Critical Thinking On How Can We Reduce Poverty In The United States?

Critical Thinking Reflection

United States measures poverty rate using the poverty threshold issued by the Census Bureau each year. Poverty threshold represent the minimum amount of cash needed to raise families of different sizes. The computation has been established since the 1960 and was never changed, only the threshold due to the inflations.
What do they have in common? They are all blue-collar job workers, skill-trained and could have no bachelor’s degree. This shows how focused the country is in promoting college education. Is it wrong not to have a degree from a university but rather learn a particular skill and be good at it? Probably it’s time for the government to see how much of the population are actually working in offices and in the field with their hands.
Improving the salary and at how the society looks and addresses our skilled workers who in fact are doing most of the labor in the country should be looked at.
The way the threshold should also be revisited. It was made way back 1960 and was never changed. Has the needs of the people not changed? How does the need of transportation of individuals being measured? Is a car still out of the equation for some areas? If the people will be having different needs, how reliable the threshold is, aren’t we supposed to look at a range of values now?

Reflection of the Process of Critical Thinking

Getting the content of the answer in the essay was not different from critical thinking, it was part of critical thinking itself. The questioned was answered by facts which were gathered and carefully assessed. Terms discussed in the information gathering were first defined to have full understanding on what information is at hand. Meaning of poverty was looked at and was not based on own thought. Involved agency was also visited.
The question was also answered in such a way that the process where information became facts was questioned. The biases of the informant were also assessed. Questions as to why are non-cash looked at as part of the computation. How can a garden of fresh vegetables not be accounted if it continuously provides food for the table of the family who has a little less cash but has perfectly healthy children.
When answers were gathered, it was questioned as to why is it what we call now as the “answer” and how were the people responsible able to come up with it. Upon writing, the pros and cons of each possible answer were put into a picture as to see what could happen if the situation is different. If promoting the skill training rather than supporting scholarship will be made, will it look barbaric? If people will get to see a good and better light at blue collar job, won’t they be more valued monetarily and socially?
The process of critical thinking does not just apply to this essay or to this topic but to all areas in life that requires decision, may it be academic or personal. By looking at all the possible answers to our question, we will know what options we have. But it will not stop to that; we will have to know how the options came into place. Everything has to be compared to see which is better, just like how the information in the essay was selected. The person has to think which of all the things being given applies to what is needed. A lot of information and options are available but not everything has to be picked, only those that are personally deemed as relevant or best.
But that’s where the other part of critical thinking comes in, measuring one’s own bias. A person has to consider the why and how of his decision. Cause and effects have to be looked at. The bigger picture has to be seen. The effect of ones decision to other related matter has to be considered. But do not expect to know everything, surely there will still be questions left unanswered.
Critical thinking is not just an academic thing; it can be ones nature or way on how to decide. By practicing all the steps of critical thinking one by one, as often as possible, everyone can make a sound decision or answer. Just like everything, practice makes perfect so in order for it to be natural, it has to be practice.
Having a question to an answer is a way of assuring that critical thinking is being practiced. Because by questioning how one came up with an answer will assure oneself that the validity of the answer was thought of and weighed. By questioning one’s own decided answer will always make a person rethink if the best option was picked and will lead the person to re-evaluate using the principles of critical thinking or be confident that right decision was made and continue following the principles of critical thinking as it give it is already known to him that practicing it will lead to a sound decision.