Please go through the Play Spent simulation. After completing it, think about the decisions you had to make and the questions I asked you to think about while doing it. Give a short overview of how you felt, or what shocked you, etc.  Next, pick one myth about poverty and “myth bust” it as a sociologist. For example, how would a sociologist show that the stereotype of the “welfare queen” is a myth? Here, you must be armed with the course material and empirical evidence (and must include a graph or other relevant visual you find from an authoritative source). Do not forget to center this on the readings and simulation. If you have done this for another course you have taken with me, please pick a separate myth.

Play Spent Simulation

Activity Overview: This online simulation is meant to reveal the individual and structural challenges of making ends meet. Do not treat this like a game where the goal is to win because that is not the purpose of the simulation. The idea is to see the realities of income inequalities in the financial challenges presented.

Before Starting the Simulation: Please review the questions on this sheet prior to starting. As you move through the simulation take notes about your decisions and why you made them. Finally, under no circumstances should you post a request to social media or ask anyone for real money (even if the simulation asks you to).

1. Completing the simulation (twice) and taking notes on the questions below.

Directions for Completing the Simulation: Visit www.playspent.org (Links to an external site.). Click on “continue to Spent” and then “accept the challenge.” Use this sheet to take notes as you complete the activity. Then play the activity again, making different choices. The idea is to complete the activity twice, noticing the consequences of different choices. You will not need to turn these notes in but you may find the questions below useful for processing.

1. Do you have health insurance? Did you encounter any health problems? What did you do about it?
2. How many miles do you travel/from work each day?
3. Do you rely on help from others? If so, for what and what kind of help?
4. Were you able to spend any money on entertainment? Were you able to provide ‘extras’ for your child?
5. Did you ignore any bills? If so, what type did you choose to pay and which did you ignore?
6. Did you make decisions to do something “unethical” or “illegal” because you didn’t have the money to do the ‘right’ thing? What was it?
7. Did you make it through the month? If so, would you have enough money to pay for your rent tomorrow? If not, when did you run out of money? What was it that took most of your money?
8. Play the activity once more (for a total of two times)—Were you able to improve your situation? What types of things allowed you to make it? What made you go broke the fastest?
9. When you are done playing, click the ‘sources’ button at the bottom of the page. Which ‘fact(s)’ do you find most surprising/interesting?