Photography and Poverty: Tendency to Infantalize?

I came upon this picture in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal Photos of the Day gallery. Taken on a run down street in Manila, I find it a powerful commentary about photography and poverty, suggesting how easily and typically we can infantilize the poor.

…And, to the extent the caption is prefaced with the word “OUTGROWN,” doesn’t this photo do it too?

(photo: Aaron Favila/Associated Press. caption: OUTGROWN: A man read a newspaper inside a dilapidated crib along a street in downtown Manila, Philippines, Wednesday.)