for anxiety - but it's actually a form of hypervigilance that kept their family from catastrophe - Silicon Canals

Growing up with financial instability develops hypervigilance around money as an adaptive survival skill rather than anxiety or dysfunction.
US news
fromSilicon Canals
2 months ago

New data shows wealth inequality reaching unprecedented levels - Silicon Canals

Wealth inequality is historically extreme: the top 1% hold nearly 32% of net worth while the bottom 50% hold just 2.5%.
#income-inequality
fromFortune
1 month ago
US news

Something broke in the economy in 2023 that explains why so many people are miserable about it, New York Fed says | Fortune

fromFortune
1 month ago
US news

Something broke in the economy in 2023 that explains why so many people are miserable about it, New York Fed says | Fortune

London politics
fromwww.bbc.com
1 month ago

'There are dozens of empty homes but families like mine are living in limbo'

Many council homes remain empty for years while almost 30,000 people wait for social housing, with void turnaround far exceeding repair targets.
fromSlate Magazine
2 months ago

We Can't Afford to Buy Homes in Our City. So My Friends and I Are Considering Something Radical.

My friends and I are early 30s professionals living in one of America's most expensive cities and making middle-class incomes. None of us can afford to buy or save for a home here. We all rent, but we're not broke. We save for kids and retirement and illness, but a home isn't in the cards. But recently, we think we might have found an unconventional loophole.
Real estate
fromSilicon Canals
2 months ago

8 things lower-middle-class people do to feel safe that wealthy people don't even think about - Silicon Canals

Growing up outside Manchester, I remember watching my mum count out exact change at the supermarket checkout, keeping a running total in her head as she shopped. Meanwhile, my university roommate would just toss things in his trolley without a second thought. That's when it hit me: Financial security isn't just about having money. It's about the mental space that money creates.
Mental health
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

What Does 'Care' Mean During Times of Social Instability?

Care is fluid and adaptive; emotional signals like anger, numbness, and fatigue indicate needs and limits, and individual care requires collective support for survival.
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