Yes the homeless is considered deviant because its considered irregular and not having standards. Even though some people have no choice in being homeless do to there situation. It is disturbing that a lady that wants a boob job got help before someone that was homeless and hungry. Sexuality has become a big factor in todays world. Even the women gave money because they thought the was better than feeding a homeless person.In todays world it is unaccepted to ask for shelter and food but okay to need or want to have the model body. I always thought deviant meant bad or evil or the act of being guilty of something wrong. 12mc-005
I think most people in the U.S think the term deviant is bad and I would prefer not to use the word at all. Homeless people are fellow humans that for some reason have dropped out of normal living because they want to or they were forced to by some tragic event. Do we call homeless people that lost their home by a tornado deviant - no, people flock to help. Why not teach self-reliance and living skills in schools. ICC has a program that helps students that do not have college educated parents complete school every step of the way. Perhaps as we go through life we can help and not label. grandma005
The way people project themselves is also true. If you saw a pretty girl who wanted breast implants and a guy who looked like a bum, you would most likely choose her like everyone did in the video. They might view the girl and think she would go farther in life then a guy who is homeless because that is the way society is. We view homeless people as deviant and in some cases it shouldn't be that way. rose005
Media is run by sexuality now. It seems sad but its true. Everywhere you look they exploit sexuality to get more people interested in whatever is they want you to see. Deviant does have a rather negative tone to it though, as a lot of deviants are in fact criminals. But not all deviants are criminals. Society is in a messed up place where people find it more acceptable to give money to the women who only wants something rather then the homeless man who needs something to survive. It's sad to see it actually happen. Of course it makes me upset but I have walked by homeless people with money in my pocket and not give any of it to them. Most of us are probably guilty of this. Acer005
This video message really opens up society eyes into which how one can be so out of touch with their daily surroundings, or reality in general. I think the homeless people get ignored more in today's society than several years ago reasons being can contribute to social media, TV documentary such as intervention who have shown scenes where the drug addicts will panhandle, or hold up a cardboard sign stating their homeless and need help to get food or other items, but are really getting it to get drugs. Americans also have to get out the mind set of thinking all homeless people choose to live that way, or refuse to work. I liked that the video showed them at the same time but I would have liked to see it where their sitting at least four stores apart so it wouldn't looked like they're connected in any way. I still think the out come would have been the same with her getting more money, however being able to confront those who chose to give to a need verses a want would be the highlight of the video. I say all this to say that yes homeless people are considered deviant according to society views,but NO I don't think homeless people are deviant many people are just giving them a bad representation. but however nevertheless take the time to understand no matter what that individual is still a human being at the end of the day. Leathas005
I agree with your statement that society does see the homeless as deviant, especially with the fact that the documentary seemed to only show the bad side of the homeless situation. I thought that society had gotten past the fact that not everyone may be able to hold a job. Possibly there is some medical or mental issue that has caused the problem. Regardless of the reason, you are correct, that these are human beings and should be given assistance in some way, no matter how big or small. There are some people who do prey on the innocence of others and fraud them of money. These are the worst kind of deviants, because they pass themselves off as someone in need, take your hard earned money while possibly depriving help to someone truly in need. As a society we seem to believe, more what we hear, than what we see. With the internet, we are able to view some of the atrocities and violence, almost as if we were there that I think this has caused us to be desensitized to so much of the problems in our world today. If we continue losing sight of what happens right in front of our own eyes and disregard how this is truly affecting the way we view our everyday life, we should probably just sit down with the gentleman on the corner. Seoulman005
I agree you would think at this day and age society should be more opened to the fact that most homeless people are in that position by force and not choice. I beleive the people that walked passed the guy to give to the lady for a boob job is more deviant then the homeless guy. I totally like your view point on if we continue losing sight of what happens right in front of us then yes we might as well have a seat next to the gentleman. 12mc-005
Each person or society needs to define "Deviance." Is it a moral issue or a medical issue? Is the persons behavior good or bad and what is bad? Is the person medically ill as when medical specialists redefined alcoholism as a disease. The Medicalization of deviance transfers moral and legal deviance into a medical condition. It seems to me that people on the street should be evaluated and tested to see if they are on drugs or alcoholic or mentally ill or just unskilled. Then instead of being labeled, send them to an appropriate program for help. I know Peoria has the mission downtown for homeless men to eat, sleep and receive work help if desired. There are also programs for homeless or abused women. I volunteered a few years at Common Place in a program called Next Step to help people gain living skills and prepare them for finding a job. We found that when surrounded by caring, capable, helpful people, the unskilled learn confidence and created a life plan to follow. The goes along with Sutherland's theory of differential association. Carl Cannon has a program called "Elite" that gives poor students a strong role model that encourages good grades, graduation, communication skills and a better "home" group than gangs. I do not like labeling any people and feel it is ok to be different as long as you do not hurt anyone. If a human needs help, give help or take them to help. Conformity is also something I fight - like why would I dress as others want me to or I admit that I am a grandma that doesn't like to cook or why use a cell phone that I don't need? In conclusion a homeless person is not deviant to me and I will not conform to societies way of looking at the homeless. I am glad sociologists study problems and bring them to societies attention. grandma005
I am in agreement in regards to the majority of what you've said. Ultimately it depends on how the society sees homelessness. In countries where homelessness is much more common, it is not seen as negatively as it is here. Most likely because we put so much emphasis on wealth, and because homelessness is less common which makes it easier to single out as deviant. Too often we choose to label the homeless presumptuously as bad people or as having somehow brought it on themselves. Whether that is true or false in the end, it is still presumptuous, and we do it primarily to protect our own social agendas. I'm glad you mentioned all of those programs available to help people in need. To be honest I wasn't aware of any of them and it brings me a little bit of comfort to know that they do have some options. Poet005
Great points I especially like the part about the cause due to a possible medical issue. I haven’t thought about it in that perspective until now. It’s true that a lot of mental help homes are closing and the attendants are being forced to leave. Sure you can go to a clinic but only for a few days about as long as it takes the meds to kick in and show signs of improvement. That’s when the patients have to leave and go back to their regular routine whether that be with working or back to being homeless most likely unable to afford their meds. Which in turn starts the cycle all over again. I also agree about the labeling, in the idea of labeling anyone can be labeled because we are all different. We think differently than everyone else, we act differently, we have different interests. My point here is that no one is exactly the same and I could walk into a court room dislike how a judge conducts himself and label him all over a disagreement. I wouldn’t fight conformity just be yourself, If you could please everyone this world would be boring in my opinion as everyone would be the same. BHL005
I really like your idea of helping the homeless instead of ostracizing or labeling them. Often times, I feel like we as a society tend to look away from the homeless. We ignore them because poverty and suffering is uncomfortable to look at. It's amazing that we have people in our community willing to create programs that give people without homes or jobs hope. I've personally never heard of anyone becoming homeless on purpose; they just fell onto rough times and weren't able to get back on their feet. I think we all need to remember that any one of us could be that person on the corner begging for change, so we should lend a hand and volunteer to help our community's less fortunate. lasagna005
This video is very very disgusting it is so sad that society won’t even look the homeless man's way but see a half dressed woman begging for money for bigger breast and they give it to her. If it was me I wouldn't have look at either one of them. I feel that begging people for money is a easy way out of their responsibility. I don’t think just homeless people are deviant I think anyone trying to get over on people by begging for money, no matter what you look like are extremely deviant. The part that bothers me the most is that society thinks it is acceptable to beg for money if you look a certain way. Even though I feel as if homeless people can make a living just like regular people in society this video is heartbreaking. What if he really was homeless and needed money for food? All the people that walked past him and stopped at the half dressed women and gave money are truly selfish and is worried about self gain not trying to help someone. This video is so ridiculous I am so done. Cupcake005..
Firstly, I do appreciate and value your opinion, despite the harshness that has seem to come from from it. I agree that it is ridiculous society’s reaction during this scenario, because why people people just overlooking this homeless individual. In this case I believe it should have came down to two things: who is being truthful about their need, or maybe their wants, and who actually needs it. In a case as such, the audience case by pass the truth of what people want the money for. Now, we should have considered the need for the financial assistance. Also, it seems as if you have stated that just because people are homeless they are trying to get over on you? Why do you think that? I mean if I have nothing to eat and i ask for a dollar for a McChicken it is not because I am trying to get over on you. It is simple because i would much rather you not walk over my dead body. Actually, let’s go as far as saying a homeless person passed due to starvation; ,would he or she have still been trying to get over on you if they just asked for money for food an hour or so ago? Not trying to say you are wrong, but i am saying everyone should be realistic and not bias when looking into any situation as an outsider.
The message stated the truth. We have developed a love and support of superficiality. How often do we see that someone is unhappy with their appearance and decide to alter their face or body to look more appealing, thinner, sexier, or even younger. As a society we are constantly attacked by the media and advertising to always be looking for a newer, better, cheaper way to change something either about us or in our lives to make us happier. When you walk by someone on the street, do you actually notice the people who are walking around you? Have we become so numb to our own surroundings that we no longer “see” what is there. We have become so absorbed with what is continuously going on in our own little world that we forget to stop for just a second and really look at what is around you. Watching this video made me look closer at myself, knowing that this could be me or someone I know. Anything can happen at any time. We wanted to help the hot girl while the homeless and starving man was continuously ignored. The woman who stated that this is so Miami and had to take a picture to prove what? Something that we may not see on the streets of our own community. Something that has been over sensationalized by the media, internet, any kind of advertising to convince us that this is better for us. The homeless man wasn’t being deviant. He never approached anyone, he did ask for anything you could spare, but he remained in place. There was never any hostility or emotion. The young girl was never deviant while she collected money from everyone who stopped and took her picture. For me, the deviant behavior was from the people on the street. We have become so uncaring and unfeeling to our own environment. Proving, to me, that we only see what we want to see. Seoulman005
I agree with you whole heartily that neither actor was being deviant but it never crossed my mind that the actual deviant individuals were the ones who passed by both actors and responded to the young lady wants but not the man needs, another valid point you made was that our society has become so uncaring and we only see what we want to see. which brings me to the point of or actions and view points of the homeless are worse than what they have ever been before and I can only imagine what will it be like a decade let alone two decades from now. SAD! SAD! WORLD out there Leathas005
Before the video even started I knew what the outcome was going to be as there have been many social experiments along these lines all with the same outcome. It was about 4 Years ago that a priest sat outside the church dressed as a homeless man same outcome only a few gave him some money. He then walked inside the church and introduced himself as he was the new priest taking over for that church. Is homelessness considered deviant? Yes it is as such behavior is not a social norm for society. If you are traveling and have never seen a homeless person before you would be struck as it being deviant and may experience some culture shock as it is out of your norm. However I can also say no as there are homeless communities in which it would be normal for such behavior at or near those areas. All homeless people have to deal with all the stereotypes of being homeless. That they wasted all their money on alcohol or drugs, gambled their money away. What about someone who lost their job and lost everything due to costs of living or they were born into the life because their parents were homeless. I was guilty at one time thinking that they would rather beg than get a job at McDonalds, of course I was uneducated. Now I know that if the homeless tried to apply they would be turned down due to poor presentation of self to effect the appearance of the business. I think a better question would be, to the homeless is it deviant to give them something or not to? If you don’t give them anything they would think of you as a deviant as you can spare more than you want to give. In Georgia I had a guy get upset with me because he didn’t like the money I gave him he wanted quarters and only quarters and all I did was reach in my coin tray in my car. Was I a deviant because I didn’t give him what he wanted? The aspect of the homeless and deviance can expand into multiple ways of thinking about this issue but I feel that in any case either person should not be labeled as a deviant. After all we are 2 different people each with our own culture or norms. Would I be a deviant if I’m ignorant to local customs in another country or are those people deviant because their culture is not mine? BHL005
Unfortunately, I feel as if I answered this question on one of the other blogs, so please forgive me if it seems as if I am repeating myself. Are homeless people considered deviant? In my opinion, I believe homeless people are considered to be deviant. Deviance can be simplified as individuals who are not seen as ideal members of society. In many cases, people who are deviant are seen as rebels. With that being said, can we say homeless people are deviant? Despite the fact that some homeless people have no choice, but to be homeless does not change the fact that they are not being productive members of society. Unfortunately, it seems as if I am scapegoating all homeless people, but when dealing with deviance it is subject broad subject. Going back to one of my previous points, what are we to categorizes those individuals who are homeless because they have no other choice? It seems unfair to place those individuals in a position in which in seen by many as people who are just lazy? At the end of the day, they still are deviant, right? Also, I would like to address the pros of being a homeless individual, whether it be by choice or not. I do not about other people, but it takes a lot for me to ask for assistance from people that I know; let a long people I don’t know. That takes a very humble and powerful person to put themselves in such a vulnerable position. To realize that you need help and are willing to broadcast that, potentially, to the world takes guts. With that being said, if being deviant teaches to to be humble, open-minded, open-spirited, and free-willed, sign me up!
I do believe that society in general (at least in the USA) considers homeless people to be deviants. There are so many levels of depth to why this might be that I’m afraid if I really went into detail about it, I wouldn’t get to sleep tonight, so I’ll summarize. As discussed in class, deviance is not necessarily a state of criminality, rather it is any state of behavior that departs too drastically from the expected path to be socially palatable. Here in the states, home ownership or tenancy is one of those expectations.
Our entire culture is set up in such a way as to facilitate the production of productive citizenry. First adolescence, then study, then work, then contribution to society (and the home to accompany it all). If someone fails to realize their potential in each of those stages and therefore ends up homeless, there are only three possible reasons; the homeless person is not a good person and has brought on his current state himself, the system is deeply flawed, or life just isn’t fair.
Obviously, there are innumerable important details which explain the possibilities, but for the sake of avoiding convolution I’ll take a more broad-spectrum approach in addressing them. If we choose to believe that he or she is homeless because the system is deeply flawed, then we are forced to confront a very uncomfortable truth, and none of us want to do that. Even if deep down we know it is the truth, confronting it in the forefront of our thoughts is a whole different matter. We are conditioned to avoid that sort of thing, this is the same reason that people with addiction problems rarely admit that they have them unless forced to, even if they know they do.
If we choose to believe that he or she is homeless because life just isn’t fair, then we are forced to confront a different kind of uncomfortable truth. We are forced to reflect on our own achievements and success. If a man or woman can suffer homelessness even if they aren’t bad people and even in the presence of a functioning system, then who is to say the same won’t happen to you regardless of all your merit? This places the observer on equal footing with the homeless person but without eliminating the stigma associated with it. Obviously, that is also uncomfortable.
The only belief choice that doesn’t involve making the observer feel uncomfortable or excessively guilty is the choice to believe the homeless person is a bad person. We might assume they are felons, pedophiles, drug addicts, or just remarkably lazy and unethical. This makes it easy to maintain a sense of accomplishment for not being in the same position, and to avoid feeling too guilty when you refuse to help. You could say that it is essential for us to logically connect the “act” of being homeless to the persons state of mind so that we can view them as guilty.
I agree entirely! Why are we so fast to assume that every homeless person is up to no good? I am partially guilty of having this conscious because it was the way I was raised. My mother always prided herself on her work and would look down upon the homeless, with a “if I can do it, so can they” mentality. This way of thinking used to make sense to me, but the more I think about it, the more I have realized that the social forces had a big part to play in making these people homeless. Yes, I do believe there are homeless people that are trying and don’t want to be homeless, and yes I believe that there are homeless people that have accepted their status, just as we discussed in class; Being complacent or being innovative with whichever situation there is at hand. Puppies005
This video was everything I expected it to be. Homeless man is ignored and practically transparent to society, while sexualized woman is given superficial attention because she ‘isn’t too hard on the eyes’, so to speak. The point that was made in this video was merely a microcosm for how our society works. In another country elsewhere, this whole situation may have been flipped. In a country that does not sexualize women the way we do, Maria may have been publicly shunned if she did what she did here. Some may even mistake her for some form of a prostitute. In poorer countries, Rob may have received much more positive and helpful feedback from the people that passed him, as we are more sympathetic to those with similar situations as ours. The way these people reacted to Rob is merely proof as to how greedy and selfish our country is—this is also why there are so many homeless people as it is. Once they placed Maria fairly close to Rob, we began to see human behavior change once again, as they probably would have felt more guilt than just passing a homeless man and pretending he doesn’t exist to go give money to a woman for breast implants. It was a perfect rebuttal of a potential counterargument that proposes people coincidentally stopped for her and not for him. Very interesting. Yes, in our society, being homeless is considered being deviant, as it is not the norm to live on the street. Many people in our country view people that are homeless as lazy conmen that are fully responsible for the situation they are in, so the country as a whole looks down upon them. This is also partially why the woman received more praise and help than the man, as we applaud superficiality, but not morality. Puppies005
I disagree that people felt guilty when they walked past the poor person and gave the money to the girl. I felt they still didn’t even acknowledge him and was such a hurry to give it to the breast implants. But I will agree that people need to stop viewing the homeless as lazy. Some of them got to be homeless due to third party forces. They didn’t want to become that way they just got to be that way due to upsetting circumstances. TB005
This video actually made me very upset. I know they were actors but they would rather give someone money for breast implants then someone that is homeless. I know a lot of the people that are homeless deal with a drug problem or they had no control over the situation but if you are just going to ignore him and give the girl a dollar then arent you the deviant one? yes they are below standards but some people cant help that they are. If the economy had more jobs to offer i think the homeless population would shrink significantly. If they also would offer drug programs to the homeless people that would make them less deviant to society. rose005
I believe being poor is deviant. But I think being poor is a type of deviant that isn’t like being a criminal unless the poor are doing illegal things. Being poor is a “bad” thing to be considered. But it is not worse than being called a criminal, killer, and so on. I feel like poor people never wanted to be poor, that they got to being poor by their own choices and mistakes. This video can really show how people don’t view the poor as equal, or even care to help them out. That they would rather just focus on an issue that shouldn’t even exist. Looking at the people who put money in for the breast implants that to me is deviant. Since they aren’t putting money towards something good, they are just putting in money to something that isn’t artificial. And that to me is bad, that society needs to look at the poor and treat them a bit better, even acknowledging them is a step in the right direction half of these people didn’t look down to see that this person needed help. They just walked by or how some of them ignored the poor but gave the money to the girl. Those people are deviant. TB005
I understand what you are saying but who are you or who is anyone to tell someone that they are deviant because they can not make it on their own? There have been many cases where people who once well off, ended up homeless or poor. Think about people who worked with large companies, and for YEARS and just one day, gets laid off. This is all they know and that is the only place that is there for them to be successful. They may be in retirement ages but now they dont even have enough money tp retire and become homeless. What about our veterans? They fight/ fought for America and may be using their money to support their families, put their children through school and when finally returning home, have no money left. They may be older with no family and not available to work due to disabilities and no affordable place to stay. Yes, the government sometimes helps but not in all cases. Everyone who is homeless is not deviant and it's sad that society views them in that way. PurpleHearts005
There are so many different perceptions of how we as a society view homeless people. There are tons of different reasons of why the person has gotten to where they are and how they are viewed because of it. Me personally, I define the word homeless as actually not having a home or being able to provide for yourself. There have been cases where poor people are considered homeless and i do not believe that that is the correct way to view someone. Sadly, there is no posive way to view a homeless person. In America, people automatically assume that the homeless person is a drunk or an addict or druggie. They assume that it's always that persons fault that they are to where they have gotten themselves. People will see someone standing on the corner or laying on the street asking for money and they'll turn there head and pretend they arent even there.In some cases, there are people who are lazy and just trying to scam their way up in life but thats not how it is all the time. In America, homeless people are deviant because any way other than being successful is not considered satisfactional to society. We don't have enough people trying to help and prevent of at least help the homeless in the world and that is a problem. PurpleHearts005
It was pretty obvious what was going to happen in this video before I even watched it. That sets a sad tone for our society doesn't it? A man asking for money for something he needs to survive will get next to nothing, while a women asking for money to get something she only wants will get plenty. They even came to engage in conversation with the women while they wouldn't even give the man a word beside the occasional "sorry" Are the homeless deviant, though? By definition it is, as it does stray from the accepted standards we have in our society. Most people , though, wouldn't associate a homeless person with the term deviant because it has a negative tone to it. In an ideal society homeless people wouldn't exist, but we do not live in that perfect society. Homeless people will always exist and therefore always be considered deviant. The last part of the video where they both are set up next to each other is ridiculous to me. How can people walk past the homeless dude struggling to survive and then give money to the women who obviously did not need it. If you can't afford to give money that's one thing, but if you can justify giving money to the women rather then the homeless man that means we went wrong somewhere in society to make that acceptable. Acer005
The video, although outrageous and superficial, represents what our society aims for. We all strive for the American dream, a dream of success, wealth, respect, and fame. So, when someone around us falls onto hard times, it's almost like they've failed at achieving the dream. It's uncomfortable to see someone struggling, so often times we look away and mind our business. As a society, we need to stop seeing the homeless as just a collective group of people that are all the same. Everyone has a story and troubles in their lifetime. In some cases, homeless people become homeless due to mental health, family kicking them out, losing a job, and countless other reasons. Instead of focusing on who's more deserving of the money in the video, focus on ways you can help. Go downtown and volunteer at one of the various programs designed to help people find jobs, housing, get an education, or just mentor at-risk teens so they can avoid homelessness and unemployment. I believe that if we shift our mindset on the homeless and start seeing them as one of us, just struggling, then our society would be a whole lot more compassionate and a whole lot less judgmental. lasagna005
Yes the homeless is considered deviant because its considered irregular and not having standards. Even though some people have no choice in being homeless do to there situation. It is disturbing that a lady that wants a boob job got help before someone that was homeless and hungry. Sexuality has become a big factor in todays world. Even the women gave money because they thought the was better than feeding a homeless person.In todays world it is unaccepted to ask for shelter and food but okay to need or want to have the model body. I always thought deviant meant bad or evil or the act of being guilty of something wrong. 12mc-005
ReplyDeleteI think most people in the U.S think the term deviant is bad and I would prefer not to use the word at all. Homeless people are fellow humans that for some reason have dropped out of normal living because they want to or they were forced to by some tragic event. Do we call homeless people that lost their home by a tornado deviant - no, people flock to help. Why not teach self-reliance and living skills in schools. ICC has a program that helps students that do not have college educated parents complete school every step of the way. Perhaps as we go through life we can help and not label. grandma005
DeleteThe way people project themselves is also true. If you saw a pretty girl who wanted breast implants and a guy who looked like a bum, you would most likely choose her like everyone did in the video. They might view the girl and think she would go farther in life then a guy who is homeless because that is the way society is. We view homeless people as deviant and in some cases it shouldn't be that way. rose005
DeleteMedia is run by sexuality now. It seems sad but its true. Everywhere you look they exploit sexuality to get more people interested in whatever is they want you to see. Deviant does have a rather negative tone to it though, as a lot of deviants are in fact criminals. But not all deviants are criminals. Society is in a messed up place where people find it more acceptable to give money to the women who only wants something rather then the homeless man who needs something to survive. It's sad to see it actually happen. Of course it makes me upset but I have walked by homeless people with money in my pocket and not give any of it to them. Most of us are probably guilty of this. Acer005
DeleteThis video message really opens up society eyes into which how one can be so out of touch with their daily surroundings, or reality in general. I think the homeless people get ignored more in today's society than several years ago reasons being can contribute to social media, TV documentary such as intervention who have shown scenes where the drug addicts will panhandle, or hold up a cardboard sign stating their homeless and need help to get food or other items, but are really getting it to get drugs. Americans also have to get out the mind set of thinking all homeless people choose to live that way, or refuse to work. I liked that the video showed them at the same time but I would have liked to see it where their sitting at least four stores apart so it wouldn't looked like they're connected in any way. I still think the out come would have been the same with her getting more money, however being able to confront those who chose to give to a need verses a want would be the highlight of the video. I say all this to say that yes homeless people are considered deviant according to society views,but NO I don't think homeless people are deviant many people are just giving them a bad representation. but however nevertheless take the time to understand no matter what that individual is still a human being at the end of the day. Leathas005
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement that society does see the homeless as deviant, especially with the fact that the documentary seemed to only show the bad side of the homeless situation. I thought that society had gotten past the fact that not everyone may be able to hold a job. Possibly there is some medical or mental issue that has caused the problem. Regardless of the reason, you are correct, that these are human beings and should be given assistance in some way, no matter how big or small. There are some people who do prey on the innocence of others and fraud them of money. These are the worst kind of deviants, because they pass themselves off as someone in need, take your hard earned money while possibly depriving help to someone truly in need. As a society we seem to believe, more what we hear, than what we see. With the internet, we are able to view some of the atrocities and violence, almost as if we were there that I think this has caused us to be desensitized to so much of the problems in our world today. If we continue losing sight of what happens right in front of our own eyes and disregard how this is truly affecting the way we view our everyday life, we should probably just sit down with the gentleman on the corner. Seoulman005
DeleteI agree you would think at this day and age society should be more opened to the fact that most homeless people are in that position by force and not choice. I beleive the people that walked passed the guy to give to the lady for a boob job is more deviant then the homeless guy. I totally like your view point on if we continue losing sight of what happens right in front of us then yes we might as well have a seat next to the gentleman. 12mc-005
DeleteEach person or society needs to define "Deviance." Is it a moral issue or a medical issue? Is the persons behavior good or bad and what is bad? Is the person medically ill as when medical specialists redefined alcoholism as a disease. The Medicalization of deviance transfers moral and legal deviance into a medical condition. It seems to me that people on the street should be evaluated and tested to see if they are on drugs or alcoholic or mentally ill or just unskilled. Then instead of being labeled, send them to an appropriate program for help. I know Peoria has the mission downtown for homeless men to eat, sleep and receive work help if desired. There are also programs for homeless or abused women. I volunteered a few years at Common Place in a program called Next Step to help people gain living skills and prepare them for finding a job. We found that when surrounded by caring, capable, helpful people, the unskilled learn confidence and created a life plan to follow. The goes along with Sutherland's theory of differential association. Carl Cannon has a program called "Elite" that gives poor students a strong role model that encourages good grades, graduation, communication skills and a better "home" group than gangs. I do not like labeling any people and feel it is ok to be different as long as you do not hurt anyone. If a human needs help, give help or take them to help. Conformity is also something I fight - like why would I dress as others want me to or I admit that I am a grandma that doesn't like to cook or why use a cell phone that I don't need? In conclusion a homeless person is not deviant to me and I will not conform to societies way of looking at the homeless. I am glad sociologists study problems and bring them to societies attention. grandma005
ReplyDeleteI am in agreement in regards to the majority of what you've said. Ultimately it depends on how the society sees homelessness. In countries where homelessness is much more common, it is not seen as negatively as it is here. Most likely because we put so much emphasis on wealth, and because homelessness is less common which makes it easier to single out as deviant. Too often we choose to label the homeless presumptuously as bad people or as having somehow brought it on themselves. Whether that is true or false in the end, it is still presumptuous, and we do it primarily to protect our own social agendas. I'm glad you mentioned all of those programs available to help people in need. To be honest I wasn't aware of any of them and it brings me a little bit of comfort to know that they do have some options. Poet005
DeleteGreat points I especially like the part about the cause due to a possible medical issue. I haven’t thought about it in that perspective until now. It’s true that a lot of mental help homes are closing and the attendants are being forced to leave. Sure you can go to a clinic but only for a few days about as long as it takes the meds to kick in and show signs of improvement. That’s when the patients have to leave and go back to their regular routine whether that be with working or back to being homeless most likely unable to afford their meds. Which in turn starts the cycle all over again. I also agree about the labeling, in the idea of labeling anyone can be labeled because we are all different. We think differently than everyone else, we act differently, we have different interests. My point here is that no one is exactly the same and I could walk into a court room dislike how a judge conducts himself and label him all over a disagreement. I wouldn’t fight conformity just be yourself, If you could please everyone this world would be boring in my opinion as everyone would be the same. BHL005
DeleteI really like your idea of helping the homeless instead of ostracizing or labeling them. Often times, I feel like we as a society tend to look away from the homeless. We ignore them because poverty and suffering is uncomfortable to look at. It's amazing that we have people in our community willing to create programs that give people without homes or jobs hope. I've personally never heard of anyone becoming homeless on purpose; they just fell onto rough times and weren't able to get back on their feet. I think we all need to remember that any one of us could be that person on the corner begging for change, so we should lend a hand and volunteer to help our community's less fortunate. lasagna005
DeleteThis video is very very disgusting it is so sad that society won’t even look the homeless man's way but see a half dressed woman begging for money for bigger breast and they give it to her. If it was me I wouldn't have look at either one of them. I feel that begging people for money is a easy way out of their responsibility. I don’t think just homeless people are deviant I think anyone trying to get over on people by begging for money, no matter what you look like are extremely deviant. The part that bothers me the most is that society thinks it is acceptable to beg for money if you look a certain way. Even though I feel as if homeless people can make a living just like regular people in society this video is heartbreaking. What if he really was homeless and needed money for food? All the people that walked past him and stopped at the half dressed women and gave money are truly selfish and is worried about self gain not trying to help someone. This video is so ridiculous I am so done. Cupcake005..
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I do appreciate and value your opinion, despite the harshness that has seem to come from from it. I agree that it is ridiculous society’s reaction during this scenario, because why people people just overlooking this homeless individual. In this case I believe it should have came down to two things: who is being truthful about their need, or maybe their wants, and who actually needs it. In a case as such, the audience case by pass the truth of what people want the money for. Now, we should have considered the need for the financial assistance. Also, it seems as if you have stated that just because people are homeless they are trying to get over on you? Why do you think that? I mean if I have nothing to eat and i ask for a dollar for a McChicken it is not because I am trying to get over on you. It is simple because i would much rather you not walk over my dead body. Actually, let’s go as far as saying a homeless person passed due to starvation; ,would he or she have still been trying to get over on you if they just asked for money for food an hour or so ago? Not trying to say you are wrong, but i am saying everyone should be realistic and not bias when looking into any situation as an outsider.
DeleteS&D005
The message stated the truth. We have developed a love and support of superficiality. How often do we see that someone is unhappy with their appearance and decide to alter their face or body to look more appealing, thinner, sexier, or even younger. As a society we are constantly attacked by the media and advertising to always be looking for a newer, better, cheaper way to change something either about us or in our lives to make us happier. When you walk by someone on the street, do you actually notice the people who are walking around you? Have we become so numb to our own surroundings that we no longer “see” what is there. We have become so absorbed with what is continuously going on in our own little world that we forget to stop for just a second and really look at what is around you. Watching this video made me look closer at myself, knowing that this could be me or someone I know. Anything can happen at any time. We wanted to help the hot girl while the homeless and starving man was continuously ignored. The woman who stated that this is so Miami and had to take a picture to prove what? Something that we may not see on the streets of our own community. Something that has been over sensationalized by the media, internet, any kind of advertising to convince us that this is better for us. The homeless man wasn’t being deviant. He never approached anyone, he did ask for anything you could spare, but he remained in place. There was never any hostility or emotion. The young girl was never deviant while she collected money from everyone who stopped and took her picture. For me, the deviant behavior was from the people on the street. We have become so uncaring and unfeeling to our own environment. Proving, to me, that we only see what we want to see. Seoulman005
ReplyDeleteI agree with you whole heartily that neither actor was being deviant but it never crossed my mind that the actual deviant individuals were the ones who passed by both actors and responded to the young lady wants but not the man needs, another valid point you made was that our society has become so uncaring and we only see what we want to see. which brings me to the point of or actions and view points of the homeless are worse than what they have ever been before and I can only imagine what will it be like a decade let alone two decades from now. SAD! SAD! WORLD out there Leathas005
DeleteBefore the video even started I knew what the outcome was going to be as there have been many social experiments along these lines all with the same outcome. It was about 4 Years ago that a priest sat outside the church dressed as a homeless man same outcome only a few gave him some money. He then walked inside the church and introduced himself as he was the new priest taking over for that church. Is homelessness considered deviant? Yes it is as such behavior is not a social norm for society. If you are traveling and have never seen a homeless person before you would be struck as it being deviant and may experience some culture shock as it is out of your norm. However I can also say no as there are homeless communities in which it would be normal for such behavior at or near those areas. All homeless people have to deal with all the stereotypes of being homeless. That they wasted all their money on alcohol or drugs, gambled their money away. What about someone who lost their job and lost everything due to costs of living or they were born into the life because their parents were homeless. I was guilty at one time thinking that they would rather beg than get a job at McDonalds, of course I was uneducated. Now I know that if the homeless tried to apply they would be turned down due to poor presentation of self to effect the appearance of the business. I think a better question would be, to the homeless is it deviant to give them something or not to? If you don’t give them anything they would think of you as a deviant as you can spare more than you want to give. In Georgia I had a guy get upset with me because he didn’t like the money I gave him he wanted quarters and only quarters and all I did was reach in my coin tray in my car. Was I a deviant because I didn’t give him what he wanted? The aspect of the homeless and deviance can expand into multiple ways of thinking about this issue but I feel that in any case either person should not be labeled as a deviant. After all we are 2 different people each with our own culture or norms. Would I be a deviant if I’m ignorant to local customs in another country or are those people deviant because their culture is not mine? BHL005
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I feel as if I answered this question on one of the other blogs, so please forgive me if it seems as if I am repeating myself. Are homeless people considered deviant? In my opinion, I believe homeless people are considered to be deviant. Deviance can be simplified as individuals who are not seen as ideal members of society. In many cases, people who are deviant are seen as rebels. With that being said, can we say homeless people are deviant? Despite the fact that some homeless people have no choice, but to be homeless does not change the fact that they are not being productive members of society. Unfortunately, it seems as if I am scapegoating all homeless people, but when dealing with deviance it is subject broad subject. Going back to one of my previous points, what are we to categorizes those individuals who are homeless because they have no other choice? It seems unfair to place those individuals in a position in which in seen by many as people who are just lazy? At the end of the day, they still are deviant, right? Also, I would like to address the pros of being a homeless individual, whether it be by choice or not. I do not about other people, but it takes a lot for me to ask for assistance from people that I know; let a long people I don’t know. That takes a very humble and powerful person to put themselves in such a vulnerable position. To realize that you need help and are willing to broadcast that, potentially, to the world takes guts. With that being said, if being deviant teaches to to be humble, open-minded, open-spirited, and free-willed, sign me up!
ReplyDeleteS&D005
I do believe that society in general (at least in the USA) considers homeless people to be deviants. There are so many levels of depth to why this might be that I’m afraid if I really went into detail about it, I wouldn’t get to sleep tonight, so I’ll summarize. As discussed in class, deviance is not necessarily a state of criminality, rather it is any state of behavior that departs too drastically from the expected path to be socially palatable. Here in the states, home ownership or tenancy is one of those expectations.
ReplyDeleteOur entire culture is set up in such a way as to facilitate the production of productive citizenry. First adolescence, then study, then work, then contribution to society (and the home to accompany it all). If someone fails to realize their potential in each of those stages and therefore ends up homeless, there are only three possible reasons; the homeless person is not a good person and has brought on his current state himself, the system is deeply flawed, or life just isn’t fair.
Obviously, there are innumerable important details which explain the possibilities, but for the sake of avoiding convolution I’ll take a more broad-spectrum approach in addressing them. If we choose to believe that he or she is homeless because the system is deeply flawed, then we are forced to confront a very uncomfortable truth, and none of us want to do that. Even if deep down we know it is the truth, confronting it in the forefront of our thoughts is a whole different matter. We are conditioned to avoid that sort of thing, this is the same reason that people with addiction problems rarely admit that they have them unless forced to, even if they know they do.
If we choose to believe that he or she is homeless because life just isn’t fair, then we are forced to confront a different kind of uncomfortable truth. We are forced to reflect on our own achievements and success. If a man or woman can suffer homelessness even if they aren’t bad people and even in the presence of a functioning system, then who is to say the same won’t happen to you regardless of all your merit? This places the observer on equal footing with the homeless person but without eliminating the stigma associated with it. Obviously, that is also uncomfortable.
The only belief choice that doesn’t involve making the observer feel uncomfortable or excessively guilty is the choice to believe the homeless person is a bad person. We might assume they are felons, pedophiles, drug addicts, or just remarkably lazy and unethical. This makes it easy to maintain a sense of accomplishment for not being in the same position, and to avoid feeling too guilty when you refuse to help. You could say that it is essential for us to logically connect the “act” of being homeless to the persons state of mind so that we can view them as guilty.
Mens Rea, Actus Reus. Poet005
I agree entirely! Why are we so fast to assume that every homeless person is up to no good? I am partially guilty of having this conscious because it was the way I was raised. My mother always prided herself on her work and would look down upon the homeless, with a “if I can do it, so can they” mentality. This way of thinking used to make sense to me, but the more I think about it, the more I have realized that the social forces had a big part to play in making these people homeless. Yes, I do believe there are homeless people that are trying and don’t want to be homeless, and yes I believe that there are homeless people that have accepted their status, just as we discussed in class; Being complacent or being innovative with whichever situation there is at hand. Puppies005
DeleteThis video was everything I expected it to be. Homeless man is ignored and practically transparent to society, while sexualized woman is given superficial attention because she ‘isn’t too hard on the eyes’, so to speak. The point that was made in this video was merely a microcosm for how our society works. In another country elsewhere, this whole situation may have been flipped. In a country that does not sexualize women the way we do, Maria may have been publicly shunned if she did what she did here. Some may even mistake her for some form of a prostitute. In poorer countries, Rob may have received much more positive and helpful feedback from the people that passed him, as we are more sympathetic to those with similar situations as ours. The way these people reacted to Rob is merely proof as to how greedy and selfish our country is—this is also why there are so many homeless people as it is. Once they placed Maria fairly close to Rob, we began to see human behavior change once again, as they probably would have felt more guilt than just passing a homeless man and pretending he doesn’t exist to go give money to a woman for breast implants. It was a perfect rebuttal of a potential counterargument that proposes people coincidentally stopped for her and not for him. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteYes, in our society, being homeless is considered being deviant, as it is not the norm to live on the street. Many people in our country view people that are homeless as lazy conmen that are fully responsible for the situation they are in, so the country as a whole looks down upon them. This is also partially why the woman received more praise and help than the man, as we applaud superficiality, but not morality. Puppies005
I disagree that people felt guilty when they walked past the poor person and gave the money to the girl. I felt they still didn’t even acknowledge him and was such a hurry to give it to the breast implants. But I will agree that people need to stop viewing the homeless as lazy. Some of them got to be homeless due to third party forces. They didn’t want to become that way they just got to be that way due to upsetting circumstances. TB005
DeleteThis video actually made me very upset. I know they were actors but they would rather give someone money for breast implants then someone that is homeless. I know a lot of the people that are homeless deal with a drug problem or they had no control over the situation but if you are just going to ignore him and give the girl a dollar then arent you the deviant one? yes they are below standards but some people cant help that they are. If the economy had more jobs to offer i think the homeless population would shrink significantly. If they also would offer drug programs to the homeless people that would make them less deviant to society. rose005
ReplyDeleteI believe being poor is deviant. But I think being poor is a type of deviant that isn’t like being a criminal unless the poor are doing illegal things. Being poor is a “bad” thing to be considered. But it is not worse than being called a criminal, killer, and so on. I feel like poor people never wanted to be poor, that they got to being poor by their own choices and mistakes. This video can really show how people don’t view the poor as equal, or even care to help them out. That they would rather just focus on an issue that shouldn’t even exist. Looking at the people who put money in for the breast implants that to me is deviant. Since they aren’t putting money towards something good, they are just putting in money to something that isn’t artificial. And that to me is bad, that society needs to look at the poor and treat them a bit better, even acknowledging them is a step in the right direction half of these people didn’t look down to see that this person needed help. They just walked by or how some of them ignored the poor but gave the money to the girl. Those people are deviant. TB005
ReplyDeleteI understand what you are saying but who are you or who is anyone to tell someone that they are deviant because they can not make it on their own? There have been many cases where people who once well off, ended up homeless or poor. Think about people who worked with large companies, and for YEARS and just one day, gets laid off. This is all they know and that is the only place that is there for them to be successful. They may be in retirement ages but now they dont even have enough money tp retire and become homeless. What about our veterans? They fight/ fought for America and may be using their money to support their families, put their children through school and when finally returning home, have no money left. They may be older with no family and not available to work due to disabilities and no affordable place to stay. Yes, the government sometimes helps but not in all cases. Everyone who is homeless is not deviant and it's sad that society views them in that way. PurpleHearts005
DeleteThere are so many different perceptions of how we as a society view homeless people. There are tons of different reasons of why the person has gotten to where they are and how they are viewed because of it. Me personally, I define the word homeless as actually not having a home or being able to provide for yourself. There have been cases where poor people are considered homeless and i do not believe that that is the correct way to view someone. Sadly, there is no posive way to view a homeless person. In America, people automatically assume that the homeless person is a drunk or an addict or druggie. They assume that it's always that persons fault that they are to where they have gotten themselves. People will see someone standing on the corner or laying on the street asking for money and they'll turn there head and pretend they arent even there.In some cases, there are people who are lazy and just trying to scam their way up in life but thats not how it is all the time. In America, homeless people are deviant because any way other than being successful is not considered satisfactional to society. We don't have enough people trying to help and prevent of at least help the homeless in the world and that is a problem. PurpleHearts005
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty obvious what was going to happen in this video before I even watched it. That sets a sad tone for our society doesn't it? A man asking for money for something he needs to survive will get next to nothing, while a women asking for money to get something she only wants will get plenty. They even came to engage in conversation with the women while they wouldn't even give the man a word beside the occasional "sorry" Are the homeless deviant, though? By definition it is, as it does stray from the accepted standards we have in our society. Most people , though, wouldn't associate a homeless person with the term deviant because it has a negative tone to it. In an ideal society homeless people wouldn't exist, but we do not live in that perfect society. Homeless people will always exist and therefore always be considered deviant. The last part of the video where they both are set up next to each other is ridiculous to me. How can people walk past the homeless dude struggling to survive and then give money to the women who obviously did not need it. If you can't afford to give money that's one thing, but if you can justify giving money to the women rather then the homeless man that means we went wrong somewhere in society to make that acceptable. Acer005
ReplyDeleteThe video, although outrageous and superficial, represents what our society aims for. We all strive for the American dream, a dream of success, wealth, respect, and fame. So, when someone around us falls onto hard times, it's almost like they've failed at achieving the dream. It's uncomfortable to see someone struggling, so often times we look away and mind our business. As a society, we need to stop seeing the homeless as just a collective group of people that are all the same. Everyone has a story and troubles in their lifetime. In some cases, homeless people become homeless due to mental health, family kicking them out, losing a job, and countless other reasons. Instead of focusing on who's more deserving of the money in the video, focus on ways you can help. Go downtown and volunteer at one of the various programs designed to help people find jobs, housing, get an education, or just mentor at-risk teens so they can avoid homelessness and unemployment. I believe that if we shift our mindset on the homeless and start seeing them as one of us, just struggling, then our society would be a whole lot more compassionate and a whole lot less judgmental. lasagna005
ReplyDelete