Garbage Project
Essay by Paul • December 13, 2011 • Essay • 388 Words (2 Pages) • 1,570 Views
My Name is ________and I have been selected by the New Jersey anthropological society to collect and analyze garbage from a family in rural West Virginia. The contents or the garbage are from a wide variety of materials and gives a good representation of what the family life is like. My findings were that this family may be of low income and on a strict budget.
1. The Family consists of one father and three children. The children consist of 3 different age group. A young boy who is in first grade (age 7), a young girl in the sixth grade (age 12), and a teenage female in high school (age 17). There is no major sign of a mother so it can be perceived that she has passed away or is no longer living in the house. The family seems to be religious and into church events. The family shows signs of low income and lack of financial stability. This is similar to be a typical single parent home.
2. The family seems to be a bit on a fixed income. They shop at stores that are discounted and not very expensive such as "Bon Ton, Old Navy and JC Penney. The father of the house is the sole provider and in WV parole officers only make around $30,000 per year. There is no evidence of a disposable income and all of the necessary living expenses are covered. However it seems to be that the family is throwing out bills and invitations to events that may cost money. Overall I would day that the family is lower middle class.
3. I would say that this garbage was collected around September of last year 2010. Due to the invites to back to school night and the 6th grade syllabus.
4. The food consumed by the family seems to be extremely healthy. The food is nutritional and good for the people consuming it. Most healthy foods are perceived as more expensive and out of budget for many people. It is odd to see a family who struggles financially buying expensive or healthier food options. There are some signs of lunch who can give a hint to the fact that there are people in the house who take there food with them to work or school.
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