Phenomenology: A Comparative Reflection With The Homeless Man

In “Salvaging the Self from Homelessness”, David Snow and Leon Anderson argue that while people living on the streets have an obvious social or role identity, they sometimes struggle to find their personal identities. A social identity is an identity given to someone by society. If a person sees someone else living on the street, they will most likely be identified as homeless. A personal identity is an identity people assign to themselves to give meaning to who they are. Snow and Anderson continue by studying how homeless people attempt to create a personal identity. They come up with three general ways, distancing, embracement, and fictive storytelling. Distancing simply means trying to avoid actions, places, and people who relate

How are you and the children? We’ve both been so busy that we barely write each other anymore. Maybe if we both get telephones we can talk even though we’re 2,000 kilometers away! I’m glad to hear that you and Robert are enjoying married life and congratulations on your pregnancy! I also have great news, I’m finally pregnant again! It’s been hard on Aaron and I because we love children so much, but it’s been hard to get pregnant. Jack is doing well, grade four has been good to him. He reads to Lillian everyday and he has even started teaching her to sound out words! She will start school next year and she can’t wait. Aaron still loves his job at the bank and I still love teaching at Jack’s elementary school. I hope to keep teaching until right

The author, Barbara Duffield, Policy Director for National Association for the education of homeless children and youth, writes for CQ Researcher the article “Should federal agencies use the same definitions of homelessness?” Duffield aims to substantiate that federal agencies, using different definitions of the law create complications. That clear guidelines need defined for establishing what is best for families and youth found in a homeless situation. Justification for changing the definition of

Currently, the rates of homelessness in America continue to drastically increase. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2012) depicted how many people are homeless in a single night in America. The findings revealed that there were approximately 633,782 people who are homeless in America or 20 out of every 10,000. Approximately 394,379 are single individuals and 239,403 are people in families with 77,157 homeless families in a single night, and approximately 162, 246 are children. Veterans are more likely to be homeless than those who are non-veterans, approximately 29 out of every 10,000 veterans are homeless. Unfortunately, 38 percent of those who are homeless are unsheltered, either living on the streets or in places that are not suitable for human inhabitation. Most states account of for less than 1% of homeless population, whereas Texas contains approximately 5.4% of America’s homeless population. In San Antonio, there are approximately 2,981 people who are homeless each day, and 1,243 are unsheltered. Through a sociological perspective, the social problems of homelessness can be analyzed through the concept of sociological imagination, the comparison of the person-blame approach and the system-blame approach, and through the analysis of one’s own community’s effort in helping those who are homeless.

It was surprising to learn that there is a hierarchy that exists among the homeless. Contrary to how power is established in a typical culture, the characteristics and values of the homeless culture are formed in an inverted hierarchy. For example, a homeless individual who has experienced the most traumas and lived on the streets for an extended amount of time will receive a great deal of respect from his or her peers. Individuals who are homeless perceive living on the streets to be much harsher than a person from the mainstream culture would (Philipps, 2012). As a result, an individual gains authority by being able to survive no matter

Deinstitutionalization- a term popularized in the mid fifties to early seventies, was an experiment involving the release of some 830,000 mental patients. By reducing state mental hospitals by 60%, this ideology was found very appealing by Liberals due to mental patients receiving their freedom (Website 1). It was also liked by conservatives because of the large amount of money that would be saved by cutting the mental health budget.

In 2015 an estimated 560,000 people were experiencing homelessness in the United States. The National Alliance to end homelessness (2016) defines homeless status as regularly sleeping outside, in an emergency shelter or in a transitional housing program. Alabama homeless rates dropped by 13 percent between 2014 and 2015, reporting approximately 4,000 homeless in the state (The national alliance to end homelessness, 2016). Since cultural concepts

The issue of homelessness and beggars has been a problem within many countries for hundreds of years. There has been countless proposals and methods for dealing with and solving this matter, but it never works entirely. Some countries have come up with multiple ways to help them with governmental assistance, private organizations, churches or even support groups. However, to see a drastic change in homelessness or any issue, requires a drastic change in the way that is handled. In today’s society, when a child is born unto parents who cannot support them, the Child Protection Services will likely take them to an orphanage where they will in hopes have a better future. However, there are some in other time periods who would suggest something

The Problems and causes of homelessness are closely intertwined, with many of the problems of homelessness also sharing common source with the causes of homelessness. Narrative comments are included. There are three central themes that are highlighted in the cases. Mental health plays a large role in the cause and problem of homelessness as displayed by Stephanie’s experience as “her parents asked her to leave home. Stephanie had suffered from anxieties and bipolar”. Abusive relationships are also experienced frequently amongst the participants illustrated by Lauren and her children as it is noted “her husband was manipulative and abusive to her and the children”. Exposure to drugs is another theme of homelessness demonstrated by Elle’s

Living a normal life while you are homeless is not exactly ideal. Everything becomes a challenge: having a job, going to school, maintaining relationships, and keeping up the appearance that everything is fine. Likewise, being homeless and transgender makes it next to impossible to survive in an environment with so many closed-minded individuals like my home town in Idaho. Starving artists have it rough; and being able to express one’s self through individuality and survive off of what you create is often limited not only by circumstance, but the culture in which we live.

Spirituality as strength: Many women that have experience homelessness realize that when faced with life's adversities such as homelessness the women knows that spirituality a belief system will help her. Her faith in God will sustain her and she will regain the strength needed from God, the religious belief of knowing that when all “material things are gone” the consumer will lean on God or a higher power to have a better life in the future. Faith/spirituality in God, is always available during all of life's hardships; and through this journey it will lead to a resilience and a determination to move pass homelessness into permanent housing. In this article homeless women from Canada will share experiences of spirituality

A vast amount of studies have been conducted on homelessness in Canada and what the looks like in our society. How can we change this to become a mare successful ideas of help?The main topic that is going to try to be addressed is Homelessness and how help may be provided to those who are in need. The first thing that needs to be addressed is how displayed in the following articles and are they beneficial to our society. The ideas that the following article was written by Racine, G (2002) about the woman telling their experiences with help from society, while in poverty.Another source that is going to be dissected is an article written by Anucha, U (2010) addresses are going to address is it true that Homelessness is housed but not helped? The next article is written and will be examined is by Fallis G (2010) that is going to address to be on our current housing policy for those without a home. The next article is written by Walsh, C.Graham, J.Shier, M. (2009) and the main goal of that is what are the goals for a homeless shelter as a connective? One of the last articles I am going to be critically analyzing is an article written by Brushett, K Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario (2007) is one the people will go with the cuts to the housing policy. The final article that is going to be dissected written by Paul Morden; A story about College students holding a sleep out challenge held to spread awareness. The main

My friends often describe me as a cynic and a pessimist. For the most part, they're right. Sentiment loses value when it permeates one's attitudes and behavior just as the value of a commodity decreases as it becomes ubiquitous, so as a rule I reserve expressing sentiment for rare occasions that I deem worthy. Fortunately, even the harshest cynics are surprised sometimes.

The homeless stand down was an eye-opener experience for me. I had the opportunity to interact with several individuals, and one family. Initially I conducted some interviews with them to help complete the questionnaire; and the remainder of the time, I escorted the individuals and helped them choose items that were necessary for them. As I talked to each of them, I realized that the present state of these individuals were a product of the current economic situations. According to the National Homeless Coalition (2009), work factors are one of the many reasons why individuals are homeless. One of the individuals that I spoke to informed me that he was working a regular nine to five job at a construction site, but now due to the

I hear them get closer and closer as the porch creaks every step to the door. My heart feels like its pounding through my chest, and sweat is pouring off my face as I sprint in a panic. I hear the key turning and the door opening just as I jump out the window.