In: Psychology
How might a sociologist see homelessness from a cultural
context? Does a global perspective of homelessness influence our
perception of homelessness in America?
Please supply a referance (in text citation included) to go along
with it. Thanks.
Homelessness is the condition of people without a permanent dwelling, such as a house or apartment. People who are homeless are most often unable to acquire and maintain regular, safe, secure and adequate housing.
A sociological theory that can be used to explain capitalism as a cause for homelessness is the conflict theory. Under Karl Marx’s conflict theory, society has two classes of people: the owners and the workers. The theory suggests that owners basically exploit the workers, depriving them of the basic human necessities such as food and shelter. Meanwhile, the workers believe that they are taken care of adequately, and they rely on the owners for their well-being. But the owners do not have the workers’ best interests in mind because they want to produce wealth by any means.
Under the conflict theory, many people in a capitalistic society see wealth as something that was earned through education, hard work, and dedication. They see the poor and the homeless as lacking motivation, lazy, and uneducated. They believe they want welfare and others to take care of them.
Marx believed that this type of thinking was false consciousness. His conflict theory says that homelessness and other social issues are results of a person’s shortcomings and personality flaws instead of the flaws of society itself.
Homelessness is a deviance from the norm of society. As a result the norms and customs of the homeless culture are unique to them and develop to meet the needs of those within it. Once an individual becomes roofless, they must choose whether or not they will adapt. Due to the nature of the homeless culture, those who more readily accept their condition are far more likely to remain homeless. Conversely, those who do not associate or consider themselves as part of the homeless culture spend less time on the streets. Those individuals who had especially traumatic childhoods are able to adapt more easily because they will not see this culture as more frightening than the situation they escaped from.
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE OF HOMELESSNESS
homelessness is seen as the individual's failure to engage ones self within the society and lack of ability to manage their financial needs. Most nations around the world view homelessness as a major concern deserving of sufficient attention from government-funded social programs. Though many countries have established such efforts, success varies from place to place, as many national governments consistently struggle to provide enough housing for a continuously increasing population of homeless people. Nations everywhere are continuing to seek solutions to their own problems of homelessness in the twenty-first century.
no, global perception of homelessness do not influence our perception of homelessness in america. Though the american government takes the necessary steps to reduce the number of homelessness some of the reasons for the homelessness are by tragic life occurrences like the loss of loved ones, job loss, domestic violence, divorce and family disputes. Other impairments such as depression, untreated mental illness, post traumatic stress disorder, and physical disabilities are also responsible for a large portion of the homeless. Many factors push people into living on the street. Acknowledging these can help facilitate the end of homelessness in America.