I believe homelessness comes in many ways. Being homeless is not just that person who sleeps on the corner of the street; it can also be the friend that goes from couch to couch in different family members and friends’ homes because he has nowhere to actually call home. Or the person who sleeps in his car cause he lost his job and got kicked out of his house, or the girl that told her parents she was pregnant and now is being shunned from everyone and has to stay at a homeless shelter. There is different ways of being homeless in American society. There are many organizations out there to help a person who becomes homeless. Yet, many do not take advantage of these organizations due to pride, exhausting all the organizations, or some people just don’t understand. For example, “In January 2014, communities across America identified 49,933 homeless veterans during point-in-time counts, which represent 8.6 percent of the total homeless population.” States the National Alliance to end Homelessness. Most of these men and women have severe combat related PTSD or other mental diseases. These men and women used to have a place to call home and families who loved them yet the weight of war, traumatic brain injuries, and the lack of help and support from America pushes these soldiers onto the streets. I can’t say that if I saw a man with a sign that read “American Veteran, No Food, God Bless” that I would stop and give the person money. Realistically, I would not. Like the video said above there are too many posers out there many who use the money to feed their addictions or just scamming people. What my family does is gives the person who claims to be a homeless veteran a VA card. Information is the key to survival and to change the current situation. So tying deviance into all of this, I believe once combat related PTSD is widely accepted in America the label of a Veteran being violent and scary will decrease to the understanding of the disease, which in turn will make the soldier feel less attacked in his own homeland and have less victims of violence with veteran’s families as well. This is one aspect to the homeless community that must people do not realize is a concern and that the video does not touch base on. I would like to continue discussing other aspects of homelessness but I exceeded the 250 words. ~BabyB004
Feeling you. The applied label and going against norms can be very, very difficult to address and dependent on precarious variables....Doesn't help much if your powerless and poor t reject the deviant label. FeelingYouFromOverSeas345
Your first sentence really got to me. My sons father has had a pretty rough life. Has no relationship with his parents or his multiple siblings from both sides. He got in a situation where he was living couch to couch from friends house to friends house. The word homeless can mean so many different things. He was not on the side of the asking for money or dressed in dirty clothes. He was a clean, put together person, working a minimum wage job, that had nowhere to call home. As the father of my child I struggled with knowing he was homeless. As a respectful person, he never would admit he was for a time period of his life. But to not know where you are sleeping that night... I couldn't imagine. KtKay004
I do agree there are many different forms of homelessness. It is smart to understand that it is not just the individuals living on the streets but also individuals sleeping couch to couch. Homelessness is a heart wrenching situation. Especially, Veterans who fought for this country. Then we just leave them to sleep on the street or we don’t provide the services they really need like mental health care. It is heartbreaking. -mysonmyworld004
I really like how in the beginning you explain that homelessness is not just a person laid up on the street with dirty clothes begging for money. Honestly, I'm sure quite a few of us have been homeless at some point in time or another. I lived out of my car for a good year until I got a job and saved up my money to get an apartment. I would bounce from friends houses and when that didn't work I slept in my car. It's weird to think of yourself as being "homeless" though. It's like your associating yourself with the guy on the side of the road begging for money, when really there is nothing wrong with that guy at all. Everyone has hard times and we need to not look down on people because of it. -mybabygirl004
I agree because not everyone is has caused there own situation. I have read so many articles about our homeless veterans and people who need help and never receive it because they can not receive it. A few of our homeless have mental illnesses that have lost caregivers and can not function on there own. -Kitsune004
I know a few people who couch surf! I never thought of them as being homeless. Very interesting. Also I appreciate you bringing up PTSD. It is very shameful the way we treat our vets in this country. I do believe a good number of homeless have fought in a war. RueTootie004
The mystery of homeless people is what we as a society fear. It is not the person, the place or the situation it is simply that homeless people are “deviant” to us in which it is not the norm we are comfortable with. Therefore our reaction to homeless people is fear and unacceptance. I too believe that there are some homeless people that take advantage of their situations. Meaning I have seen homeless people smoking cigarettes or have a brown bag next to them, meaning alcohol, but in the same sense, this may be the exact reason they are homeless. It is not that homeless people only worry about when or where they will get their next cig or beer, it is that the addiction in itself is the entire reason they are homeless. I have traveled a lot in my life fortunately and have encountered a lot of homeless people. My parents have never wanted me to judge people but because I traveled as a young girl it was well known that I was to not speak to homeless people and try to avoid eye contact. As a mother I completely understand where this fear being passed down to me came from. But being in multiple psychology classes, I have also made it a personal goal to not look away at someone who is not living life in ‘the norm’. For example if I see a disabled person in any sense, physcically or mentally I always try to make eye contact and smile. “These people do not get the respect as most of us do and a smile can change a persons day. Getting a little off subject. There was a girl in the video that said she thinks there are some homeless people who choose the life they have because they don’t want to live under the “organization” that has been laid out for us as American’s i.e. living in a house, paying bills and having a job. I have realized that I somewhat like control or organization. A free for all life style , in my opinion, promotes violence, stealing and much more. In trying to wrap this up, I will admit I automatically think a homeless person has some how done this to themselves or have made poor life decisions that have made them come to this place. But is a sociology point of view, I feel this way because I have been raised with amazing and supportive parents so in my mind there is no way I could ever get to the place of homelessness. Which in itself, is my entire point. If we can not understand why or how people in America especial become homeless than we should leave it at that. That we do not understand. We should not judge, hate or disrespect these people. But more so, understand and be happy that we are not them. KtKay004
I can understand your viewpoint to homelessness and I was told almost the same thing as a boy growing up. I too have traveled around the world and have seen people in Romania, Argentina and Brazil living in shanty towns on the outskirts of major cities. My option about homelessness of course has changed. The homelessness that I viewed in those counties wasn’t homelessness it was their lives. In America because of programs and public awareness there is hope for a better tomorrow.
I agree with a lot of what you are saying. There are those who take being homeless or even some just play the part to get money to buy alcohol, cigarettes or whatever it may be they are after. I agree it does have a huge part to play on why they are homeless. But then you do have the ones who are homeless for different reason, and society does tend to look at all homeless people with a deviant person in society regardless of the cause. Not all of them truly get the respect they deserve. But we always teach it to our children just as we are taught as children not to talk to homeless people and to stay away from them. Society tends to outcast them and much of society looks at them differently, in a lot of ways forcing the deviant perspective on them. I 100% agree what we do not know, we should not judge, nor be disrespectful. We should more be thankful we do not have to live as a homeless person. -JustMe1989004
In younger days, I used to look at a clearly homeless man sitting on the side of the street or listen when they came up to the window at a stop light, and I would think, "How does one even end up in that type of situation?" I couldn't even comprehend the concept of "becoming" homeless, even when you hear about all of these programs for homeless citizens, or small businesses hiring people that are in a situation like that. But when your'e removed from a state of privilege, picking yourself up with no resources to begin with isn't exactly an easy gig. You do, however, see homeless people that aren't really homeless--they are just getting in on a little extra side money, and it may be hard to differentiate. Or from those that use their earnings on the street to buy booze or smokes for the rest of the night. Those types of people do exist. But even still I've never understood how it got to that point. I think that should be taken into careful consideration, and is a good place to start sympathy or understanding as well. After all, what would a person who has never been homeless or close to being homeless know?
The comments so far gives a description of how we see a deviant person behavior and I agree this type of behavior fixes into that category. The homeless people that drinks and smokes the money away they receive from panhandling display deviant behavior. It is hard to see the events that lead a person to living on the street. I believe the majority homeless people if given a choice they would choose differently
I was in Chicago one weekend and this homeless guy said he'd show us the way to a hotel if we gave him 5$. Well he did show us the hotel but at the same time he completely ripped us off to where we didn't even have enough money for the hotel and had to sleep in our car. So yea, it is very hard to tell the difference between different types of homeless people. If someone truly needs the help and is trying to find a way to feed their child for the night I'm all about helping that person out but at the same time there are so many scammers out there, how do you know the difference? You really don't. -mybabygirl004
I have seen many homeless people in Chicago every time I go they are there with their cans out hoping to get some money for whatever they may say they are going to use it for. We had a teacher in high school that when we would go on our trips to Chicago she told us we were not allowed to ever give to the needy. We were told those people were faking it and actually had plenty of money. I'm not sure what to think after believing that for so many years. I do feel you need to look at the person and individually decide whether or not you are willing to help a person out. bdole004
Omg, you thought that too?! I would always ask myself the same question. Until I learned one day that all the things I couldn't understand became my own experiences and new life lessons. In the past I viewed homeless people to be medically ailed in some way. This goes back to medicalization of deviance. I later understand that people are victims of circumstance. However, I too agree with you that not all homeless people are victims. I don't believe that the majority are not cons and thieves. Emile Durkheim would agree that its important that we are exposed to homelessness. Because it teaches us standards and morals and pushes us to work to provide for ourselves so we don't become like "them."
The way that we view homelessness has changed over the past forty-five years. Many people including myself, at one time, thought that homelessness was self-inflicted issue. I felted that many of the people could change their situations if they tried hard enough. I was completely wrong and ignorant of the facts surrounding homelessness. Yes there some who use the system and just to take advantage of others. There are always outliners in every situation. If we look from the 70’s until the 90’s the largest population of homeless people were single men who suffered from alcoholism and or drug abuse. There was very few programs available to help people that were homeless because the major of people didn’t view the problem as a social problem. And because the group of people affected were normally man who were veterans, the problem was handed to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affirms to address. After the amount of homeless people grew and the issue was viewed on national television given a poor depiction of the most influential country in the world. This prompted our nation to conduct studies to give a reason for the homeless. And gave face to thousands of people sleeping under bridges and on park benches in major cities around the country. Many of the people were suffering from alcoholism and different types of drug use which lead them to being homeless. It also pointed to the problem of mental illness from veterans that had PTSD In the past twenty years the face of homeless has changed. The causes of homeless changed, no longer was it mainly from abuse of substances now economics were a factor. The new face of homelessness are single mothers with children sleeping in cars, living in motels and shelters. A good example of this is Misty Copeland. Today she is the first black principal dancer in ABT’s (American Ballet Theatre) 75 year history. Misty Copeland’s mother had four children and lived in a motel in Gardena, California in 1994. Misty’s mother had many troubled marriages which caused them to live with friends and in that motel room. This is only one reason for someone to be homeless. Our nation option about homelessness has changed causing there to be more programs to help children who are homeless and mothers to deal with the causes of their homelessness such as education, employment and physical and mental abuse from a spouse or love one.
Yes I too have once thought “why don’t you just do something to fix your situation” or “just get a job”. Never being in that situation I was insensitive to it. I couldn’t imagine being homeless. I do feel that situations are different, not every homeless person got there the same way. Some by force not controlled by themselves, some by choice and some by the bad decisions they choose. -mysonmyworld004
I really like that you talked about veterans. I find it ironic that we like to support veterans, and then not actually help those who really need our help. Many veterans wind up homeless from PTSD and then no one supports them anymore. It is said that we as a society like to preach our patriotism and then at a very easy chance to truly show it, we turn our backs on those in need. -DTH004
I really like the young man’s idea of what deviance was. The point he made that at any point you could be going against the norms of someone else’s culture and because there are so many different cultures and subcultures you are most likely being deviant with almost everything you do. As for Homelessness I believe that there are many different forms of homelessness. You have individuals who are homeless because they are down on their luck. You also have individuals who are homeless because they don’t want to be in their previous environment. You see this a lot with teenagers who decide they no longer want to follow the rules at home or no longer want to live there so they get on a bus and go to a different city and end up on the streets. There are also individuals who are dependent on substances and or strung out and are not making the best decisions. There are many reasons why a person becomes or continues to be homeless. As for it being deviant. In some cases I would say yes. Like the teenager who just doesn’t want to live by the rules and decides they are going to go live free spirit in the streets of New York. As for the individuals who happen to fall victim of their situations like losing their jobs and not being able to afford their living expenses anymore I don’t consider that deviant. For the individuals who are homeless because they are addicted to drugs and or alcohol I consider that deviant because they are making choices that is keeping them on the streets. As for issues such as mental health I don’t consider it deviant because that is something that cannot be controlled by the individual even with medications you can still have episodes. So I guess my opinion is that it just depends on the situation. It is sad to think someone would fake being homeless as a way to make a living. That to me is the lowest of the low. -mysonmyworld004
I like how you said they are different homelessness. I think that same thing, some people might have just got laid off their job or someone put their kids first and can’t pay certain bills. I think society looks at it as “you were on drugs, you love to drink nonstop, you don’t want help” when really that’s not the case at all. Some people decide to be homeless to prove a point. -Boop004-
I agree with you when you said that teens not wanting to abide by rules and choosing to live on the streets would be deviant behavior, same with those that are homeless and choosing to make drugs and alcohol a higher priority than their loved ones and homes. But it definitely does depend on the situation, and it's unfortunate that their are so many homeless people that are willing to work and make their lives better, but many people won't hire them because "insurance companies don't think it's a good idea". I think that's so wrong, every one should deserve a chance. -chillato004
I agree to the fact that there are differenct types of homelessness. The one that run away from home because they don't want to follow rules, well they have a rude awakening. The ones who are homeless because of a lost job but are in a shelter trying to tread water and get back on their feet, now they are the ones that I feel bad for, especially when there are kids involved. Some people take advantage of the situation of homelessness altogether and feel begging is ok, it is not. myboys004
I completely agree with you that in almost any circumstance with the differences in culture, deviance will always be present in the situation. I also agree with you about the different types of homelessness and that deviance would be based on perception, but deviance in general is the state of departing from the accepted standards or social norms. -Happy004
So technically homelessness is deviant behavior because it is not the norm for our society. When I think of deviant I always associate it with bad things such as using drugs or illegal activity but I know that's not always true. In my opinion gay marriage is more deviant than being homeless. I know too many people that had their lives completely together and lost everything because that person lost their job. I use to volunteer at the homeless shelter for men here in Peoria and a lot of people would be surprised but most of those men were not using drugs or trying to find their next bottle of alcohol. A lot of people think of drug addicts when they see a homeless person but I see someone who hit a rough patch and is only trying to do their best to get back on their feet. We truly don't know though. Each person has a completely different situation and unless we know that person we do not know the situation theyre in. So when it comes to the question is homelessness deviant, I think it all depends on the scenario. If a person got laid off and ran out of money to support his family and they ended up in a shelter, then no, that is not deviant behavior. If a person decided to start using drugs and therefor quits going to work and therefor loses everything then in my opinion that would be deviant behavior. No one can know everyone's situation though so that takes me back to the first thing I stated. Deviance is something out of the norm and for us homelessness is out of the norm so in general homelessness as a whole would be deviant. I personally feel that it is much more complicated than just that though. We may all be alike but we all come from different situations too. -mybabygirl004
I agree with you on this. Sometimes people don’t have a choice but to go homeless until they can find something to put they back on their feet. Sometimes people make sure that their kids have everything so something have to give and that makes some people fall in to the homeless category. -Boop004-
I do believe that being homeless is not always a choice. I know that in 2008 when the housing market went burst there were a lot of people that lost their homes and jobs. There are so many reasons why people end up being homeless but I know that most people don't want to be homeless. wonderwoman004
Recently I was in Las Vegas and when I was walking the strip there were a lot of homeless people just sitting around asking for money. I saw a few women saying they were pregnant and homeless and I seen some people with animals asking for money to help feed their dog. When you are in Las Vegas you really question these people and you wonder are they really homeless or are they just asking for money because they just want to make a quick buck? When I seen the women that were saying they were pregnant and homeless it made me really question them and who they are in a way. Such as are you really pregnant? Why didn’t you go to a shelter and ask for help? I understand that some people may not want to get help or when they do get help they turn around and go back to what got them in that situation in the first place but for this example of being pregnant I would think that you would want to get help and want to get off the street. I also understand that some people are put in this situation because they got kicked out of their house or their parents didn’t want them there anymore and for the people that are truly homeless and can’t do anything about it I really do feel sorry for and would give them my last few dollars or change. I think society portray homeless as someone that did nothing with their life, they cut back on school, they don’t want help but when really people become homeless for so many other reasons and sometimes it’s not by choice. -Boop004-
It would definitely be hard not to question those peoples motives, especially when you see tons of people on the street all together. There definitely are resources for pregnant women that they could seek out. However, if asking for help from those places is what got them in that situation, it could be hard to go back. Ultimately, it really isn't a choice for most people and it's sad that others take advantage of kind people, making in turn, less kind people. -chillato004
I agree that when some people ask for money it bothers me and my heart goes out to them but I always try to remind myself that if I give one dollar and then ninety-five more people give them a dollar thats a hundred dollar day. Thats not bad for a homeless person or a person that actually has a job. I dont give anymore cause I don't know who's really homeless or just pulling my leg. myboys004
When we went to Vegas we also saw a ton of homeless people begging for food and money. When we first got off the plane there was a man at Walgreens begging for money. My husband gave him some money, then later on in our trip we saw the same man gambling. Those kinds of things make you wonder if people are truly homeless or have just found a convenient way to make money without working. I do agree that homelessness happens for many reasons and sometimes not by choice. Maybe someone lost their job and were already behind on rent or house payments when that happened. There are plenty of organizations that help the homeless but, with the debt our state is in alot of those programs have been cut or their budget has decreased. When you have a job and things are going well it can be easy to take things for granted and to think it will always be that way. We as a society need to remember that everyone has a story and sometimes bad things happen to good people ~peoriahighlionsfootball004
There are definitely many negative stigmas against homelessness. It's crazy to hear real people talk about their real stories. I could imagine it would make an extreme impact on your mental health because it would be hard to see what is there to live for and why should I keep pushing forward. Unfortunately I think more people than not associate homelessness with those who aren't really homeless, but take advantage of others and get in their car after a day of "work being homeless" and make considerable money. This is bad though, because I do feel most people who really are homeless and who could really use a couple of dollars or even a simple meal from McDonald's go unnoticed. Or people are less likely to help them because too many awful people abuse others kind gestures. I definitely can understand being afraid of the unknown. They could be dangerous, we have no idea why they are homeless. In South Carolina, I remember my dad offering his cheeseburger that he just bought for himself to a homeless man. I was probably about ten years old, the guy took the sandwich from my dad and slammed it on the hood of his car saying, "I don't want your food, I want your money". My dad took off running after him leaving me terrified in the McD's parking lot. Obviously, he had an arterial motive, was either wanting money for drugs or alcohol, or just trying to scam people.There's no way a truly homeless person would deny food. People like this make it hard for others to be sympathetic of those who really are homeless because it is just that hard to tell. It is really sad, but fortunately there are groups, like Jappa, helping those in need giving some people food, blankets, and other necessities. -chillato004
I absolutely agree with you about the many negative stigmas on homelessness. I can relate to your story about your father. It was not as intense as your story, but I can relate. I also agree that no true homeless individual would deny the offering of food. I am glad that there is groups and associations that are willing to find compassion and help the less fortunate. -Happy004
I thought it was interesting that other people's perception was similar to mine. It stated in the video that some people that are homeless beg for money do it just because they can. I feel the same way I have seen a so-called homeless person standing on Western Ave and Lincoln street as I proceed to the mall. On my way back from the mall I was going over the by-pass on University headed south and ther that same person was standing at the exit ramp with the same sign. My son asked how did he get there so quickly? I wanted to know as well, he had to have driven to get himself that distance in that little time. This person frequents the same corner of Western and Lincoln almost everyday. I do believe that the money they collect goes toward drugs and alcohol. However, when they spoke about homeless people wanting to be homeless to avoid paying bills and wanting to fly under the radar, not all homeless people are defiant. I feel that everybody wants a shelter over their heads and food to eat when they are hungry. Maybe they are trapped into homelessness by no fault of their own. They could have lost their jobs or put out by a spouse or are struggling with an addiction. I don't believe anyone wants to live like that. When you continuously see the same person with that same sign standing on the same street corner everyday, you start to doubt them and have no more sympathy for them and in the back of your mind say "get a job man". myboys004
In that respect I do agree. Some people love taking the easy way through life. At first it might have been hard, but over time they start to become adjusted to the change. I really would like to ask someone why they choose to continue to live that way. In another way of thinking, the job market is really bad now. They may not have a choice but to live on the street. They might have had the car before they were homeless and it's a way for them to get to their "spots" easily. But if life is that bad they can just Uber. DAM004
When I was young I was taught that homelessness is the fault of every individual. When people would ask my mother for change she would give them the meanest look, or just plain cuss them out. When I reached my teenage years I acted the same way towards until my brother became homeless. Yes it was his own doing, but I became more compassionate towards homeless people. Drugs and pure laziness were the reasons that I came up with to explain the reason for their situations. Whenever I was approached by a homeless person asking for money I would tell them that I will buy them a meal instead of give them money and that deterred a great majority of them. That was the city life. When I reached adult hood, and I begin to experience different cultures, I begin to understand that drugs and laziness can't just be the only reasons that people become homeless. Loss of jobs started to become another reason why individuals were homeless. And on the flip side I saw that people really made a job out of being homeless. When people begged all day and then hop in an expensive car, I really paid more attention to the problem. I figured that if someone is using this as a hustle then it probably has to be some type of problem. So then I had to retrain myself to think that all homeless people are not the same, meaning there are those that are drug abusers and lazy. There are those that just see begging as an opportunity. And there are those who just were dealt a bad hand and they are forced to live without adequate housing. I met a man that lived in his car. He worked everyday, but he just didn't have the money to have his own place to stay. And even that person will not ask for money because they can still feed themselves. Today, still give the option of the meal. And everyone still refuses to take it, but now I am more cognizant of what their situation is. I don't feel like they are deviants, I just feel like it's the balance of the world. DAM004
Kudos to you for taking the initiative.to help after being raised not to. Even more kudos to you for purchasing something that is needed instead of just giving out money. I feel that if I were to give out money, some substance would be purchased I stead of a true need like food or a shower or a coat. Balance is a tough act! Thatgirl618-004
I know that if you have never had to experience being homeless then that is a blessing. I don't feel that I am better than anyone else. I know that some people feel that homeless people are lazy but that is not true for most homeless people. Most people that are getting money on the corner are not buying the wrong thing with the money. wonderwoman004
Homelessness is, thankfully, something many of us will never have to experience. I have a wonderful family who I believe would never let me or my family go without a home. However, as many have said homelessness comes in many forms and for many different reasons. I work at a dr's office where for the most part we see over 80 percent public aid or state funded insurance. I have seen many patients who come in and say they live in a shelter or out of their vehicles. The majority of these are families with sometimes 2, 3, or 4 children. I think the public's perception of homelessness is drastically different than what it truly is. I too have seen the man or woman standing on the street corner or at a stop light begging for food or money, and have thought to myself "I wonder if they have a car around the corner and are really wealthy? I don't want to give them my money for them to use it on alcohol or drugs" But, then the Christian part of me kicks in and I know that what they do with my money and/or food is really between them and God. It's my Christian duty to help those in need. The Bible says that we may be entertaining "angels unaware" meaning that maybe that person is put there to test our faith and what we would do if we came across them. I also know that there are thousands of veterans who fought for our freedom in wars and then came home to no home and no family. I guess what I'm trying to say is that no one knows what situations someone has been through to bring them to the circumstance they're in. There are plenty of people who are "running scams" and not truly homeless or poor. However,there are just as many who are truly homeless and desolate. I guess we as a people have to judge for ourselves which we believe about the people we come across. ~peoriahighlionsfootball004
I agree. Too many of our families are losing everything that they own without the know-how to get it all back. Its so sad to think that a woman and her children are forced into a shelter when escaping a domestic injustice. I'd like to think that the ability to maintain a shelter is a blessing. No money coming in except for state or federal funding (when there is such funding). I just wish that there were another way! Thatgirl618-004
There are many different reasons for homelessness. Substance abuse or mental illness are big players, but there is also natural disasters, unemployment, a death in the family unit, etc. The majority of Americans live on very little amounts of money monthly. Bills are not forgiving. Scraping by paycheck to paycheck hoping that you have enough money to pay your rent or your power bill. One too many times of being late or a few dollars short and out you go. Money makes the world go round. If you don't have enough, your world could come.crashing down. I would say that a fairly large portion of homeless people have some form of dependency. Whether it be alcohol, drugs, prostitution, etc. They will spend every penny that they can come across to get their fix. When you are scrambling for your next high, housing possibly seems very insignificant. Mental illness goes along with the addiction. One thing our nation lacks in is the ability to help or institutionalize the mentally challenged. Depression, psychological issues, personality disorders, etc. People are unable (or unwilling) to get the help that they truly need. Homelessness could affect anyone at any time. A tornado could ce through and tear your house to pieces. Your insurance is only going to pay you x amount and it isn't enough to rebuild. You aren't able yo get financing because you already have a mortgage on a home that is now uninhabitable. What do you do? Not everyone has a good support system. No parents to fall back on. You lost your job and are unable to pay your bills. No choice but to downsize. But now you have a bankruptcy and no credit to help with housing and no job to pay for it. I really think that we should take a step back and put into perspective that it could happen to anyone. Yes, some.choose it for themselves, but for the most part, no.choice was made. Learn a story before passing judgement. You never know. It could all be part of someone's master plan. Take time to listen. Thatgirl618-004
When I was younger I always thought homeless people were scary; I believe I always thought that because my parents always said that and society considers them deviant. When we think of homeless people we think of an alcoholic or drug addict. As I aged, I realized that the things my parents and society are not always accurate. In reality, a lot of homeless people are people who the government has failed. Certain people have lost everything because of the economic crash in 2007. Another part of our population that has lost everything are U.S. veterans. I have met some homeless people and they were some of the most humble people. The problem with society is that we believe that homeless people are the cause of there own devastation. Another thought that people have is that all homeless people are drug addicts because of a few. Some people gain the addiction because of our medical system that over prescribes pain killers. Some of the people who grown an addiction to pain killers are teenagers. Some of the teenagers who have an addiction become homeless because there parents have kicked them out. We should never judge a person by if they are homeless or if they are the richest person because either of them could be kind or cruel. the problem with deviant behavior is that deviant can be some that is not harmless at all in another culture. An example could be holding hands in one culture but could be harmless in another culture. -Kitsune004
I completely agree with you. What society has done to our view of homeless people is absolutely horrible. They truly just need our help. We have failed them greatly. They deserve our help, but sadly until society learns to view them as more then deviants they will probably receive the help they need. -Antoinette004
Homelessness is a real concern in our country. People in our society can be and are homeless for a variety of reasons. I am most amazed by the fact that we have such a huge number of homeless veterans...people who fought for freedom in our country and now have nowhere to live. That blows my mind. Another group that may not be as well known to most people is the number of children that are considered to be homeless. Kids who live in their cars with their parent(s), a grandparent, a sibling, and sometimes even alone. These people are not deviant people. Their behavior may or may not have led them here, but they are in fact homeless and something more needs to be done to help them out. Every time I go to Chicago I see the diverse people and the amount of them that are peddling just to get enough money to help them out with anything that they may need it for. Homelessness is a real concern in our society. Our country is always willing to help other countries out...it would be nice if they could start with people in our own country. bdole004
I appreciate that you brought homeless children into the discussion bdole004. It is heartbreaking to see children living in shelters, or parents and children living with another family or ‘doubling up’ to have a place to lay their heads at night. Certainly the youngest of the homeless population can’t be deviant, so why are we so quick to say that the adult homeless population is deviant? ~happilycurious004
When you think of something that is deviant in society, homeless people seem to be a perfect fit. More than likely we look at them with some sort of judgement, either they are “dirty”, “bum”, or they must be some sort of addict to get this way. We fail to realize just how many reasons a person can be homeless. There’s the type of person that’s homeless because of the way they choose to live, or they are homeless because of something tragic that has happened somewhere in their life that has caused them to be a homeless person which then forces them to be frown upon in society or looked at as a deviant figure. I think it is important to understand the person and what society has brought upon them. Yes, a lot of them seem “creepy” when you look at them, but do we dare step back and look how society has helped keep them in this position? According to statisticbrain.com America has a 1,750,00 nationwide. And in that number 66% of people who were homeless suffered from some type of mental illness, substance abuse with drugs or alcohol, 46% of cities also identified domestic violence as a primary cause for a person to become homeless. We provide shelters for homeless people, but does society really give them the right steps needed for them to have the proper help to no longer be homeless? We always hear how a shelter will help out women a child with open arms, but will male that is homeless get the same help? The leading person to be homeless in our nation a single male by 44%, when we see a male who tends to more rough we unconsciously are more afraid, more stand offish, we don’t think of their emptions or look at them as a vulnerable human in society as we would with a woman. When we look at a person who is homeless instead of deeming them a deviance in society, we should try to see thing’s from their point of view, and understand why it is they are homeless, it could easily be a social problem linked to their issues. If they are portrayed a dirty, or an addict that’s homeless society won’t always be so accepting in allowing them to make a better life for themselves. -JustMe1989004
I’m not going to lie after seeing a video in high school about how homeless people might not actually be homeless. I was really skeptically and thought that some people really just rather sit around and look homeless to make money. When I go up to Chicago I always look to see if there is any signs that a person really isn’t homeless. My perception of a homeless person is a person who I see sleeping on the sidewalk in the middle of the day with a winter type coat on even though it’s a hot summer day like I’ve seen in Chicago. I do not see homeless people as deviant people for the most part I see them as people who are trying to just make it through the day, and maybe get enough money to get a meal or two. I do feel that homeless people are harshly judge by the working class, and are often ridiculed for being lazy. We don’t know why their homeless may be they have a medical condition or even had substance abuse which caused them to lose their job and everything. I guess we just don’t have a right to judge others by what they have, because not everyone is fortunate. -CFC004
I love that you point out that you look to see if there are any signs that a person is actually homeless. Society has skewed our perception of what we think a homeless person "should" look like that, for the most part, we have been ingrained to look for "signs" that a person is homeless.
I love that you point out that you look to see if there are any signs that a person is actually homeless. Society has skewed our perception of what we think a homeless person "should" look like that, for the most part, we have been ingrained to look for "signs" that a person is homeless. -Antoinette004
I definitely agree with the one kid who was talking about how no matter what you do, to someone you will be deviant. By definition this is totally true. I’ve never really thought of it that way but it is definitely eye opening. To me I wouldn’t say that homelessness is deviance. Most people who are homeless don’t make that choice. They lose their jobs or face some other obstacle in life that turns everything upside down. This comes back to the sociological imagination. Looking at life through the eyes of a homeless person who am I to call them deviant. I would only consider something deviance if it is found universally wrong by the majority of society, or something that hurts others. Homelessness for the most part doesn’t really negatively affect other people. I don’t really consider someone doing all that they can for themselves is considered deviant. Sure, there are those that are homeless because they make bad decisions like using illicit drugs. But not all people who are homeless put themselves there through those types of choices. That is just a stereotype that much of society likes to stigmatize the homeless with. I think if we spent as much time helping homeless people as we do judging them, there wouldn’t be such a widespread homeless population. Like I said before to me homelessness does not equal deviance. I agree with the group of people sitting down in the video as well. We all hear stories about people who beg for money and are actually very well off. Although this does happen that is such an unlikely thing it isn’t fair to discredit the thousands of homeless people because of a couple of people’s actions. -DTH006
I totally agree with you. As children we are taught that homeless people are lesser than we are. Even though many of them are just like everyone else, and have just gotten really unlucky. I think the stereotype of homeless people just being alcoholics and drug addicts couldn’t be more wrong. -DTH004
The video basically talked about a lot of the things that I already felt about homeless people. I know that some people do stand on the corner and act like they are homeless in order to get money but that is not the majority or the norm. There are a lot of different reasons why people become homeless. Some of reasons are that they have mental illness, loss of job, don't make a enough money to keep up with rising cost and some death of a spouse. I don't think that these people should be labeled deviant. I know that some people do consider them deviant. I know that a lot of people are afraid of homeless people. They feel like they are criminals or deviant. In the video someone talked about homeless people that beg for money to buy alcohol. I don't feel like that is the norm but there are some people who are homeless that have substance abuse. I know that a lot of runaway teens find themselves homeless. There are some many layers to this homeless problem in America and other places around the world. I think that we need to spend more time to try find ways to help end homelessness. Some people get caught in the cycle in being homeless. It is hard to get a job or mail without a address. There are a lot of family caught in this cycle of homelessness since the economy in 2008 because lot of people lost their job and homes when the bottom fell out of the housing market. wonder woman004
I can understand that homelessness and deviance can associate with each other in the United States. I can also see it in the other countries that I have traveled to. I have been told stories that the people who live in poverty are a major factor in the crime rates. They become criminals because they believe that prison and losing their liberty, equality, and freedom is much more than living out in the streets, fending for themselves. They deprive themselves and others of their free will because it is the only way to survive. In addition, I was told that the people in poverty are not good people and that if they didn’t want to be homeless then they can find a job at McDonalds or do something other than beg. I remember several years past, every time I went to Chicago, and we walked in the streets; there were homeless people everywhere. After learning that they were homeless, I was determined to find something to give despite my knowledge of them. The next time we came up, I brought a small pack of mentos and started giving them to the less fortunate. I tried giving a few pieces without my mother noticing that the mentos were disappearing. I gave one to a man that was smoking and he told me that he didn’t want mentos, he wanted money. I tried just giving them but he refused, so I eventually asked my mother why he didn’t want ‘food’ and why he just wanted money. My mother tried, in the most PG way, to explain to me why he only wants money and what he would do with it. That day was the day that I realized that you can’t help all and that some people are bad and decide to be deviant no matter what help they are offered. That day was the day I lost a bit of compassion for the less fortunate. I saw the different colors of deviance in a person’s thoughts and actions. -Happy004
I grew up in the 61605 zip code and by and large most families were struggling to make ends meet even back then. As a South Side Peorian, my parents would tell me and my siblings to stay away from homeless people and never, ever, give them money. I used to think it was because we never seemed to have any extra money to give and what extra money we did have, went in the bank. We led a pretty sheltered life as my parents tried to prevent us from seeing a lot of the bad things that were happening around us, even in our own family. My uncle is an addict and was homeless for a while and my parents would, as we grew older, point to him as an example of what not to do. My uncle deviated from the norms of society. Now, I didn’t know my uncle was homeless when I was young. I just knew he spent time at my grandmother’s house, as well as in other family member’s home’s. He didn’t come to our house a lot, but when he did it was late at night and my siblings and I were woken by the noise of his arrival. My uncle was playful and energetic and my parents were usually upset that he woke us up by coming over so late at night. Now that I am an adult, I can see so many sides to my uncle’s situation. He (and my dad) had a rough upbringing. His mother suffered from depression and was an alcoholic. She left her family (five sons) for days and sometimes weeks at a time forcing them to fend for themselves. Their father did the best he could. My dad was the oldest of the five boys so I think that he took on the brunt of making sure his four younger brothers were somewhat safe. As adults, my dad and his brothers would help out my uncle by loaning him money to pay rent, buy gas, or groceries, etc. But my uncle would turn to drugs more often than not with the financial help he received. Now that I know the full story of my uncle, I look at the homeless with curiosity. Do these homeless people suffer from untreated depression, addiction or mental disorders? Have these homeless refused help? Have their family members given up on trying to help them? Are the family members deviants for not helping one of their own? ~happilycurious004
Homelessness is something that I see on a daily basis. Let's go back ten years. If you would have asked the seventeen year old "kylegoldheart004" what I thought of homeless people, I would have answered with the medicalization of deviance view. Believing that all homeless people are or must be mentally ill or suffer from drug or alcohol addiction problems. Today at age twenty-seven I have a much deeper view of homelessness. The video we watched did a great job of collecting a variety of opinions because our views of homeless people are very different. While cultures and sub-cultures vary differently on opinions of social norms, I believe it is a standard to accept that across the board in most cultures that homelessness would be considered deviant behavior. I contribute the opportunities that Americans have and even the aid that America extends to migrants/refugees seeking a better life in the U.S. But then again I have never been homeless. I live near downtown Peoria and daily I have passed this gentleman who wears a winter coat throughout the year, carries a garbage bag that he routinely moves from one street corner to the next, who is very dirty, unkept, and appears to be homeless. One day after seeing him about fifteen to twenty times I see under the hood of a car. My first thought was "oh lord, is he trying to tamper with someone's car?" But I drove on. After passing him several times near this car it became apparent to me that he actually owned this car. Ironically society would say it is deviant for him to be homeless in the first place but how interesting is his situation to be twice deviant because one would not believe that a homeless person could own a vehicle. It is just as interesting to know that there were many famous stars who were homeless before they were famous like Jim Carey or Halle Berry. But Emile Durkheim helps us to understand why deviance is important. Take homelessness for instance. Durkheim says that we establish that having a home is the norm and living on the streets and if we didn't have homelessness we wouldn't know it's right to have a home. Emile also says that recognizing that homelessness is deviant/wrong helps us to strive for better. Homelessness also pushes communities to improve their relief programs and to work to provide more aid.
I agree with you about seeing homelessness on a daily basis. When I was younger I didn't think much about homeless people because I never saw it like now a days. Yes we all have different views and opinions on the subject. In regards to the homeless guy in the area you live in, I too used to see him on a daily with tons of garbage bags going from the bus stop to across the street from it. I have given him money numerous times as well as people I know. Now I see him in that Cadillac, it makes me wonder if over time he saved enough money that people have given him to purchase the car. Seeing homeless individuals does make me strive for better and never let myself get to a breaking point.~Mznurse004
Homelessness is definitely on a rise in today's society. There are thousands of homeless people across the country. Men, women and children are victim to homelessness. I can say that some choose to be homeless to avoid day to day living activities including paying bills, and on the other hand one will see individuals struggling to be free from homelessness and and live a normal life, there is also the case of people being homeless due to drugs. I see homeless people all the time, some ask me for money or I'll see them holding up signs stating what they need. Some time ago I watched a documentary on people claiming to be homeless but in reality they have nice cars and a nice house. They would park in the woods, switch clothing so that their appearance would make them look homeless and then go out asking for money or holding signs. Now I'm skeptical when it comes to giving money to someone who appears to be homeless. I know a guy and I'm sure most people know him, his name is Willie York, he is homeless by choice and he never ask for money, he gives it away. Willie is one of a kind, and everyone loves him. He had the same routine year after year, in the summer he would find a spot in the downtown area to sleep then when winter was approaching he would bust a window to go to jail for the winter, for the past 3 plus years he has been living in different nursing homes so he is no longer homeless and does not have to commit a crime to have food and shelter during the winter months. In my opinion, there should not be any homeless people unless its by choice. the government should aid in providing the necessary help to the homeless to get self sufficient. All in all I can say that homelessness can be defined as deviant.~Mznurse004
As the guy in the video said, there are cultures and sub-cultures where certain things are deviant and other cultures and sub-cultures that they are not. In a wealthy neighborhood it would be very deviant to be homeless because a very large majority of the population, probably 90-99%, have homes. However, once you start to get into the low income areas, and 20-30% of the population is homeless, or on the verge of being homeless, it starts to become a little more normal. I grew up in a very small town where you never see people on the street asking for change or sleeping on a park bench, so if we saw someone dressed in dirty clothes wandering around town and asking people for money, a lot of people would probably call the police. However, I have friends who grew up in Chicago who have seen homeless people throughout their entire lives, so they are used to seeing that kind of behavior. I think that homelessness is as deviant as the person who views it thinks it is. If we treat homelessness as a sociological issue, then people would need too start finding solutions and resources to fix the problem. If we decide that homelessness is an individual problem, then we get the people who think that all homeless people are lazy and don't want to work and the problem, if it is a problem and not a life-style choice, never gets solved secor22 004
I will not lie, when I see a homeless person I look them up and down and judge them. I find myself trying to decide whether they are truly in need or if they are trying to scam me. I couldn’t understand how a person with no disabilities can hit the bottom that hard. I was once almost in a situation where I had nowhere to go, if I did not have family I would have been turned out to the streets. After that I started to realize how easy it can be for a person, like you and me, to find themselves homeless. I remember my first encounter with the homeless clear as day. I was a young girl and I was in the back seat of the car on a family trip to visit grandma. It was a hot day so we had the windows down. We came to a four way stop and there was a group of men standing in the intersection. One man was wearing clothes that did not match at all! His pants where bright blue and his top was a button up Hawaiian shirt. I remember asking my mom why he was dressed like that. He also was wearing headphones and singing extremely loud (he obviously had a mental disability.) Another man approached the vehicles ahead of us. He was going car to car knocking on windows. My dad yelled “hurry up roll up the windows” as if the man was going to possibly harm me. Frantically we rolled up our windows and sat in fear as the man approached our car. He had a lot of facial hair and no teeth, his clothes where dirty. I remember my dad explaining that those men where homeless because they use to live in the nuthouse and when it closed down the people had nowhere to go. Now that I am an adult I think about those homeless men and feel sad. They were living in a house for the mentally disabled and the government stopped funding it and the place closed. Kicking all these mentally disabled people to the streets. These men could not take care of themselves or nowhere to start. The reason I think the homeless are deviant is shaped by my father’s reaction. He was worried that the mentally disabled homeless where criminally insane and could possible hurt me. I guess those feelings still linger with me today. When I see a homeless person I judge whether they are worthy of my help. If I help them will they bite the hand that feeds them? RueTootie004
I definitely think we as a society are collectively deviant when it comes to our response to homelessness. We have such an indifference to the homeless population. We treat them as if they are a burden to society instead of looking for the cause of the problem. The population has been conditioned to think of them negatively, as vagrants and menaces, instead of people who are truly in need of our help. And while, sure, there is always going to be the exception, generally speaking, homeless people aren't begging on the corner as their "9 to 5" job. They are doing it because they really have no other option, or because of a mental illness. We neglect the homeless population greatly. We cast them off as deviants, when in doing so, we are really being deviant. Although, technically homeless falls under a socially deviant behavior according to the sociological definition, truly, looking at it from a human rights standpoint, it isn't. People don't typically choose to be homeless, although there will always be the exception like the woman in the video pointed out. A large portion of the homeless population suffers from mental illness, a large portion are also veterans. You'd think with America's stance on helping those who suffer from mental illnesses and the veterans, that we would do something more to address the issue instead of ignoring the problem in hopes that it will somehow solve itself or go away entirely. We really, as a people, need to do more to address the issue of homelessness. -Antoinette004
I believe that like everything else each situation is different & there are many different reasons for homelessness. The span goes from the strung out or those that chose that way of life all the way to those that life repeatedly knocked down. I believe as a whole our views are tainted by the negative examples making us prejudice against all those without homes. This make us collectively deviant in our response. ToyaO'Connor004
I believe homelessness comes in many ways. Being homeless is not just that person who sleeps on the corner of the street; it can also be the friend that goes from couch to couch in different family members and friends’ homes because he has nowhere to actually call home. Or the person who sleeps in his car cause he lost his job and got kicked out of his house, or the girl that told her parents she was pregnant and now is being shunned from everyone and has to stay at a homeless shelter. There is different ways of being homeless in American society. There are many organizations out there to help a person who becomes homeless. Yet, many do not take advantage of these organizations due to pride, exhausting all the organizations, or some people just don’t understand. For example, “In January 2014, communities across America identified 49,933 homeless veterans during point-in-time counts, which represent 8.6 percent of the total homeless population.” States the National Alliance to end Homelessness. Most of these men and women have severe combat related PTSD or other mental diseases. These men and women used to have a place to call home and families who loved them yet the weight of war, traumatic brain injuries, and the lack of help and support from America pushes these soldiers onto the streets. I can’t say that if I saw a man with a sign that read “American Veteran, No Food, God Bless” that I would stop and give the person money. Realistically, I would not. Like the video said above there are too many posers out there many who use the money to feed their addictions or just scamming people. What my family does is gives the person who claims to be a homeless veteran a VA card. Information is the key to survival and to change the current situation. So tying deviance into all of this, I believe once combat related PTSD is widely accepted in America the label of a Veteran being violent and scary will decrease to the understanding of the disease, which in turn will make the soldier feel less attacked in his own homeland and have less victims of violence with veteran’s families as well. This is one aspect to the homeless community that must people do not realize is a concern and that the video does not touch base on. I would like to continue discussing other aspects of homelessness but I exceeded the 250 words. ~BabyB004
ReplyDeleteFeeling you. The applied label and going against norms can be very, very difficult to address and dependent on precarious variables....Doesn't help much if your powerless and poor t reject the deviant label. FeelingYouFromOverSeas345
DeleteYour first sentence really got to me. My sons father has had a pretty rough life. Has no relationship with his parents or his multiple siblings from both sides. He got in a situation where he was living couch to couch from friends house to friends house. The word homeless can mean so many different things. He was not on the side of the asking for money or dressed in dirty clothes. He was a clean, put together person, working a minimum wage job, that had nowhere to call home. As the father of my child I struggled with knowing he was homeless. As a respectful person, he never would admit he was for a time period of his life. But to not know where you are sleeping that night... I couldn't imagine.
DeleteKtKay004
I do agree there are many different forms of homelessness. It is smart to understand that it is not just the individuals living on the streets but also individuals sleeping couch to couch. Homelessness is a heart wrenching situation. Especially, Veterans who fought for this country. Then we just leave them to sleep on the street or we don’t provide the services they really need like mental health care. It is heartbreaking.
Delete-mysonmyworld004
I really like how in the beginning you explain that homelessness is not just a person laid up on the street with dirty clothes begging for money. Honestly, I'm sure quite a few of us have been homeless at some point in time or another. I lived out of my car for a good year until I got a job and saved up my money to get an apartment. I would bounce from friends houses and when that didn't work I slept in my car. It's weird to think of yourself as being "homeless" though. It's like your associating yourself with the guy on the side of the road begging for money, when really there is nothing wrong with that guy at all. Everyone has hard times and we need to not look down on people because of it.
Delete-mybabygirl004
I agree because not everyone is has caused there own situation. I have read so many articles about our homeless veterans and people who need help and never receive it because they can not receive it. A few of our homeless have mental illnesses that have lost caregivers and can not function on there own.
Delete-Kitsune004
I know a few people who couch surf! I never thought of them as being homeless. Very interesting. Also I appreciate you bringing up PTSD. It is very shameful the way we treat our vets in this country. I do believe a good number of homeless have fought in a war. RueTootie004
DeleteThe mystery of homeless people is what we as a society fear. It is not the person, the place or the situation it is simply that homeless people are “deviant” to us in which it is not the norm we are comfortable with. Therefore our reaction to homeless people is fear and unacceptance. I too believe that there are some homeless people that take advantage of their situations. Meaning I have seen homeless people smoking cigarettes or have a brown bag next to them, meaning alcohol, but in the same sense, this may be the exact reason they are homeless. It is not that homeless people only worry about when or where they will get their next cig or beer, it is that the addiction in itself is the entire reason they are homeless. I have traveled a lot in my life fortunately and have encountered a lot of homeless people. My parents have never wanted me to judge people but because I traveled as a young girl it was well known that I was to not speak to homeless people and try to avoid eye contact. As a mother I completely understand where this fear being passed down to me came from. But being in multiple psychology classes, I have also made it a personal goal to not look away at someone who is not living life in ‘the norm’. For example if I see a disabled person in any sense, physcically or mentally I always try to make eye contact and smile. “These people do not get the respect as most of us do and a smile can change a persons day. Getting a little off subject.
ReplyDeleteThere was a girl in the video that said she thinks there are some homeless people who choose the life they have because they don’t want to live under the “organization” that has been laid out for us as American’s i.e. living in a house, paying bills and having a job. I have realized that I somewhat like control or organization. A free for all life style , in my opinion, promotes violence, stealing and much more. In trying to wrap this up, I will admit I automatically think a homeless person has some how done this to themselves or have made poor life decisions that have made them come to this place. But is a sociology point of view, I feel this way because I have been raised with amazing and supportive parents so in my mind there is no way I could ever get to the place of homelessness. Which in itself, is my entire point. If we can not understand why or how people in America especial become homeless than we should leave it at that. That we do not understand. We should not judge, hate or disrespect these people. But more so, understand and be happy that we are not them.
KtKay004
I can understand your viewpoint to homelessness and I was told almost the same thing as a boy growing up. I too have traveled around the world and have seen people in Romania, Argentina and Brazil living in shanty towns on the outskirts of major cities. My option about homelessness of course has changed. The homelessness that I viewed in those counties wasn’t homelessness it was their lives. In America because of programs and public awareness there is hope for a better tomorrow.
DeleteBuckrogers004
I agree with a lot of what you are saying. There are those who take being homeless or even some just play the part to get money to buy alcohol, cigarettes or whatever it may be they are after. I agree it does have a huge part to play on why they are homeless. But then you do have the ones who are homeless for different reason, and society does tend to look at all homeless people with a deviant person in society regardless of the cause. Not all of them truly get the respect they deserve. But we always teach it to our children just as we are taught as children not to talk to homeless people and to stay away from them. Society tends to outcast them and much of society looks at them differently, in a lot of ways forcing the deviant perspective on them. I 100% agree what we do not know, we should not judge, nor be disrespectful. We should more be thankful we do not have to live as a homeless person. -JustMe1989004
DeleteIn younger days, I used to look at a clearly homeless man sitting on the side of the street or listen when they came up to the window at a stop light, and I would think, "How does one even end up in that type of situation?" I couldn't even comprehend the concept of "becoming" homeless, even when you hear about all of these programs for homeless citizens, or small businesses hiring people that are in a situation like that. But when your'e removed from a state of privilege, picking yourself up with no resources to begin with isn't exactly an easy gig. You do, however, see homeless people that aren't really homeless--they are just getting in on a little extra side money, and it may be hard to differentiate. Or from those that use their earnings on the street to buy booze or smokes for the rest of the night. Those types of people do exist. But even still I've never understood how it got to that point. I think that should be taken into careful consideration, and is a good place to start sympathy or understanding as well. After all, what would a person who has never been homeless or close to being homeless know?
ReplyDeleteThe comments so far gives a description of how we see a deviant person behavior and I agree this type of behavior fixes into that category. The homeless people that drinks and smokes the money away they receive from panhandling display deviant behavior.
DeleteIt is hard to see the events that lead a person to living on the street. I believe the majority homeless people if given a choice they would choose differently
Buckrogers004
I was in Chicago one weekend and this homeless guy said he'd show us the way to a hotel if we gave him 5$. Well he did show us the hotel but at the same time he completely ripped us off to where we didn't even have enough money for the hotel and had to sleep in our car. So yea, it is very hard to tell the difference between different types of homeless people. If someone truly needs the help and is trying to find a way to feed their child for the night I'm all about helping that person out but at the same time there are so many scammers out there, how do you know the difference? You really don't.
Delete-mybabygirl004
I have seen many homeless people in Chicago every time I go they are there with their cans out hoping to get some money for whatever they may say they are going to use it for. We had a teacher in high school that when we would go on our trips to Chicago she told us we were not allowed to ever give to the needy. We were told those people were faking it and actually had plenty of money. I'm not sure what to think after believing that for so many years. I do feel you need to look at the person and individually decide whether or not you are willing to help a person out. bdole004
DeleteOmg, you thought that too?! I would always ask myself the same question. Until I learned one day that all the things I couldn't understand became my own experiences and new life lessons. In the past I viewed homeless people to be medically ailed in some way. This goes back to medicalization of deviance. I later understand that people are victims of circumstance. However, I too agree with you that not all homeless people are victims. I don't believe that the majority are not cons and thieves. Emile Durkheim would agree that its important that we are exposed to homelessness. Because it teaches us standards and morals and pushes us to work to provide for ourselves so we don't become like "them."
DeleteThe way that we view homelessness has changed over the past forty-five years. Many people including myself, at one time, thought that homelessness was self-inflicted issue. I felted that many of the people could change their situations if they tried hard enough. I was completely wrong and ignorant of the facts surrounding homelessness. Yes there some who use the system and just to take advantage of others. There are always outliners in every situation.
ReplyDeleteIf we look from the 70’s until the 90’s the largest population of homeless people were single men who suffered from alcoholism and or drug abuse. There was very few programs available to help people that were homeless because the major of people didn’t view the problem as a social problem. And because the group of people affected were normally man who were veterans, the problem was handed to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affirms to address. After the amount of homeless people grew and the issue was viewed on national television given a poor depiction of the most influential country in the world. This prompted our nation to conduct studies to give a reason for the homeless. And gave face to thousands of people sleeping under bridges and on park benches in major cities around the country. Many of the people were suffering from alcoholism and different types of drug use which lead them to being homeless. It also pointed to the problem of mental illness from veterans that had PTSD
In the past twenty years the face of homeless has changed. The causes of homeless changed, no longer was it mainly from abuse of substances now economics were a factor. The new face of homelessness are single mothers with children sleeping in cars, living in motels and shelters. A good example of this is Misty Copeland. Today she is the first black principal dancer in ABT’s (American Ballet Theatre) 75 year history. Misty Copeland’s mother had four children and lived in a motel in Gardena, California in 1994. Misty’s mother had many troubled marriages which caused them to live with friends and in that motel room. This is only one reason for someone to be homeless. Our nation option about homelessness has changed causing there to be more programs to help children who are homeless and mothers to deal with the causes of their homelessness such as education, employment and physical and mental abuse from a spouse or love one.
Buckrogers004
Yes I too have once thought “why don’t you just do something to fix your situation” or “just get a job”. Never being in that situation I was insensitive to it. I couldn’t imagine being homeless. I do feel that situations are different, not every homeless person got there the same way. Some by force not controlled by themselves, some by choice and some by the bad decisions they choose.
Delete-mysonmyworld004
I really like that you talked about veterans. I find it ironic that we like to support veterans, and then not actually help those who really need our help. Many veterans wind up homeless from PTSD and then no one supports them anymore. It is said that we as a society like to preach our patriotism and then at a very easy chance to truly show it, we turn our backs on those in need.
Delete-DTH004
I really like the young man’s idea of what deviance was. The point he made that at any point you could be going against the norms of someone else’s culture and because there are so many different cultures and subcultures you are most likely being deviant with almost everything you do. As for Homelessness I believe that there are many different forms of homelessness. You have individuals who are homeless because they are down on their luck. You also have individuals who are homeless because they don’t want to be in their previous environment. You see this a lot with teenagers who decide they no longer want to follow the rules at home or no longer want to live there so they get on a bus and go to a different city and end up on the streets. There are also individuals who are dependent on substances and or strung out and are not making the best decisions. There are many reasons why a person becomes or continues to be homeless. As for it being deviant. In some cases I would say yes. Like the teenager who just doesn’t want to live by the rules and decides they are going to go live free spirit in the streets of New York. As for the individuals who happen to fall victim of their situations like losing their jobs and not being able to afford their living expenses anymore I don’t consider that deviant. For the individuals who are homeless because they are addicted to drugs and or alcohol I consider that deviant because they are making choices that is keeping them on the streets. As for issues such as mental health I don’t consider it deviant because that is something that cannot be controlled by the individual even with medications you can still have episodes. So I guess my opinion is that it just depends on the situation. It is sad to think someone would fake being homeless as a way to make a living. That to me is the lowest of the low.
ReplyDelete-mysonmyworld004
I like how you said they are different homelessness. I think that same thing, some people might have just got laid off their job or someone put their kids first and can’t pay certain bills. I think society looks at it as “you were on drugs, you love to drink nonstop, you don’t want help” when really that’s not the case at all. Some people decide to be homeless to prove a point.
Delete-Boop004-
I agree with you when you said that teens not wanting to abide by rules and choosing to live on the streets would be deviant behavior, same with those that are homeless and choosing to make drugs and alcohol a higher priority than their loved ones and homes. But it definitely does depend on the situation, and it's unfortunate that their are so many homeless people that are willing to work and make their lives better, but many people won't hire them because "insurance companies don't think it's a good idea". I think that's so wrong, every one should deserve a chance.
Delete-chillato004
I agree to the fact that there are differenct types of homelessness. The one that run away from home because they don't want to follow rules, well they have a rude awakening. The ones who are homeless because of a lost job but are in a shelter trying to tread water and get back on their feet, now they are the ones that I feel bad for, especially when there are kids involved. Some people take advantage of the situation of homelessness altogether and feel begging is ok, it is not. myboys004
DeleteI completely agree with you that in almost any circumstance with the differences in culture, deviance will always be present in the situation. I also agree with you about the different types of homelessness and that deviance would be based on perception, but deviance in general is the state of departing from the accepted standards or social norms. -Happy004
DeleteSo technically homelessness is deviant behavior because it is not the norm for our society. When I think of deviant I always associate it with bad things such as using drugs or illegal activity but I know that's not always true. In my opinion gay marriage is more deviant than being homeless. I know too many people that had their lives completely together and lost everything because that person lost their job. I use to volunteer at the homeless shelter for men here in Peoria and a lot of people would be surprised but most of those men were not using drugs or trying to find their next bottle of alcohol. A lot of people think of drug addicts when they see a homeless person but I see someone who hit a rough patch and is only trying to do their best to get back on their feet. We truly don't know though. Each person has a completely different situation and unless we know that person we do not know the situation theyre in. So when it comes to the question is homelessness deviant, I think it all depends on the scenario. If a person got laid off and ran out of money to support his family and they ended up in a shelter, then no, that is not deviant behavior. If a person decided to start using drugs and therefor quits going to work and therefor loses everything then in my opinion that would be deviant behavior. No one can know everyone's situation though so that takes me back to the first thing I stated. Deviance is something out of the norm and for us homelessness is out of the norm so in general homelessness as a whole would be deviant. I personally feel that it is much more complicated than just that though. We may all be alike but we all come from different situations too.
ReplyDelete-mybabygirl004
I agree with you on this. Sometimes people don’t have a choice but to go homeless until they can find something to put they back on their feet. Sometimes people make sure that their kids have everything so something have to give and that makes some people fall in to the homeless category.
Delete-Boop004-
I do believe that being homeless is not always a choice. I know that in 2008 when the housing market went burst there were a lot of people that lost their homes and jobs. There are so many reasons why people end up being homeless but I know that most people don't want to be homeless. wonderwoman004
DeleteRecently I was in Las Vegas and when I was walking the strip there were a lot of homeless people just sitting around asking for money. I saw a few women saying they were pregnant and homeless and I seen some people with animals asking for money to help feed their dog. When you are in Las Vegas you really question these people and you wonder are they really homeless or are they just asking for money because they just want to make a quick buck? When I seen the women that were saying they were pregnant and homeless it made me really question them and who they are in a way. Such as are you really pregnant? Why didn’t you go to a shelter and ask for help? I understand that some people may not want to get help or when they do get help they turn around and go back to what got them in that situation in the first place but for this example of being pregnant I would think that you would want to get help and want to get off the street. I also understand that some people are put in this situation because they got kicked out of their house or their parents didn’t want them there anymore and for the people that are truly homeless and can’t do anything about it I really do feel sorry for and would give them my last few dollars or change. I think society portray homeless as someone that did nothing with their life, they cut back on school, they don’t want help but when really people become homeless for so many other reasons and sometimes it’s not by choice.
ReplyDelete-Boop004-
It would definitely be hard not to question those peoples motives, especially when you see tons of people on the street all together. There definitely are resources for pregnant women that they could seek out. However, if asking for help from those places is what got them in that situation, it could be hard to go back. Ultimately, it really isn't a choice for most people and it's sad that others take advantage of kind people, making in turn, less kind people.
Delete-chillato004
I agree that when some people ask for money it bothers me and my heart goes out to them but I always try to remind myself that if I give one dollar and then ninety-five more people give them a dollar thats a hundred dollar day. Thats not bad for a homeless person or a person that actually has a job. I dont give anymore cause I don't know who's really homeless or just pulling my leg. myboys004
DeleteWhen we went to Vegas we also saw a ton of homeless people begging for food and money. When we first got off the plane there was a man at Walgreens begging for money. My husband gave him some money, then later on in our trip we saw the same man gambling. Those kinds of things make you wonder if people are truly homeless or have just found a convenient way to make money without working. I do agree that homelessness happens for many reasons and sometimes not by choice. Maybe someone lost their job and were already behind on rent or house payments when that happened. There are plenty of organizations that help the homeless but, with the debt our state is in alot of those programs have been cut or their budget has decreased. When you have a job and things are going well it can be easy to take things for granted and to think it will always be that way. We as a society need to remember that everyone has a story and sometimes bad things happen to good people ~peoriahighlionsfootball004
DeleteThere are definitely many negative stigmas against homelessness. It's crazy to hear real people talk about their real stories. I could imagine it would make an extreme impact on your mental health because it would be hard to see what is there to live for and why should I keep pushing forward. Unfortunately I think more people than not associate homelessness with those who aren't really homeless, but take advantage of others and get in their car after a day of "work being homeless" and make considerable money. This is bad though, because I do feel most people who really are homeless and who could really use a couple of dollars or even a simple meal from McDonald's go unnoticed. Or people are less likely to help them because too many awful people abuse others kind gestures. I definitely can understand being afraid of the unknown. They could be dangerous, we have no idea why they are homeless. In South Carolina, I remember my dad offering his cheeseburger that he just bought for himself to a homeless man. I was probably about ten years old, the guy took the sandwich from my dad and slammed it on the hood of his car saying, "I don't want your food, I want your money". My dad took off running after him leaving me terrified in the McD's parking lot. Obviously, he had an arterial motive, was either wanting money for drugs or alcohol, or just trying to scam people.There's no way a truly homeless person would deny food. People like this make it hard for others to be sympathetic of those who really are homeless because it is just that hard to tell. It is really sad, but fortunately there are groups, like Jappa, helping those in need giving some people food, blankets, and other necessities.
ReplyDelete-chillato004
I absolutely agree with you about the many negative stigmas on homelessness. I can relate to your story about your father. It was not as intense as your story, but I can relate. I also agree that no true homeless individual would deny the offering of food. I am glad that there is groups and associations that are willing to find compassion and help the less fortunate. -Happy004
DeleteI thought it was interesting that other people's perception was similar to mine. It stated in the video that some people that are homeless beg for money do it just because they can. I feel the same way I have seen a so-called homeless person standing on Western Ave and Lincoln street as I proceed to the mall. On my way back from the mall I was going over the by-pass on University headed south and ther that same person was standing at the exit ramp with the same sign. My son asked how did he get there so quickly? I wanted to know as well, he had to have driven to get himself that distance in that little time. This person frequents the same corner of Western and Lincoln almost everyday. I do believe that the money they collect goes toward drugs and alcohol. However, when they spoke about homeless people wanting to be homeless to avoid paying bills and wanting to fly under the radar, not all homeless people are defiant. I feel that everybody wants a shelter over their heads and food to eat when they are hungry. Maybe they are trapped into homelessness by no fault of their own. They could have lost their jobs or put out by a spouse or are struggling with an addiction. I don't believe anyone wants to live like that. When you continuously see the same person with that same sign standing on the same street corner everyday, you start to doubt them and have no more sympathy for them and in the back of your mind say "get a job man". myboys004
ReplyDeleteIn that respect I do agree. Some people love taking the easy way through life. At first it might have been hard, but over time they start to become adjusted to the change. I really would like to ask someone why they choose to continue to live that way. In another way of thinking, the job market is really bad now. They may not have a choice but to live on the street. They might have had the car before they were homeless and it's a way for them to get to their "spots" easily. But if life is that bad they can just Uber. DAM004
DeleteWhen I was young I was taught that homelessness is the fault of every individual. When people would ask my mother for change she would give them the meanest look, or just plain cuss them out. When I reached my teenage years I acted the same way towards until my brother became homeless. Yes it was his own doing, but I became more compassionate towards homeless people. Drugs and pure laziness were the reasons that I came up with to explain the reason for their situations. Whenever I was approached by a homeless person asking for money I would tell them that I will buy them a meal instead of give them money and that deterred a great majority of them. That was the city life. When I reached adult hood, and I begin to experience different cultures, I begin to understand that drugs and laziness can't just be the only reasons that people become homeless. Loss of jobs started to become another reason why individuals were homeless. And on the flip side I saw that people really made a job out of being homeless. When people begged all day and then hop in an expensive car, I really paid more attention to the problem. I figured that if someone is using this as a hustle then it probably has to be some type of problem. So then I had to retrain myself to think that all homeless people are not the same, meaning there are those that are drug abusers and lazy. There are those that just see begging as an opportunity. And there are those who just were dealt a bad hand and they are forced to live without adequate housing. I met a man that lived in his car. He worked everyday, but he just didn't have the money to have his own place to stay. And even that person will not ask for money because they can still feed themselves. Today, still give the option of the meal. And everyone still refuses to take it, but now I am more cognizant of what their situation is. I don't feel like they are deviants, I just feel like it's the balance of the world. DAM004
ReplyDeleteKudos to you for taking the initiative.to help after being raised not to. Even more kudos to you for purchasing something that is needed instead of just giving out money. I feel that if I were to give out money, some substance would be purchased I stead of a true need like food or a shower or a coat. Balance is a tough act!
DeleteThatgirl618-004
I know that if you have never had to experience being homeless then that is a blessing. I don't feel that I am better than anyone else. I know that some people feel that homeless people are lazy but that is not true for most homeless people. Most people that are getting money on the corner are not buying the wrong thing with the money. wonderwoman004
DeleteHomelessness is, thankfully, something many of us will never have to experience. I have a wonderful family who I believe would never let me or my family go without a home. However, as many have said homelessness comes in many forms and for many different reasons. I work at a dr's office where for the most part we see over 80 percent public aid or state funded insurance. I have seen many patients who come in and say they live in a shelter or out of their vehicles. The majority of these are families with sometimes 2, 3, or 4 children. I think the public's perception of homelessness is drastically different than what it truly is. I too have seen the man or woman standing on the street corner or at a stop light begging for food or money, and have thought to myself "I wonder if they have a car around the corner and are really wealthy? I don't want to give them my money for them to use it on alcohol or drugs" But, then the Christian part of me kicks in and I know that what they do with my money and/or food is really between them and God. It's my Christian duty to help those in need. The Bible says that we may be entertaining "angels unaware" meaning that maybe that person is put there to test our faith and what we would do if we came across them. I also know that there are thousands of veterans who fought for our freedom in wars and then came home to no home and no family. I guess what I'm trying to say is that no one knows what situations someone has been through to bring them to the circumstance they're in. There are plenty of people who are "running scams" and not truly homeless or poor. However,there are just as many who are truly homeless and desolate. I guess we as a people have to judge for ourselves which we believe about the people we come across. ~peoriahighlionsfootball004
ReplyDeleteI agree. Too many of our families are losing everything that they own without the know-how to get it all back. Its so sad to think that a woman and her children are forced into a shelter when escaping a domestic injustice. I'd like to think that the ability to maintain a shelter is a blessing. No money coming in except for state or federal funding (when there is such funding). I just wish that there were another way!
DeleteThatgirl618-004
There are many different reasons for homelessness. Substance abuse or mental illness are big players, but there is also natural disasters, unemployment, a death in the family unit, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of Americans live on very little amounts of money monthly. Bills are not forgiving. Scraping by paycheck to paycheck hoping that you have enough money to pay your rent or your power bill. One too many times of being late or a few dollars short and out you go. Money makes the world go round. If you don't have enough, your world could come.crashing down.
I would say that a fairly large portion of homeless people have some form of dependency. Whether it be alcohol, drugs, prostitution, etc. They will spend every penny that they can come across to get their fix. When you are scrambling for your next high, housing possibly seems very insignificant. Mental illness goes along with the addiction. One thing our nation lacks in is the ability to help or institutionalize the mentally challenged. Depression, psychological issues, personality disorders, etc. People are unable (or unwilling) to get the help that they truly need.
Homelessness could affect anyone at any time. A tornado could ce through and tear your house to pieces. Your insurance is only going to pay you x amount and it isn't enough to rebuild. You aren't able yo get financing because you already have a mortgage on a home that is now uninhabitable. What do you do? Not everyone has a good support system. No parents to fall back on. You lost your job and are unable to pay your bills. No choice but to downsize. But now you have a bankruptcy and no credit to help with housing and no job to pay for it.
I really think that we should take a step back and put into perspective that it could happen to anyone. Yes, some.choose it for themselves, but for the most part, no.choice was made. Learn a story before passing judgement. You never know. It could all be part of someone's master plan. Take time to listen.
Thatgirl618-004
When I was younger I always thought homeless people were scary; I believe I always thought that because my parents always said that and society considers them deviant. When we think of homeless people we think of an alcoholic or drug addict. As I aged, I realized that the things my parents and society are not always accurate. In reality, a lot of homeless people are people who the government has failed. Certain people have lost everything because of the economic crash in 2007. Another part of our population that has lost everything are U.S. veterans. I have met some homeless people and they were some of the most humble people. The problem with society is that we believe that homeless people are the cause of there own devastation. Another thought that people have is that all homeless people are drug addicts because of a few. Some people gain the addiction because of our medical system that over prescribes pain killers. Some of the people who grown an addiction to pain killers are teenagers. Some of the teenagers who have an addiction become homeless because there parents have kicked them out. We should never judge a person by if they are homeless or if they are the richest person because either of them could be kind or cruel. the problem with deviant behavior is that deviant can be some that is not harmless at all in another culture. An example could be holding hands in one culture but could be harmless in another culture.
ReplyDelete-Kitsune004
I completely agree with you. What society has done to our view of homeless people is absolutely horrible. They truly just need our help. We have failed them greatly. They deserve our help, but sadly until society learns to view them as more then deviants they will probably receive the help they need. -Antoinette004
DeleteHomelessness is a real concern in our country. People in our society can be and are homeless for a variety of reasons. I am most amazed by the fact that we have such a huge number of homeless veterans...people who fought for freedom in our country and now have nowhere to live. That blows my mind. Another group that may not be as well known to most people is the number of children that are considered to be homeless. Kids who live in their cars with their parent(s), a grandparent, a sibling, and sometimes even alone. These people are not deviant people. Their behavior may or may not have led them here, but they are in fact homeless and something more needs to be done to help them out. Every time I go to Chicago I see the diverse people and the amount of them that are peddling just to get enough money to help them out with anything that they may need it for. Homelessness is a real concern in our society. Our country is always willing to help other countries out...it would be nice if they could start with people in our own country. bdole004
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that you brought homeless children into the discussion bdole004. It is heartbreaking to see children living in shelters, or parents and children living with another family or ‘doubling up’ to have a place to lay their heads at night. Certainly the youngest of the homeless population can’t be deviant, so why are we so quick to say that the adult homeless population is deviant? ~happilycurious004
DeleteWhen you think of something that is deviant in society, homeless people seem to be a perfect fit. More than likely we look at them with some sort of judgement, either they are “dirty”, “bum”, or they must be some sort of addict to get this way. We fail to realize just how many reasons a person can be homeless. There’s the type of person that’s homeless because of the way they choose to live, or they are homeless because of something tragic that has happened somewhere in their life that has caused them to be a homeless person which then forces them to be frown upon in society or looked at as a deviant figure. I think it is important to understand the person and what society has brought upon them. Yes, a lot of them seem “creepy” when you look at them, but do we dare step back and look how society has helped keep them in this position? According to statisticbrain.com America has a 1,750,00 nationwide. And in that number 66% of people who were homeless suffered from some type of mental illness, substance abuse with drugs or alcohol, 46% of cities also identified domestic violence as a primary cause for a person to become homeless. We provide shelters for homeless people, but does society really give them the right steps needed for them to have the proper help to no longer be homeless? We always hear how a shelter will help out women a child with open arms, but will male that is homeless get the same help? The leading person to be homeless in our nation a single male by 44%, when we see a male who tends to more rough we unconsciously are more afraid, more stand offish, we don’t think of their emptions or look at them as a vulnerable human in society as we would with a woman. When we look at a person who is homeless instead of deeming them a deviance in society, we should try to see thing’s from their point of view, and understand why it is they are homeless, it could easily be a social problem linked to their issues. If they are portrayed a dirty, or an addict that’s homeless society won’t always be so accepting in allowing them to make a better life for themselves. -JustMe1989004
ReplyDeleteI’m not going to lie after seeing a video in high school about how homeless people might not actually be homeless. I was really skeptically and thought that some people really just rather sit around and look homeless to make money. When I go up to Chicago I always look to see if there is any signs that a person really isn’t homeless. My perception of a homeless person is a person who I see sleeping on the sidewalk in the middle of the day with a winter type coat on even though it’s a hot summer day like I’ve seen in Chicago. I do not see homeless people as deviant people for the most part I see them as people who are trying to just make it through the day, and maybe get enough money to get a meal or two. I do feel that homeless people are harshly judge by the working class, and are often ridiculed for being lazy. We don’t know why their homeless may be they have a medical condition or even had substance abuse which caused them to lose their job and everything. I guess we just don’t have a right to judge others by what they have, because not everyone is fortunate.
ReplyDelete-CFC004
I love that you point out that you look to see if there are any signs that a person is actually homeless. Society has skewed our perception of what we think a homeless person "should" look like that, for the most part, we have been ingrained to look for "signs" that a person is homeless.
DeleteI love that you point out that you look to see if there are any signs that a person is actually homeless. Society has skewed our perception of what we think a homeless person "should" look like that, for the most part, we have been ingrained to look for "signs" that a person is homeless. -Antoinette004
DeleteI definitely agree with the one kid who was talking about how no matter what you do, to someone you will be deviant. By definition this is totally true. I’ve never really thought of it that way but it is definitely eye opening. To me I wouldn’t say that homelessness is deviance. Most people who are homeless don’t make that choice. They lose their jobs or face some other obstacle in life that turns everything upside down. This comes back to the sociological imagination. Looking at life through the eyes of a homeless person who am I to call them deviant. I would only consider something deviance if it is found universally wrong by the majority of society, or something that hurts others. Homelessness for the most part doesn’t really negatively affect other people. I don’t really consider someone doing all that they can for themselves is considered deviant. Sure, there are those that are homeless because they make bad decisions like using illicit drugs. But not all people who are homeless put themselves there through those types of choices. That is just a stereotype that much of society likes to stigmatize the homeless with. I think if we spent as much time helping homeless people as we do judging them, there wouldn’t be such a widespread homeless population. Like I said before to me homelessness does not equal deviance. I agree with the group of people sitting down in the video as well. We all hear stories about people who beg for money and are actually very well off. Although this does happen that is such an unlikely thing it isn’t fair to discredit the thousands of homeless people because of a couple of people’s actions.
ReplyDelete-DTH006
I totally agree with you. As children we are taught that homeless people are lesser than we are. Even though many of them are just like everyone else, and have just gotten really unlucky. I think the stereotype of homeless people just being alcoholics and drug addicts couldn’t be more wrong.
ReplyDelete-DTH004
The video basically talked about a lot of the things that I already felt about homeless people. I know that some people do stand on the corner and act like they are homeless in order to get money but that is not the majority or the norm. There are a lot of different reasons why people become homeless. Some of reasons are that they have mental illness, loss of job, don't make a enough money to keep up with rising cost and some death of a spouse. I don't think that these people should be labeled deviant. I know that some people do consider them deviant. I know that a lot of people are afraid of homeless people. They feel like they are criminals or deviant. In the video someone talked about homeless people that beg for money to buy alcohol. I don't feel like that is the norm but there are some people who are homeless that have substance abuse. I know that a lot of runaway teens find themselves homeless. There are some many layers to this homeless problem in America and other places around the world. I think that we need to spend more time to try find ways to help end homelessness. Some people get caught in the cycle in being homeless. It is hard to get a job or mail without a address. There are a lot of family caught in this cycle of homelessness since the economy in 2008 because lot of people lost their job and homes when the bottom fell out of the housing market. wonder woman004
ReplyDeleteI can understand that homelessness and deviance can associate with each other in the United States. I can also see it in the other countries that I have traveled to. I have been told stories that the people who live in poverty are a major factor in the crime rates. They become criminals because they believe that prison and losing their liberty, equality, and freedom is much more than living out in the streets, fending for themselves. They deprive themselves and others of their free will because it is the only way to survive. In addition, I was told that the people in poverty are not good people and that if they didn’t want to be homeless then they can find a job at McDonalds or do something other than beg. I remember several years past, every time I went to Chicago, and we walked in the streets; there were homeless people everywhere. After learning that they were homeless, I was determined to find something to give despite my knowledge of them. The next time we came up, I brought a small pack of mentos and started giving them to the less fortunate. I tried giving a few pieces without my mother noticing that the mentos were disappearing. I gave one to a man that was smoking and he told me that he didn’t want mentos, he wanted money. I tried just giving them but he refused, so I eventually asked my mother why he didn’t want ‘food’ and why he just wanted money. My mother tried, in the most PG way, to explain to me why he only wants money and what he would do with it. That day was the day that I realized that you can’t help all and that some people are bad and decide to be deviant no matter what help they are offered. That day was the day I lost a bit of compassion for the less fortunate. I saw the different colors of deviance in a person’s thoughts and actions. -Happy004
ReplyDeleteI grew up in the 61605 zip code and by and large most families were struggling to make ends meet even back then. As a South Side Peorian, my parents would tell me and my siblings to stay away from homeless people and never, ever, give them money. I used to think it was because we never seemed to have any extra money to give and what extra money we did have, went in the bank. We led a pretty sheltered life as my parents tried to prevent us from seeing a lot of the bad things that were happening around us, even in our own family.
ReplyDeleteMy uncle is an addict and was homeless for a while and my parents would, as we grew older, point to him as an example of what not to do. My uncle deviated from the norms of society. Now, I didn’t know my uncle was homeless when I was young. I just knew he spent time at my grandmother’s house, as well as in other family member’s home’s. He didn’t come to our house a lot, but when he did it was late at night and my siblings and I were woken by the noise of his arrival. My uncle was playful and energetic and my parents were usually upset that he woke us up by coming over so late at night.
Now that I am an adult, I can see so many sides to my uncle’s situation. He (and my dad) had a rough upbringing. His mother suffered from depression and was an alcoholic. She left her family (five sons) for days and sometimes weeks at a time forcing them to fend for themselves. Their father did the best he could. My dad was the oldest of the five boys so I think that he took on the brunt of making sure his four younger brothers were somewhat safe. As adults, my dad and his brothers would help out my uncle by loaning him money to pay rent, buy gas, or groceries, etc. But my uncle would turn to drugs more often than not with the financial help he received.
Now that I know the full story of my uncle, I look at the homeless with curiosity. Do these homeless people suffer from untreated depression, addiction or mental disorders? Have these homeless refused help? Have their family members given up on trying to help them? Are the family members deviants for not helping one of their own? ~happilycurious004
Homelessness is something that I see on a daily basis. Let's go back ten years. If you would have asked the seventeen year old "kylegoldheart004" what I thought of homeless people, I would have answered with the medicalization of deviance view. Believing that all homeless people are or must be mentally ill or suffer from drug or alcohol addiction problems. Today at age twenty-seven I have a much deeper view of homelessness. The video we watched did a great job of collecting a variety of opinions because our views of homeless people are very different. While cultures and sub-cultures vary differently on opinions of social norms, I believe it is a standard to accept that across the board in most cultures that homelessness would be considered deviant behavior. I contribute the opportunities that Americans have and even the aid that America extends to migrants/refugees seeking a better life in the U.S. But then again I have never been homeless. I live near downtown Peoria and daily I have passed this gentleman who wears a winter coat throughout the year, carries a garbage bag that he routinely moves from one street corner to the next, who is very dirty, unkept, and appears to be homeless. One day after seeing him about fifteen to twenty times I see under the hood of a car. My first thought was "oh lord, is he trying to tamper with someone's car?" But I drove on. After passing him several times near this car it became apparent to me that he actually owned this car. Ironically society would say it is deviant for him to be homeless in the first place but how interesting is his situation to be twice deviant because one would not believe that a homeless person could own a vehicle. It is just as interesting to know that there were many famous stars who were homeless before they were famous like Jim Carey or Halle Berry. But Emile Durkheim helps us to understand why deviance is important. Take homelessness for instance. Durkheim says that we establish that having a home is the norm and living on the streets and if we didn't have homelessness we wouldn't know it's right to have a home. Emile also says that recognizing that homelessness is deviant/wrong helps us to strive for better. Homelessness also pushes communities to improve their relief programs and to work to provide more aid.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about seeing homelessness on a daily basis. When I was younger I didn't think much about homeless people because I never saw it like now a days. Yes we all have different views and opinions on the subject. In regards to the homeless guy in the area you live in, I too used to see him on a daily with tons of garbage bags going from the bus stop to across the street from it. I have given him money numerous times as well as people I know. Now I see him in that Cadillac, it makes me wonder if over time he saved enough money that people have given him to purchase the car. Seeing homeless individuals does make me strive for better and never let myself get to a breaking point.~Mznurse004
DeleteHomelessness is definitely on a rise in today's society. There are thousands of homeless people across the country. Men, women and children are victim to homelessness. I can say that some choose to be homeless to avoid day to day living activities including paying bills, and on the other hand one will see individuals struggling to be free from homelessness and and live a normal life, there is also the case of people being homeless due to drugs. I see homeless people all the time, some ask me for money or I'll see them holding up signs stating what they need. Some time ago I watched a documentary on people claiming to be homeless but in reality they have nice cars and a nice house. They would park in the woods, switch clothing so that their appearance would make them look homeless and then go out asking for money or holding signs. Now I'm skeptical when it comes to giving money to someone who appears to be homeless. I know a guy and I'm sure most people know him, his name is Willie York, he is homeless by choice and he never ask for money, he gives it away. Willie is one of a kind, and everyone loves him. He had the same routine year after year, in the summer he would find a spot in the downtown area to sleep then when winter was approaching he would bust a window to go to jail for the winter, for the past 3 plus years he has been living in different nursing homes so he is no longer homeless and does not have to commit a crime to have food and shelter during the winter months. In my opinion, there should not be any homeless people unless its by choice. the government should aid in providing the necessary help to the homeless to get self sufficient. All in all I can say that homelessness can be defined as deviant.~Mznurse004
ReplyDeleteAs the guy in the video said, there are cultures and sub-cultures where certain things are deviant and other cultures and sub-cultures that they are not. In a wealthy neighborhood it would be very deviant to be homeless because a very large majority of the population, probably 90-99%, have homes. However, once you start to get into the low income areas, and 20-30% of the population is homeless, or on the verge of being homeless, it starts to become a little more normal. I grew up in a very small town where you never see people on the street asking for change or sleeping on a park bench, so if we saw someone dressed in dirty clothes wandering around town and asking people for money, a lot of people would probably call the police. However, I have friends who grew up in Chicago who have seen homeless people throughout their entire lives, so they are used to seeing that kind of behavior. I think that homelessness is as deviant as the person who views it thinks it is. If we treat homelessness as a sociological issue, then people would need too start finding solutions and resources to fix the problem. If we decide that homelessness is an individual problem, then we get the people who think that all homeless people are lazy and don't want to work and the problem, if it is a problem and not a life-style choice, never gets solved
ReplyDeletesecor22 004
I will not lie, when I see a homeless person I look them up and down and judge them. I find myself trying to decide whether they are truly in need or if they are trying to scam me. I couldn’t understand how a person with no disabilities can hit the bottom that hard. I was once almost in a situation where I had nowhere to go, if I did not have family I would have been turned out to the streets. After that I started to realize how easy it can be for a person, like you and me, to find themselves homeless.
ReplyDeleteI remember my first encounter with the homeless clear as day. I was a young girl and I was in the back seat of the car on a family trip to visit grandma. It was a hot day so we had the windows down. We came to a four way stop and there was a group of men standing in the intersection. One man was wearing clothes that did not match at all! His pants where bright blue and his top was a button up Hawaiian shirt. I remember asking my mom why he was dressed like that. He also was wearing headphones and singing extremely loud (he obviously had a mental disability.) Another man approached the vehicles ahead of us. He was going car to car knocking on windows. My dad yelled “hurry up roll up the windows” as if the man was going to possibly harm me. Frantically we rolled up our windows and sat in fear as the man approached our car. He had a lot of facial hair and no teeth, his clothes where dirty. I remember my dad explaining that those men where homeless because they use to live in the nuthouse and when it closed down the people had nowhere to go. Now that I am an adult I think about those homeless men and feel sad. They were living in a house for the mentally disabled and the government stopped funding it and the place closed. Kicking all these mentally disabled people to the streets. These men could not take care of themselves or nowhere to start.
The reason I think the homeless are deviant is shaped by my father’s reaction. He was worried that the mentally disabled homeless where criminally insane and could possible hurt me. I guess those feelings still linger with me today. When I see a homeless person I judge whether they are worthy of my help. If I help them will they bite the hand that feeds them? RueTootie004
I definitely think we as a society are collectively deviant when it comes to our response to homelessness. We have such an indifference to the homeless population. We treat them as if they are a burden to society instead of looking for the cause of the problem. The population has been conditioned to think of them negatively, as vagrants and menaces, instead of people who are truly in need of our help. And while, sure, there is always going to be the exception, generally speaking, homeless people aren't begging on the corner as their "9 to 5" job. They are doing it because they really have no other option, or because of a mental illness. We neglect the homeless population greatly. We cast them off as deviants, when in doing so, we are really being deviant.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, technically homeless falls under a socially deviant behavior according to the sociological definition, truly, looking at it from a human rights standpoint, it isn't. People don't typically choose to be homeless, although there will always be the exception like the woman in the video pointed out. A large portion of the homeless population suffers from mental illness, a large portion are also veterans. You'd think with America's stance on helping those who suffer from mental illnesses and the veterans, that we would do something more to address the issue instead of ignoring the problem in hopes that it will somehow solve itself or go away entirely. We really, as a people, need to do more to address the issue of homelessness. -Antoinette004
I believe that like everything else each situation is different & there are many different reasons for homelessness. The span goes from the strung out or those that chose that way of life all the way to those that life repeatedly knocked down. I believe as a whole our views are tainted by the negative examples making us prejudice against all those without homes. This make us collectively deviant in our response. ToyaO'Connor004
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