OTTUMWA — Just because one group is different doesn’t make it better — or worse. But when there are differences between two cultures, ignoring them can lead to miscommunication.

That was one premise behind the presentation given by school psychologist Jim Ott of Bettendorf when he spoke at a substance abuse conference Friday at the Bridge View Center.

Author Ruby Payne, he said, studied poverty in the way an anthropologist might — visiting as a bit of an outsider, then taking what she learned about that culture and bringing it to her middle-class culture.

Though Payne’s work is not the only view on how to help those in poverty and is considered controversial by some professionals, Ott sees evidence of Payne’s observations in his everyday dealings with students and parents.

Yet like any “pattern,” he said, there will always be exceptions.

He said Payne describes poverty as “the extent to which one does without resources” using a list of eight resources ranging from relationships with loved ones to spiritual happiness.

That means, Ott explained, that having money doesn’t automatically lift someone out of poverty — and that someone with very little money may have happiness because of success in other areas.

That may be a surprise to drug counselors and other social workers who are generally in the middle class. In fact, said Ott, there are plenty of middle-class myths about those in poverty.

For example, poor people must be lazy and/or stupid. They don’t love their kids, having kids is just a means to get more benefits.

Or the assumption that “everybody in poverty would like to live the middle-class lifestyle.”

There are strengths among the generational poor, he said, including the ability to survive in just about any tough situation.

Other times, lack of understanding can revolve around priorities. Payne discovered the main priority in the culture of poverty is relational: looking out for the ones you care about. The other culture, middle class, prioritized achievement, not just for oneself, but helping one’s children become financially successful.

It doesn’t mean poor people don’t want to achieve, Ott said, or the middle class doesn’t protect their children. But the focus is different. And talking to someone when you assume their priorities are the same as yours can lead to failed communication.

So which is better? Respecting a supervisor’s position and doing what they say because they’re the boss? Or respecting the person in that position, and doing what they say because you respect them?

The middle class mindset tends to be you do what the boss says because if you don’t, you’ll get fired. To someone who values relationships above achieving seniority, if they don’t have a good relationship with the boss, they’ll go get a different job.

Those in poverty tend to react right away to any crisis. And one can’t plan for a crisis, meaning it is important to someone who has a lot of emergencies to live in the “now.” In the middle-class mentality, those things might have to wait until after work. Planning is important, talking about future goals and organizing a plan of action.

But, if someone wasn’t feeling well at home, or Grandma’s toilet was backed up, some in the “culture of poverty” may skip work or show up late; relations are more important than pleasing the boss. Again, different things are important to different people, Ott said.

Neither is better, Ott said, just different, unless someone wants to do well in that other culture. It’s almost, he acknowledged, like speaking two different languages that both sound exactly like English. It results in misunderstandings where a social worker has a conversation with a client, they develop a plan for success together and the client leaves and doesn’t follow the plan.

The problem? Two different languages. Different priorities. Assumptions by the counselor.

And the solution begins, Ott said, when agencies, drug counselors and schools start understanding where the other person is coming from.

Ott’s presentation was just one of several held during the conference — “Beyond Shock & Awe” and sponsored by the Ottumwa Substance Abuse Task Force and the Southeast Iowa Task Force for Drug Endangered Children.

Mark Newman can be reached at 683-5358 or by e-mail at mgnewman@mchsi.com.