Term Paper on "Homelessness in United States"

Term Paper 20 pages (6190 words) Sources: 10 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Homelessness in the United States

The Definition of Homelessness

Within the United States, homelessness is defined as the lack of a dwelling or structure in which to reside. People who are homeless are also often unemployed, and many of them are disabled and/or have problems and struggles with drugs and alcohol. Explored here will be the issue of homeless in the United States and in the state of Massachusetts as well. Various issues that surround homelessness or that relate to it will also be addressed so that a complete picture of the issue, how important it is, and who it effects can be seen.

Historical background of Homelessness

All societies, not just the United States, struggle with homelessness. When Europe is looked at in contrast to America, for example, it is easy to see that much can be learned by both nations. When only income inequality is looked at, it appears that Europe is doing a much better job than America, but if one looks at homelessness, Europe falls short, and America appears to be doing a better job. This is because Europe does not allow the huge difference in incomes that Americans tolerate, but it does have an extremely high rate of homelessness.

While Europe accepts its 12% unemployment rate, it does not tolerate some of the others things Americans are used to, such as lack of support for people who are impoverished and indigent. Europeans tend to take better care of their own people, and try to see that everyone has a way to survive. Their unemployment rate, however, causes a huge fiscal burden on the people who are working, because the government is trying so hard to support everybody.

So what can be done to help inequality and homelessness? Economic changes are clearly needed, as well as a plan to get more people working and bring down the homelessness rate, which would ease the burden on the working people. Political responsibility is also called for. Public policy needs to take into account the burdens of homelessness that cannot be measured by a bank account. Measures need to be taken to help the other problems that come with being out of work for an extended period, such as poor physical and mental health, and low self-esteem. Some of this can be accomplished through social work programs and ways that individuals who are homeless can get the help that they need.

In addition to this, leadership is very important. The only way that changes can be made is through strong leadership from people who are truly interested in helping their country change for the better. It is not something that can be done overnight, and it is not something that one person can do. It must be a team effort. Expanding the job market would be one of the main things that could be done to help alleviate the inequality society. Not only would it benefit the homeless younger people who are looking for work, but it would help to find jobs for the older people who were forced to retire early and are now at least partially dependent on the government for financial help. Some of these people also end up losing their homes.

The Causes of Homelessness

The main issue addressed here is homelessness and the social problems that it creates, along with how social workers may help those that are unemployed. There are both pros and cons to the issue of using social workers to help these homeless individuals. Homelessness is not just bad from a financial perspective. It can cause other problems as well. Social exclusion and the loss of some of the freedoms that come with having a job and money to spend is one of the things caused by homelessness. Another problem is long-term damage to the skills that were once used in school or the job market. People who do not use the skills they have acquired often forget how to do them, at least temporarily, and this causes the homeless to have greater difficulty in finding employment after long periods without it (Danser & Laub, 1981).

Some of the other problems caused by homelessness include psychological harm, ill health, lack of motivation, loss of family life, and racial and gender inequality. Psychological harm comes from the perception that someone who cannot find work must not be good for anything (Danser & Laub, 1981). It can destroy the lives of the homeless, turning them to alcoholism, suicide, and other problems. Racial and gender inequality is one of the biggest problems of homelessness. Ethnic tension increases when, for example, many whites have jobs while many blacks have been turned down for those same jobs. It adds to the intolerance of people of other races and genders, and can be very destructive to society.

There is a long list of concerns over homelessness. It is important to touch on the main concerns here. The first one is the fiscal burden created by the high homelessness rate. When people are unemployed, there is a tremendous waste of productive power. The potential national output is not realized in a country where many of the people who could work are not working. It also hurts others, since the homeless and their families often live off of the state and/or off of the handouts of other people. This takes valuable resources away from others, and away from the national output.

Another concern is the loss of freedom that homelessness creates. Some of the homeless are also socially excluded from many activities because they do not have the money or the status to participate. People who lack employment are often ridiculed or seen as being lazy, and this helps push them farther away from the rest of society. It causes a loss of freedom not just for them but for their families as well.

A third concern is the psychological harm that being out of work and having nowhere to live can cause. Not only do people run the risk of forgetting how to work well and deal with others, they can also become depressed and suicidal. It is not a coincidence that the suicide rates are higher among those who are not gainfully employed. The economic hardships that they face are part of the reason that these people become depressed, but the depression also comes from low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness if they have to rely on handouts to pay their way for very long.

Also important is the loss of motivation that comes with being out of work for an extended period of time. The longer someone is unemployed, the more they begin to feel that they will never find work, and the more they begin to avoid looking for a job. When this happens, people sometimes become frightened by the prospect of working. This can bring about feelings of being unable to cope in a work environment after so many years of being idle. It also weakens the dividing line between those who are 'in the labor force but unemployed' and those who are 'out of the labor force'.

Loss of the social values and responsibility that they once held is another problem for the unemployed and homeless. Some people who spend a long time living with homelessness may develop a cynical attitude toward society and the way it chooses who gets certain jobs. Younger people, especially, who are homeless for long periods of time tend to have a higher crime rate than those who have jobs. This could be for several reasons: a need for money, a need for other basic necessities such as food and a warm place to sleep, anger at 'the system,' and many other issues that homeless individuals face (Hale, 1991). In other words, while it is realistic to assume that some of this comes from material deprivation, some also comes from a psychological influence. These people feel rejected and angry at the society who would not help them, and they want to retaliate somehow. Not all homeless people do this, of course, but some will.

The crime rate that may be affected by homelessness is likely to be the most severe and important issue to address, at least from the perspective of society, and therefore that of social work. There are many social theories about human behavior and why individuals do what they do (Brenner, 1978; Becker, 1968). Many of these could also be considered when looking at this issue. This could usher in consideration for new theories about behavior or reinforce those that already exist, depending on what was discovered.

It is likely that some who are homeless would never commit crimes, no matter how hard their struggle, and also likely that even some affluent people would commit crimes, even though there was really nothing that they needed or wanted that they did not already possess (Fleischer, 1963). However, examining whether homeless individuals commit more crimes (and different types of crimes) than employed individuals with homes to go… READ MORE

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