Argument and Counterargument (Research Blog #9)


Research Questions:

Why are students experiencing food and housing insecurity? 

How do these issues impact students’ education and wellbeing? 

How are these issues being addressed and what more can be done?

 

My argument/thesis:

The increasing costs of college, food, and housing; decreasing financial aid; and lack of acknowledgement and recognition of the issue of food and housing insecurity has caused students to be unable to cover the costs and unable to access stable and acceptable food and housing, resulting in worsened academic performance and increased health problems. Colleges (and student bodies) and the government need to better recognize students’ needs, share the information, and find solutions to resolve the issue of unmet needs by creating and expanding programs and educating students on the resources available to them.

 

In “Poverty Is Largely Invisible Among College Students,” Sara Goldrick-Rab, an expert in the field of basic needs insecurity in higher education, explains the normalization of food and housing insecurity among college students and how some see it as a rite of passage. She details, “Stereotypes of Ramen-noodle diets and couch-surfing partiers prevent us from seeing it. They trick us into thinking that food insecurity is a rite of passage, that hunger and even homelessness among our students is normal” (Goldrick-Rab “Poverty Is Largely Invisible Among College Students”). While I do not disagree with this source, I feel that it points out an argument that I disagree with. I do not believe that student hunger and homelessness is normal nor a rite of passage. My research has revealed the harm that basic needs insecurity causes to students, including worsened academic performance and wellbeing. Lacking basic needs, and the harm that comes from it, is not a problem that should be overlooked because people think “it’s fine.” To be able to meaningfully and effectively address the issue, people need to recognize that it is a large, serious issue and that students should not have to miss meals or rely on ramen and friends just to be able to continue their education.

 

 

Goldrick-Rab, Sara. “Poverty Is Largely Invisible Among College Students.” Talk Poverty, 7 Nov. 2017, https://talkpoverty.org/2017/11/07/poverty-largely-invisible-among-college-students/. 

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