Mary’s Story

Mary, 27, is a single mother to ten-year-old Elijah. She works at a Dollar Tree but dreams of becoming a nurse, so each week she must find time to take a single class at Estrella Mountain Community College. She’s tired but determined because she wants a better life for Elijah and herself.

Mary steps off the bus. She just finished her shift at the Dollar Tree, and now she must provide dinner for Elijah. She thinks of the grocery store two miles away. The heat outside is fierce, and another bus ride would have her home after 8 pm. Across the street, there’s a Jack-in-the-Box and a Circle K. More fast food. More junk.

If you were Mary, what would you choose for dinner?

Why You Should Care

In this chapter, you will develop critical analysis skills. Critical analysis is essential in today’s complex world, where information is abundant and varied in quality. Developing your ability to critically analyze content is crucial for personal growth, academic success, and professional excellence.

Remember Mary

Mary will appear throughout the semester, and her story will help us explore the issues of poverty and food insecurity through someone’s lived experience. Mary is a composite avatar, which means her character, while fictional, combines real-world elements from multiple sources. This approach allows for a diverse expression of features, traits, or attributes, reflecting a more complex or multifaceted identity. Many of your assignments this semester will tell Mary’s story to better help you understand the complicated factors of being poor in America.

What Is a Food Desert?

Mary lives at 19th Avenue and Buckeye, in what is some people call a food desert. Have you ever been to an area that has no grocery stores, but fast food restaurants and dollar stores are everywhere? If so, you may have been in a food desert.

A food desert is an area, often urban or rural, where residents have limited access to affordable and nutritious food, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables. This scarcity is due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and healthy food providers within a convenient traveling distance (CDC).

Living in a food desert is harmful because it often forces residents to rely on convenience stores and fast-food outlets, which typically offer processed, high-calorie foods with low nutritional value. This can lead to a higher prevalence of diet-related health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Additionally, the lack of healthy food options exacerbates social inequalities, as low-income families may struggle to find and afford nutritious meals, impacting overall well-being and quality of life.

Critical Analysis: Description

Understanding poverty requires a critical analysis of complex factors. Ira Shor, a professor of education, developed a process for critically analyzing any theme or object. A theme or object refers to any subject matter, idea, or physical item that is under analysis–such as a McDonald’s hamburger, for example.

Shor suggests that these elements should be examined in depth to uncover deeper meanings and societal implications. This detailed examination is a critical step in developing a fuller understanding of the context and impacts surrounding the theme or object, which can then inform broader critical discussions about culture, power dynamics, and societal structures.

Describing a theme or object in great detail is the first step in critical analysis because it helps you engage deeply with the material. By focusing closely on the details, you can discover underlying patterns and challenge usual interpretations. This approach lays a strong foundation for your own insights and critiques, leading to more informed and thorough analyses. It’s about empowering you to question and potentially expand upon what is already known, enhancing both your understanding and your ability to critically evaluate information.

How to Describe a Theme or Object in Great Detail

When describing a theme or object in great detail, here are some tips to keep in mind:

Start with the Senses

Begin by noting what you see, hear, smell, touch, or even taste. This approach helps to capture the full experience of the object or theme.

Be Specific

Use precise language and avoid general terms. For example, instead of saying “old building,” describe its faded brickwork, cracked windows, and the moss growing in its crevices.

Contextualize

Explain how the object or theme fits within a larger context or environment. How does it interact with or stand out from its surroundings?

Include Historical or Cultural Significance

If relevant, discuss any historical, cultural, or social significance that adds depth to your description.

Consider Different Perspectives

Think about how different people might view the theme or object. This can reveal biases and broaden understanding.

Describe What’s Missing

Identifying elements that are missing can be useful in understanding what is there. For example, Adolf Hitler was a talented artist who painted buildings and landscapes, but he rarely included humans. One art critic said Hitler’s style “represented a profound lack of interest in people”, which may point to the fundamental lack of empathy that shaped his political ambitions and treatment of others. Therefore, describing what’s missing can produce some valuable insights.

These tips will enhance your descriptions, making them not only vivid and detailed but also meaningful and insightful.

Critical Analysis (Description) Practice

For the activity below, practice your critical analysis by describing the objects (cars, buildings, etc.) in a food desert, and then considering what your descriptions reveal about the theme (poverty).

What Do You See?

Describe the environment using as many sensory details as possible. Be specific and try using adjectives, such as gritty, barren, depressing, etc.

Contextualize

Think about the context of your descriptions. Why are there fast food restaurants and dollar stores in this area? How did these businesses develop in America, and what do they represent or symbolize?

Different Perspectives

Now that you have described this area in your own words, think about how other people might describe this environment. For example, what descriptions would the residents of this community use? What about city planners? Or affluent (wealthy) individuals?

What Did You Not See?

Consider what you are not seeing in this environment. What elements are missing that you would find in other neighborhoods? What factors influence the way a geographic area develop?

Essential Questions

The nearest grocery store in this area is around two miles away. If you lived here and lacked reliable transportation, where would you access food? What kinds of food would you eat?

Capabilities Index

Amartya Sen’s concept of capabilities refers to the opportunities or freedoms people have to achieve well-being, emphasizing what individuals are able to do or be. Rather than just focusing on material wealth, Sen’s framework assesses a person’s ability to engage in various life activities, like pursuing education, maintaining health, and participating in community life, highlighting the real choices they have available. How does living in a food desert reduce a person’s capabilities?

Conclusion