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The challenge posed by homelessness became a complex issue in society today due to myriad of social problems inflicted to individuals, families and even governments. For instance, any government whose sizeable population does not have formal homes may be found distressed due to tarnished image alongside rising crime rate.
While empirical research studies have highlighted some of the possible and diverse causes that contribute to this crisis, it is integral to point out that natural disasters, chronic housing problems as well as high unemployment index have significantly aggravated the risk of being homelessness. In addition, homelessness does not occur instantly but it is a continual process.
As analyzed in this paper and from the article More Homeless than Athletes in 2010 by Paulsen (thetyee.ca), it is evident that prolonged homelessness among individuals in Tyee Vancouver is likely to increase their population and give a way to more people to be entrenched in the population of the homeless.
Hence, this theoretical argument underpins the focus of this analysis by using Young’s notion of social justice. Besides, it adopts the social adaptation account or cultural identification thesis to illustrate effects of homelessness such as depression and its impacts on individuals and society.
Arguments from Young’s framework and phases of depression point out that due to lack of social justice, homeless people undergo difficulties and marginalization that may result into depression and exhibiting varying degrees of behavioral patterns. As such, some would go for subsistent strategies while others search for identity.
On the same note, there are those who would resort to crime and others focusing on developing routines common among homeless people. This paper analyses the four aforementioned interconnected propositions to examine the issue of homelessness, resultant depressions and its effect on people.
In the article ‘More Homeless than Athletes in 2010’, Paulsen argues that the number of homeless population in Canada is constantly growing (thetyee.ca). He attributes it to lack of affordable housing, destructive natural disasters, housing problems, abuse and unemployment among others issues. Reports in 2005 indicated that there were more than 5000 homeless people in greater Vancouver alone.
Today, this number has immensely increased as more people have become homeless and as such, seek shelters and resting places in parks, drop-in shelters and scoured shelters spread in New Westminster, Surrey and Vancouver city. Reports further indicate that at night, many homeless individuals in this region sleep on sofa surfers, in hospitals, recovery houses and detox facilities. Most of the homeless individuals in the streets blame their condition to high cost of housing, poor health conditions, addiction and lack of income.
As analyzed in this paper and from the article More Homeless than Athletes in 2010 by Paulsen (Thetyee.ca), it is evident that prolonged homelessness among individuals in Tyee Vancouver is likely to increase their population and allow more people to be entrenched in the population of the homeless.
This theoretical argument underpins the focus of this analysis by using Young’s notion of social justice. Besides, it adopts the social adaptation account or cultural identification thesis to illustrate on effects of homelessness such as depression and its impacts on individuals and society at large.
Young, social justice and depression
According to Young’s framework, due to lack of social justice, homeless individuals are normally marginalized as underclass people, and are ,thus, made to form part of the fringe in the society. This kind of exclusion has likely effects of depression on marginalized individuals.
One of the most common faces of depression exhibited by the young and homeless individuals is acceptance. Many homeless individuals accept their helplessness and in their depression, adopt certain behaviors that relate to their condition and need for survival. As such some would go for subsistent strategies, others, look for identity, some crime and others focus on developing routines common among homeless people.
Routines
To begin with, using social adaptation approach, Arnold argues that long exposure of young people to homelessness due to inability of the government or concerned bodies to intervene for them and provide assistance is likely to lead the newly homeless into developing particular routines normal among the homeless.
It is imperative to note that homeless individuals who have developed this kind of routine, live, sleep in the streets and eat from garbage cans. In Vancouver, many homeless individual both young and old live and sleep in sofa surfers, hospitals, recovery houses and detox facilities. They scour garbage cans in the streets for food.
The state of homelessness and acceptance of their state denies them accommodation options and as such causes them to develop a routine that is common among the homeless of living and eating from the streets. Arnold further argues that sleeping rough greatly affects homeless individuals’ wellness in the sense that it undermines their self-esteem as it causes a decline in their physical appearances (Arnold 64).
He continues to point out to some, sleeping rough is their normal way of life. Therefore, there is need for speedy interventions to have them removed from the streets into safe places.
Subsistent strategies
Despite the routine, Arnold points out that homeless young people who have accepted their situation learn survival strategies that involve substance abuse from their fellow homeless individuals (Arnold 99). Basing this argument on social justice, Walls indicates that due to the nature of difficulties posed by being homeless, homeless individuals have developed learning strategies of coping with and surviving homelessness.
It is imperative to note that learning these strategies keeps them from putting effort to change their situation. For instance, their attempt to get out of the streets and into permanent accommodation is undermined by substance use. Living in a stressful environment and the need to cope with it difficulties pushes them to substances use.
For instance, substance abuse as a strategy to adapt to lack of job and homelessness has become one of the modes with which young individuals indicates acceptance of their state. Research studies points out that the initiation into the sub-culture of homelessness and subsequent coping with it is normally in form of substance use (Arnold 220).
Arguments from social acculturation accounts indicates that homeless individuals turn to the social practice of drug use for reasons of sustaining friendship, interpersonal validation and as a measure of support from other homeless individuals they live or interact with in boarding houses or in the streets.
Substance use helps them deal with harsh realities of homelessness that faces them (Darts 50). However, it also causes them to embrace behaviors that put their lives at risk such as sexual activities. It is imperative to note that social adaptation account points out that homeless people using drugs or other related substances cannot be able to find a solution to their problems as it preoccupies them with finding, using, scoring and raising money.
Their immediate needs overwhelm them and as such they put aside the issues of looking for resources planning that are necessary when organizing for housing. As such, a Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) and social justice activities should be introduced to them that will come up with programs that create awareness to them on the need to abstain from substance use (Darts 50).
Crime
In his publication on homelessness, Baron points out that one of the survival strategies among the homeless is involving in criminal activities as a means of getting food and money to pay for shelter in boarding houses (Baron 209). Most of them are faced with the challenge of lack and as such resort to criminal activities such as stealing from others for the reason of survival (Walls 19). In other instances, some sexual predators take advantage of homeless young girls and even attempts to rape them.
Violence among the homeless is a common occurrence that puts friendships and relationships under tension (Baron 220). Besides, it places individuals involved in it at a risk of getting apprehended by police and subsequent jailing. As such, a Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) should be introduced that will create awareness to them on the need to abstain from criminal activities despite their state (Darts 50).
Identity
Finally, homeless young individuals seek identifying from other homeless people as a means that provides them with a sense of belonging (Arnold 42). A permanent break from family or home causes them to lose touch with relatives and friends. As such, homeless individuals seek friendships from homeless population.
Social adaptation approach clearly points out that developing friendship and identifying with other homeless individuals provides them with what they miss or lack in their lives. Baron argues that the critical element of new social ties is imperative in the sense that it allows them to be acculturated in the functional way of life of the homeless (Baron 220).
As already mentioned, most of the young individuals who are homeless loss contact with friends and live in the streets and boarding houses where they identify with others. Friendships made in these places with other children are a source of joy and creates for them a fairly normal existence (Walls 146).
To sum up, it is vital to reiterate that this literature analysis has based its argument on the thesis statement that ‘The problem of homelessness has indeed become a complex issue in society today that has caused individuals, families and even the government great distress as it promotes criminal activities, substance abuse among other related things done by the affected for reasons of adapting’, and has stated some of the causes of homelessness such as unemployment, natural disasters, housing problems and abuse among others.
The paper has also examined four interconnected propositions of homeless using social adaptation approach and relating the propositions to Young’s notion of social justice and acceptance as one of the faces of depression that most homeless young people who feel helpless and overwhelmed turn to.
Besides, this paper has succinctly explored the need to enhance CBAE programs and social justice to guide and create awareness among the homeless and young individuals on the need to abstain from practices that may put their health and life in trouble or harm others.
Works Cited
Arnold, Kathleen. Homelessness, citizenship, and identity: the uncanniness of late modernity, New York: State University of New York Press, 2004.
Baron, Stephen. ‘Street youth, strain theory, and crime’, Journal of Criminal Justice, 34(2006): 209-223.
Darts, David. Invisible Culture: Taking Art Education to the Streets. Art Education 64.5 (2011): 49-53.
Paulsen, Monte. More Homeless than Athletes in 2010 Can Vancouver’s Olympic pride be saved? First in a series. 2007. Web.
Walls, Jeannette. The Glass Castle: A Memoir, New York: A Division of Simon and Schuster, Inc., 2005.
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