Liberal Perspectives On Homelessness Essay

Homelessness is a social problem that is prevalent around the world. Homelessness has existed for much of "civilized" human history. In the last two centuries, homelessness and changed and expanded. Sociologists who study and research homelessness have argued over its formal definition for decades, though for some, the definition of homelessness seems self explanatory and obvious. The paper will examine homelessness, particularly as a sociological issue, or a social issue seen from a sociological perspective. The paper will additionally reference sociological theory as a means of explanation for homelessness, such its causes, the demographics/populations, and other prominent known characteristics of homeless people. There are individuals and groups who choose to be, from a normative societal perspective, homeless, but for a great deal of the homeless population, it can be a treacherous and tragic lifestyle that is a result of a distinct set of social, societal, and individual factors.

In the United States the homeless population continues to grow rapidly. Homelessness has been a public health issue for many decades. Often times these individuals feel as though society has turned a blind eye to them. This at risk population is seen by society as lazy or chose to live a life on the streets, but if one would examine this population closely would see that there is more to this at risk population than what society has labeled them as. The forces, which affect homelessness, are multifaceted. Social forces such as family breakdown, addictions, and mental illnesses are in combined with structural forces such as lack of low-cost housing, insufficient health services, and poor economic conditions. Many would

There are many parts to the subject of homelessness, of course people talk about the solutions to it like The Ten Year Plan, then there is the history of it starting from the 1640’s. Also there is discussions about Homeless Shelters and more recently Anti-homeless Legislation. Then there are always the staggering statistics. The homeless is a very one minded topic for most. Most people think that the homeless should be helped, cared for, and educated for success. This is true (at least it is politically correct). Although Homelessness started in the 1640’s and has continued to be a problem today, now we have started to criminalize homelessness.

Many causes become the answers to homeless people. The most easy understanding of homelessness is they don not have houses. Homeless people live in the streets because they do not have a house, but every homeless person does not have a house since he was born is impossible. First, shortage of substance use is the major part for

People believed being homeless was a lifestyle chosen by that person. No one chooses to be homeless or live in poverty. Most of the time people are having problems with the government that result in leaving them without shelter, food, or an education.

Homelessness is a social problem that is everywhere. When driving a car or walking down the street, sooner or later, there will be a homeless person. The exact number of homeless in America is difficult to obtain, but it is estimated that 2.3 to 3.5 million people nationwide will experience homelessness every year (Thompson. p. 2). Why are they homeless? While the causes of homelessness vary, there are a few reasons which are always present. Learning some of these reasons can help give a better understanding of the homeless situation. Homelessness is a social problem in America caused by financial difficulties, domestic violence, and substance abuse.

Although surveys have been conducted defending that mental illness does cause homelessness. There are several arguments that personal disabilities such as mental illness, alcoholism, drug abuse and physical or mental handicaps are not the primary causes of homelessness. While these conditions make people more vulnerable to

Political factors also play into homelessness, when the federal government slashes funding for integral social programs like housing assistance the number of homeless persons skyrockets (Center for Public Interest Research, nd). Social problems are yet another contributing factor as to why a person may end up homeless, especially with drug and alcohol addictions, and as many as 25% of the homeless suffer from some form of mental illness (Center for Public Interest Research, nd). Many women and children are homeless as a result of fleeing domestic violence and there not being adequate shelters or programs to provide assistance (Center for Public Interest Research, nd).

Homelessness has always been a problem, occurring in cities across the world. For example, homelessness became a problem “in the 1980s, as housing and social service cuts increased. This was in part a consequence of the transfer of federal dollars to a huge military buildup and consequent large budget deficits” (Donohoe). The government spent all the money on the military, leaving none for the housing; therefore people became homeless. Also due to “A lack of affordable housing and the limited scale of housing assistance programs” ("Homelessness in America - National Coalition for the Homeless") homeless people can’t look to any one for professional guidance. This has created and contributed to the housing crisis for the homeless. Homelessness can make individuals “often [experience] feelings of isolation, [and] homelessness can also increase your chances of taking drugs or experiencing physical or mental health problems” (“Impact of

They believe the homeless have brought all of their struggles upon themselves which is true in some cases, But think of the children and Veterans they of all people should not be homeless. They will also argue that the homeless only care about drugs and alcohol, But like every other human being we are all different and care for different things. Coalition and prevention services for the homeless could be wasting taxpayers money but realistically thinking your tax dollars don't go for anything you want them

Homelessness is an epidemic that affects millions of people all over the world. These people have no place to live, are rarely able to bathe, and they have little to no food to eat. There are many reasons why people become homeless, but they can be broken down into three categories; Structural factors, systematic failures, and individual and relational factors.

Poor physical and mental health is one principal cause that leads to homeless. Often those who spend extended amounts of time without a home have untreated mental and physical issues that prevent them from the ability to survive on their own. One common physiological disorder is depression, which is widespread among a large percentage of the homeless. Physical injuries are a disability that can keep many homeless from finding or keeping a job in addition to the addiction of drugs and alcohol. Substance abuse is frequent among the homeless, and these addicts have problems functioning in public and keeping a stable and healthy lifestyle. After coming back from the military, some veterans develop post-traumatic stress disorder, an issue that can make them mentally unstable, and in some cases result in no place to live. The homeless often lack adequate access to health care while they have a much higher rate of health issues.

I am a Liberal. A Liberal is more open minded than some other political ideologies. They believe we should all be equal and have the same opportunities in life. The government should help us so we can all be financially stable. Things like health care and food stamps are important because the government should help all of us, if we cannot do that for ourselves. Although liberals want help from the government they don’t believe they should control what we do in our personal lives. They are very big advocators for women’s rights for this reason. Focusing on actual government, a big belief is that federal government should have more say over citizens instead of letting state government have control over what we do. Along with having laws they believe more laws will help us. It is a way to keep people in line and provide equal opportunity for everyone. I identify as a liberal but I don’t hold all the same beliefs as the typical liberals.

To begin with, individual conditions are major causes of homelessness, and they are quite numerous. For instance, the past of the individuals could be packed with shocking events. Some people have really hard time getting over them, and they always cause them many psychological or physical problems that may hinder their development in life. Shocking events may include loss of job or money. Research (as cited in Gowan, 2010) shows that 22.61% of homeless people are not working seriously to earn enough money. In addition, personal crises, whether social or economic have a huge impact on the individual’s present situation. If someone faces bankruptcy they have a higher chance of facing homelessness in the future. Also, mental illness

There are liberal liberals, conservative liberals, and radical liberals. Which mostly all follow the basic structure of liberalism. For example liberal liberals believe that for social safety people need help to feed their families and take care of themselves because not everyone can make it in this world and put food in peoples mouths, afford medical insurance, civilized people try to help each other, not leave them starving and without care. On the conservative side, there views are that people should be responsible for themselves, if they are given the chance they are completely capable of supporting themselves and their families. They also believe that if government always picks up and pampers the poor or needy, they will be weak and lose their motivation to work. For money, taxes, and the part that the government plays; the conservatives believe that government should serve the people. Not the other way around. The liberals say that the proper function of a government is to solve issues, decrease poverty, protect civil rights and liberties. And to make sure that all Americans have a fair chance to succeed.