HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM
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THE HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM IN THE UNITED STATES 4
The Homelessness Problem in the United States
Running head: THE HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM IN THE UNITED STATES 1
The Homelessness Problem in the United States
Homelessness is a major social problem in the United States as it comes with various underlying social and economic factors, namely, family breakdown, addictions, inadequate affordable housing, and poverty. These factors combine to affect the frequency, nature, and type of homelessness (Marvasti, 2003). A person perceived as being fully homeless does not have shelter. Nonetheless, many Americans experience partial homelessness as they have sub-standard and temporary shelter. For this reason, it is difficult to define homelessness, a condition which makes it hard for the government to determine the ideal policies to solve the issue (Robertson & Greenblatt, 1992). For instance, it is extremely hard for the administration to find solutions to homeless individuals that are drug-addicts. At the same time, the structure of the U.S. government complicates the manner in which it can solve the issue. The aspect of the nation being governed by different administrative levels, namely federal, state, and local governments imply that high levels of agreement are needed to formulate and administer appropriate policies to manage the challenge.
Studies indicate that over 2 million children, men, and women are homeless in the U.S. Nonetheless, the problem is more prevalent in adult males aged between 25 and 50 years, and without intimate partners. This population accounts for almost half of the homeless individuals in the U.S. This number is likely to increase in the future as the society is yet to determine the actual causes of this problem. The challenge has numerous dynamics as it can be caused by a loss of job, which can lead to family break-down (Williams & Arrigo, 2004). At the same time becoming ill, particularly having chronic health conditions also drive persons into homelessness because of the high cost of medical services. These aspects show that this problem can be solved effectively through enhancing the performance of social and economic structures of the society.
One of the theories that can be used to explain the homelessness challenge in the society is the Social Functionalist theory. This sociological view claims that the society is an interdependent system. For this reason, each aspect must perform effectively for it to function effectively. For instance, the government must provide people with economic opportunities to enable them afford basic commodities, such as shelter and food (Morrow & Torres, 1995). If everything occurs as planned, the society becomes productive and stable. However, if things do not go well, it is imperative that the community adapts to acquire a new productivity and order. For this reason, the government should implement policies that would enable the homeless to get decent homes and also prevent others from ending up in the streets.
The other theory that can be used to explain the homelessness issue in the society is the conflict theory. According to this view, resources are extremely scarce, thus people are always competing for them. For this, there is a lot of power struggle, an aspect that makes social class an important aspect of people’s lives (Bartos & Wehr, 2002). Those belonging to the high socioeconomic classes have the advantage over the others. For this reason the homeless are perceived to belong to the lowest class in the society irrespective of their race, ethnicity, or academic qualifications. They lack the means to rise up the social ladder, a condition which leads to the government neglecting them. Thus, the social conflict views homelessness as a product of class struggles in the community.
References
Baumohl, J. (1996). Homelessness In America: A Statistical Handbook and Resource Guide. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
Bartos, O. J., & Wehr, P. E. (2002). Using conflict theory. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Marvasti, A. B. (2003). Being homeless: Textual and narrative constructions. Lanham, Md: Lexington Books.
Morrow, R. A., & Torres, C. A. (1995). Social theory and education: A critique of theories of social and cultural reproduction. Albany: State Univ. of New York Press.
Robertson, M. J., & Greenblatt, M. (1992). Homelessness: A national perspective. New York: Plenum Press.
Williams, C. R., & Arrigo, B. A. (2004). Theory, justice, and social change: Theoretical integrations and critical applications. New York: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
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