Homelessness Social Problem

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Homelessness Social Economical Problems John “do not plagiarize” Doe ENGL135 January 10, 2012 *Define the social problem of homelessness *Develop an explanation of the problem using one of the four theories *Develop a hypothesis of the social problem consistent with theory *Develop an appropriate research design or study Homelessness is an ongoing problem for our society. Everyday we come to terms with the effects of it, but what about the causes? By definition, a person who is homeless lives in public. The lack and destruction of federal housing programs and increasing rents forced those who are homeless to do in public what everyone prefers to do in private. According to the website, National Law Center on Homelessness and…show more content…
In the report titled, The Forgotten Americans Homelessness; Programs and the People They Serve, it states that serious problems since childhood are common causes among homeless people with 25% reporting childhood physical or sexual abuse, 22% reported they were physically assaulted and 7% sexually assaulted. It also states that 38% reported an alcohol problem and 26% reported a drug problem. “According to date from the Administration on Children and Families, in 1998 there were an estimated 2,806,000 referrals of child abuse or neglect to relevant state or local agencies,” Additionally, approximately, 1,100 children died of abuse or neglect, a rate of 1.6 deaths per 100,000 children. Of all forms of abuse, about three quarters of the perpetrators were parents,” (Almanac of Policy Issues:Child Abuse). Domestic Violence also plays a major role in abuse. Everyday families are separated or kept together by such violence. Children in these families have problems during school with concentrating on schoolwork and setting their frustrations on other students by getting into fights. Finding help usually requires separation or possible prison, leaving the other to provide for the rest of the family on their…show more content…
They would cite capitalistic motives as being “the problem.” A conflict theorist would claim that the reason the homeless problem persists is not because of a homeless individual’s supposed inability (or reluctance) to advance oneself. Rather, the conflict theorist would posit that the cause of homelessness stems from the capitalistic social classes that oppress those who cannot find a place to work or physical address to call home. Therefore, when the oppressors deny employment to those who need employment the economic-underclass victims will either rise up demonstrably or consider taking a more silent route, the latter of which, for the homeless, results in maintaining an existence as nomadic “outcasts,” These three sociological perspectives provide but a mere sampling of how different types of sociologist would consider what is, to say the least, a troubling and complex social issue. However, suffice it to say the above examples of interactional, functional, and conflict-theorist responses to homelessness represent a basic idea of how these three perspectives on sociological thought would address a problem that has proved to be a persistent and difficult matter to

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