...Homelessness in America SOC 331: Social Justice and Ethics April 6, 2015 Criminalization of Homelessness in America Every country faces homelessness in one form or another. Homelessness in America has been an ongoing problem over many decade. Homelessness is not racist or biased as anyone can find themselves without the financial means to provide adequate shelter and food. While there are many definitions for homelessness the most common is “a person who "lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence” (www.pbs.org). Those who are susceptible to homelessness consist of but not limited to children, teenagers, adult men and woman, veterans, mentally unstable and elderly people. Homelessness is not just the problem that the homeless person faces but the problem that we all as citizens of the United States face ethically, morally with the proper forms of justice. Throughout this paper we are asked to evaluate different perspective and responses in regards to the American problem of homelessness. In doing so virtue ethics, distributive, commutative and retributive justices will be used in evaluating the responses. ‘Virtue ethics is an ethical theory that evaluates the morality of the person doing a given act, rather than the act itself. Virtue ethics thus emphasizes that the various virtues and whether a person reflects those virtues in his or her actions are crucial to moral evaluation” (Mosser, 2010). The text book Social and Criminal Justice in Moral Perspective...
Words: 2246 - Pages: 9
...strongly believes that there needs to be more done in the state of North Carolina for the homeless. Teresa M. Holmes HS5401 March 14, 2014 Dr. Edward Muldrow Abstract The homeless population is aging faster that the general population in the U.S. As this vulnerable population continues to age, and having to address the health and housing needs is becoming increasing important. This will address overlooked concerns of homeless older adults, including their poor health status and unique care needs, the factors contribute to homelessness in this population, and the costs of homelessness among older adults, including to the U.S. health care system. The majority of homeless populations are people of color. There has been little study of racial differences among the homeless population, and racial finding have not been reported separately for homeless man and women. There is a study which the (MCKV) The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvement Act of 2001 which provides funds to local educational agencies (LEAs), is almost a decade old, yet no evaluations of its academic effectiveness have been reported. Social networks analysis has utilized mathematical models and graphical constructs to examine information exchange and diffusion. Poverty has existed in some form in American society and individual shortcomings and inadequacies in explaining the raise of the homeless over the past several decades. Poverty has existed in the some form in America society since...
Words: 4426 - Pages: 18
...ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Researchers and policy advocates have debated nearly every facet of the phenomenon, from the number of homeless to the causal factors to solutions for homelessness (Hodges, 2010). Each year, more than 3 million people experience homelessness, including 1.3 million children. According to national studies, even more Americans are at risk of homelessness. The impact of homelessness on families and children is devastating. Millions of low-income American households pay more than 50 percent of their income on rent when estimates say the figure should be no more than 30 percent (Surveys/Studies/Stats, 2012). There are several situations that may lead to homelessness but some of the more common reasons are: a missed paycheck, a health emergency, or an unpaid bill. These will create a crisis, pushing people out of their homes and in to homelessness. Despite diverse causes, almost all forms of homelessness are tied to poverty (Karger & Stoesz, 2010). Although there are policies to govern the issue of homelessness, there is room for reform and amendments in the legislation. Definition The level of significance we ascribe to homelessness very much depends on how the term is defined. In conducting the first census of the homeless in 1933, sociologist Nels Anderson identified a homeless person as “a destitute man, woman or youth, either a resident in the community or a transient, who is without domicile at the time of enumeration. Such a person ...
Words: 2693 - Pages: 11
...Assignment: The Key Concepts in Economics Curing Chronic Homelessness ECO100 The topic I chose is about homelessness and the cure that is sweeping the nation. There are multiple types of homeless, some are short termed, often uncounted as they are able quickly recover from the reason which left them homeless in the first place. Some are considered chronically homeless, which can mean a couple things; the first is that the homeless person has gone without a steady home at least four times out of the last four years. But, this can also mean that they have a disability that has caused them to be homeless for more than a year. Unfortunately, we have seen constantly increasing numbers of homeless Veterans since the Vietnam War (Haggerty, 2015). Not only is it doing the exact opposite of everything we have been told is the correct way to handle homelessness, especially chronic homelessness, but it is proving to be far more successful than anyone could have ever dreamed (The Editorial Board, 2015)! No matter where you live, the signs of homelessness are there if you take the time to look for them.. They are the most obvious when you are within great city centers because there is an ease of access to assistance that comes with being close to major hubs. Nevertheless, even an hour outside of a major city where we have nothing but farmland and wild land as far as the eye can see, we still have the same problems, they are just harder to find. One good example is during the warm months...
Words: 1479 - Pages: 6
...Many Americans have heard of Homeless vets and homeless runaways, but a very uncommon yet very percentage of homeless are out on the streets know as the mentally ill and homeless. According to the Treatment Advocacy Center, approximately one-third of the total homeless population are people with an untreated serious mental illness. Most of the people with mental illness include people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or A major depression. It’s is next to impossible for these people to get a job and without jobs they would not be able to pay rent. To make matters worse, most of these people don’t know their problems and how and where to go to get their problems fixed. Being mentally ill makes it easier for others to push them around....
Words: 1052 - Pages: 5
...Psychology's Past & Present Tyler Mistretta Rowan County Cabarrus Community College Psychology's Past & Present Structuralism, (Pastorino & Doyle-Portillo, 2013, p.7) “is a school of psychology seeks to analyze the adult mind (the total sum of experience from birth to the present) in terms of the simplest definable components and then to find how these components fit together to form more complex experiences as well as how they correlated to physical events.”[1] This was first introduced by Wilhelm Wundt and mainly identified with Edward B. Titchener (the mentee of Wundt). Because of this I would consider Wundt one of the most, if not the most, important psychologist in the history and studies of psychology. This idea is vital to understand on how the human mind works and forms memories. This is because we learn by seeing, hearing, feeling, touching and tasting things, all of these elements structured together create one mind. The 7 major perspectives in modern psychology: * The Psychodynamic Perspective - The role of the unconscious mind, early childhood experiences, and interpersonal relationships * The Behavioral Perspective - Behavioral psychology is a perspective that focuses on learned behaviors * The Cognitive Perspective - Focuses on mental processes such as memory, thinking, problem-solving, language and decision-making * The Biological Perspective - Emphasizes the physical and biological bases of behavior * The Cross-Cultural...
Words: 638 - Pages: 3
...Services Administration, United States Department of Health and Human Services, to the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Inc., and its subsidiary, the Health Care for the Homeless Clinicians’ Network. The views presented in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the United States government or of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. Nothing in this paper should be construed as providing authoritative guidelines for the practice of medicine or for treatment of medical conditions. This paper may be reproduced in whole or in part with appropriate recognition to the author, John Y. Song, MD, and the publisher, the Health Care for the Homeless Clinicians’ Network, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Inc. Second Printing February, 2000 National Health Care for the Homeless Council Health Care for the Homeless Clinicians’ Network Post Office Box 60427 Nashville TN 37206-0427 Phone 615/226-2292 Fax 615/226-1656 council@nhchc.org or network@nhchc.org http://www.nhchc.org i PREFACE HIV/AIDS and homelessness are twin plagues that take a staggering toll. Each condition complicates the other, and lives hang in the balance as health care providers and their patients try to sort through the complications and assure critical services. This paper is dedicated to the improvement of HIV/AIDS care for homeless people, and to the end of both of these plagues. In considering HIV/AIDS and...
Words: 29968 - Pages: 120
...After reading Jeannette Walls’ memoir, “The Glass Castle”, it became clear that there were many repetitive factors that shaped the Walls family’s lives. There are numerous accounts of sexual abuse, parental alcoholism, evidence of mental illness and finally poverty in the form of homelessness. For even when the children prospered the parents choose to be homeless. The question is, are these factors relative? Can it be that childhood sexual abuse can inflict mental illness or alcoholism in adulthood? Does mental illness and alcoholism affect the chances of being homeless? The focus of this essay is to provide evidence that the events in Walls own life, documented in her memoir, have a butterfly effect in the outcome of their parent’s lives. In Her memoir Walls documents several cases of sexual abuse during her and her sibling’s childhood. She writes of her own experiences with Billy Deel, although he is only a minor as well, he sexually assaults her during a game of hide and seek. PAGE 85-87 Afterward Jeanette was reluctant to tell her father, “I had a feeling it would cause problems” (Walls 87) The second assault Walls documents, was when she was nine years old. “I was awakened by someone running his hands over my private parts.” “‘I just want to play a game with you’ a man’s voice said.” The next day when they told their father, “he said he was going to kill that low life…” Although, no serious action was taken to find him or prevent it from happening again. (Walls...
Words: 2307 - Pages: 10
...here, a homeless man like Chris Gardner could become a millionaire. Yet when one walks down the streets of a city, it seems that this amazing story is, rather, an extremely rare occurrence. This idea set with the backdrop of a picture perfect suburb can perhaps hold true. However, when it is juxtaposed with makeshift homes made of tents and a couple of personal belongings, this promise seems nothing but shallow. There are many homeless individuals, and now a growing number of families, living on our streets, and their future is bleak. This is a terrible reflection of a country that has so great to offer so something must be done to try to solve this issue. In Detroit, through services like transition homes and shelters, Detroit Rescue Missions Ministries, though not perfect, is doing an efficient job dealing with homelessness. To understand the impact Detroit Rescue Missions Ministries (DRMM) has had, it is important to understand homelessness and its causes. There are “643,067 people experiencing homelessness on any given night” in this country and 37% are families (End Homelessness). Homelessness is caused by poverty and the inability to afford housing. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) “calculates that a family with one full-time, minimum-wage worker can't afford a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the country” (Katel). Poverty is another issue, especially in Detroit. Due to the foreclosure crisis and high unemployment rate “first-time homeless citizens...
Words: 2779 - Pages: 12
...from hunger and are forced to sleep in parks, under bridges, in shelters or cars. Every year, the homeless population grows in the United States. Persons become homeless for many reasons. Because they are destitute, they have been struggling in every way that human likely can have. To get back on their feet, they need help in every way. The homeless population is increasing drastically in society. People who are more fortunate than others should put social status aside and take an action to help homeless people to get back on their feet. Homelessness is a state where an individual or a family does not have a home to live. Along with that, the person is deprived of the legal, and the social dimensions are making him emotionally weak and in the state of isolation. Since the year 1980s, there had been a great shock to the Americans due to the rising homelessness. It led to a burst in the studies and the increasing stories related to the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of July 1987. In this act, there was an interference allowed off the federal government into this policy of homelessness, which had created many issues. For many years after that, this issue of homelessness remained on the top of the line in the political issues face by the Californian government. This paper aims at providing solutions to end youth homelessness in California. There are three types of homeless adolescent, and each category has its distinct features. Finally, the paper will look at the recommendation...
Words: 3950 - Pages: 16
...over the world the adolescent years have become marked by violence to an alarming degree. The phenomenon of teenage suicide has become particularly disturbing, but risk-taking behaviors of many sorts can be observed, including alcohol and drug abuse. Adolescents only want to have fun and go to parties. They get addicted to drugs and start to revolve their lives around drugs. Some get arrested and others encounter death. Addiction is so powerful that it takes control of people's brains and only tells them to do wrong. Drugs are highly Addictive, and most of the adolescents main goal is to fit in the group by doing what the whole group does, this is how they get into crack, booze, pot and crystal. Dr. Nowinski's book in which he states his study of Adolescents drugs and addicts describes...
Words: 1706 - Pages: 7
...THE PLACE OF DEEMED HOMELESS IN GOOD GOVERNANCE AND INCLUSIVE GROWTH OF INDIA TITLE: GOOD GOVERNANCE AND URBAN POVERTY PROGRAMS Author 1: Priyanka Bhattacharya, 1st Year, BBA.LLB(Hons) Author 2: Bharat Aseri, 2nd Year, BBA.LLB (Hons) ABOUT THE AUTHOR A girl from a metropolitan city of India, Priyanka Bhattacharya, was always in her way to be at the top. Doing her schooling from two famous schools of India, South Point High School and Gokhale Memorial Girls’ School, her capacity to write, think and dream increased and was ready to reach the top. Ups and Downs were a part and parcel of her life but hope and sincerity was her ultimate. After passing her first boards examination in class 10 her passion towards success increased because she knew in this world if one has success one is admired else are nailed to the cross of Jesus Christ. Working hard was not her part of the meal but the impulsive nature to get something and thirst of success which she always wanted to quench made her to this way. She passed her 10+2 examination with 88% of marks and being the state topper in accountancy in her WEST BENGAL BOARD OF HIGHER SECONDARY EXAMINATION, securing 98% marks out of 100. Awarded NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP by the Central Government she pursued corporate law for a better future and a better career and she is currently studying BBA.LLB in NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, ORISSA. Deprivation from all the enjoyment and happiness of the poor and homeless people touched her...
Words: 16710 - Pages: 67
...Ethnography Study: Personal Identities of Homeless People This paper is an ethnographic study of the personal identities of people who are homeless and living in Chicago, Illinois. People who are homeless are portrayed in and thought of in negative light. Much too often do people group homeless people into one category in terms of judging their background before meeting them; their state of homelessness has been offered as informative of who they are. Their voices and perspectives rarely contribute to broader knowledge about who they are as people. As such, the forced ‘homeless identity’ has resulted in placing them as ‘different’ than the ‘normal’ people with homes. An August 2014 analysis by Chicago Coalition for the Homeless estimates that 138,575 Chicagoans were homeless in the course of the 2013-14 school year. This is 19.4% more than the 116,042 people who were homeless a year earlier . With the recognition that homelessness is continuously increasing every year come important questions about how this happened, what could be done about it, and who are the people experiencing homelessness. This ethnography is concerned with this last question. This thesis centers on the personal identities of people experiencing homelessness. I want to understand how they see themselves on an individual level. Identities matter. Identifying people on the basis of their homelessness influences how they are thought about, and thus responded to by policy makers, service providers...
Words: 2520 - Pages: 11
...because no one would hire them. The reason that there are so many people homeless is because the economy. People can’t find jobs so they have to sell their home and downgrade to a smaller home or apartment. Often there are times when families are broken up because the husband can’t provide for his family and they end up on the streets. The root cause of being homeless can be explained by economics, it’s said that people who become homeless are going through a financial issue and are unable to obtain or maintain their homes. Research shows that 83% of the homeless population experience episodic, transitional, or temporary periods of homelessness. The challenges that people in poverty ridden areas in trying to keep their get a home is the level of the housing cost burden. When housing is 30% or less of monthly income then it is considered to be affordable. Data collected from the US Census Bureau’s 2010 American Community Survey shows that 75% of the households at or below the poverty line are severely housing cost burdened. When your housing accounts for 50% or more of a household’s resources, any unexpected financial crisis could cause a major housing stability problem and lead to an increased risk of homelessness. Being able to afford a house is a major issue across America and research shows that severe housing cost burden can vary by state. There are many reasons as to why people become homeless one of the most frequently reported reasons for...
Words: 2357 - Pages: 10
...Autumn Yeaman Unit 6 Assignment Case Analysis This week, you are going to complete an Assignment in which you analyze two case studies. You will read each case and answer the questions included using the information you have gained from this course so far. Your answer should include an analysis of client strengths, possible interventions, and a reflection on the possible ethical issues and cultural influences as they might impact the case. The information below includes the case details as well as the analysis questions. Use this document to complete your Assignment. Your Assignment must be your original work; plagiarism will not be tolerated. Be sure to review the syllabus in terms of what constitutes plagiarism. Case Study 1: Romeo Romeo is a 19-year-old Hispanic male. He has numerous visible tattoos, piercings, and puckered scars. Romeo discloses that he attempted suicide twice during high school and has lately has been feeling like he might try again. The last two times he tried, he bought some prescription drugs off of a local dealer in his neighborhood. Romeo has no job, is not in school, and is not close with his family. He is homeless and rotates between different friends’ couches and the occasional shelter. Romeo admits to gang involvement in the past but refuses to answer questions about possible current involvement. Romeo states he currently uses marijuana daily to try to “stay calm.” Case Analysis: What are the client’s strengths and how...
Words: 877 - Pages: 4
