The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Poorer, the “Matthew Effect” (2024)
Have you heard of “The Matthew Effect” credited to sociologists, Richard K. Merton and Harriet Zuckerman? It was named for the bible passage Matthew 25:29: “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” The loose transition popularized today is "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer”.
The term has been used to describe the effect that specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia and dysgraphia can have on early readers. The premise is that if a child has difficulty learning to read at an early age and isn’t given the tools and services to improve his or her reading, then there is a likelihood that the child’s reading will decline and it will not only affect school, but will affect that child’s future.
On the other end of the spectrum, children who are quick to learn to read will likely continue reading regularly and at a high level, and are believed to be successful in other areas of their lives. Thus, the rich at reading get richer at reading, and the poor at reading get poorer at reading.
What can you do? The key is early assessment and services. The child who shows signs at even a pre-K stage of a language based disorder should be assessed in all areas of that suspected learning disorder and the assessments should be conducted by qualified professionals. Talk to your pediatrician if your child hasn't entered school yet. Your child may be eligible for Early Intervention.
Results of the assessments are “data”. If a child is school age and the assessments lead a team to determine that the child is eligible for special education and services and an IEP is in place, data should be carefully tracked over time. If the data show no effective progress in the child’s reading or language based skills, then that child is not receiving the necessary services. Something isn’t working. Don’t delay action.
Do what you can to minimize the Matthew Effect. Catch specific learning disorders for early readers. Conduct thorough assessments. Work with your Team to ensure that your child receives the necessary services. Track the data. If the data show lack of progress, adjust the services.
Regardless of this theory, it is never too late to get your child help. If your student needs assistance and you have questions for a special education attorney, please do not hesitate to contact my office.
Matthew is mentioned in Matthew 9:9 and Matthew 10:3 as a tax collector (in the New International Version and other translations of the Bible) who, while sitting at the "receipt of custom" in Capernaum, was called to follow Jesus.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Matthew_the_Apostle
effect of accumulated advantage, sometimes called the Matthew principle, is the tendency of individuals to accrue social or economic success in proportion to their initial level of popularity, friends, and wealth.
Those who are better off are more likely to use and benefit from available help, which increases their advantage and widens the gap. This phenomenon is called the Matthew Effect. Simply put, the poor stay poor while the rich get richer.
The Matthew Effect refers to a pattern in which those who begin with advantage accumulate more advantage over time and those who begin with disadvantage become more disadvantaged over time (Dannefer, 1987; O'Rand, 1996). The result is ever-widening differences between the advantaged and disadvantaged.
“The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer” is a myth
This idea of cumulative advantage is expressed in the Bible, now called Matthew's effect: “For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.” Matthew 25:29 kjv.
The Matthew Effect is named for a verse in the Gospel book of Matthew in the Bible. Matthew 25:29 reads, "For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath."
Such injustice is what Jesus denounces through this parable of the talents. At the end of the parable, Jesus says, “For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Mt. 25:29). The rich get richer, the poor get poorer.
Some 1900 years later, a sociologist named Robert K. Merton pointed out that eminent scientists get a disproportionate amount of credit when they collaborate with others. He called this the Matthew Effect because those who are already famous will get additional fame but those who are not famous get no credit.
Those students who start off more comfortable with running and kicking spend more time with the ball in a game. By the end of the season, some students have kicked the ball hundreds of times more than others.
“ … according to the Matthew Effects theory, literacy skills build upon each other in a snowballing fashion and children who start out with stronger initial foundational reading skills will build their abilities at a faster rate.
The well-worn assertion that the rich get richer while the poor get poorer echoes Karl Marx's theory of immiseration which said that capitalists could only become richer by lowering wages, thereby reducing the living standards of workers until they had no choice but to revolt.
Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. It was the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley who observed in the 19th century that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. And things are no different today.
The income gap between the social classes has increased drastically throughout the last few decades, creating a significant gap between the wealthy and the poor. This gap has become so large that the middle class has nearly diminished, creating a social class comprised of the rich and the poor.
The Matthew Effect describes the fundamental inequality of advantage; for those who have it, whether it is wealth, knowledge, or prominence, they are at a distinct advantage to increase what they have. In essence, it's illustrated by the famous phrase, 'the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. '
Gladwell reinforces this idea with the “Matthew Effect,” which states that "success leads to more success." More simply: by being a little bit better, a hockey player will get opportunities that may result in the player becoming an outlier. Gladwell implies that the systems that determine success are not efficient.
The Matthew effect of accumulated advantage, sometimes called the Matthew principle, is the tendency of individuals to accrue social or economic success in proportion to their initial level of popularity, friends, and wealth.
ESV "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. NIV "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. NASB Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Dives and Lazarus Luke 16:19-31. "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores.
God does not want you to chase wealth, nor does He want you to pursue a life of poverty. Rather, God's will is for us to pursue the Kingdom of Heaven above all else. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Introduction: My name is Mrs. Angelic Larkin, I am a cute, charming, funny, determined, inexpensive, joyous, cheerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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