Causes of Homelessness
Causes of Homelessness
Bentley Martin
BSHS/302
July 16, 2011
Joey Schumacher
Causes of Homelessness
There are many factors that lead to poverty and homelessness. People often jump to conclusions and form stereotypes to look down upon those who are poor. Stereotypes include poor people who are viewed as lazy, jobless, criminals, or un-educated. When I think of a homeless individual, I would agree with most of the stereotypes and find within the reading and researching that there is more to just the mental perceived thoughts.
I think one big cause of being in poverty or being homeless is by the choices people make. By choices I mean the way that people choose to spend their money. A budget is hard for many in this type of lifestyle to adapt to. This is a problem because by not planning into the future, changes will not occur. If you do not plan ahead and save, it will become impossible to get out of poverty and get off of the streets. . The inner drive to be what we want is influenced by our parents. Those who live in poverty do not necessarily know what it is like to be or get out of the circumstances they are in due to a lack of knowledge.
With that being said, I also believe that lack of education is another big cause of poverty and people being homeless. I believe that education plays a tremendous role in whether or not people survive in society. As stated previously, people that live in poverty many times do not know how to get out of it either because of how the system is set up or their lack of knowledge. Parents place such an emphasis on higher levels of education because it increases an individual’s “marketability” in the workplace. Because education is valued in society, those that have a degree are more likely to be successful than those without a degree. There should also be some education happening in middle school or high school. I think that this would need to include emphasizing the importance of a budget. As stated earlier, many
Bentley Martin
BSHS/302
July 16, 2011
Joey Schumacher
Causes of Homelessness
There are many factors that lead to poverty and homelessness. People often jump to conclusions and form stereotypes to look down upon those who are poor. Stereotypes include poor people who are viewed as lazy, jobless, criminals, or un-educated. When I think of a homeless individual, I would agree with most of the stereotypes and find within the reading and researching that there is more to just the mental perceived thoughts.
I think one big cause of being in poverty or being homeless is by the choices people make. By choices I mean the way that people choose to spend their money. A budget is hard for many in this type of lifestyle to adapt to. This is a problem because by not planning into the future, changes will not occur. If you do not plan ahead and save, it will become impossible to get out of poverty and get off of the streets. . The inner drive to be what we want is influenced by our parents. Those who live in poverty do not necessarily know what it is like to be or get out of the circumstances they are in due to a lack of knowledge.
With that being said, I also believe that lack of education is another big cause of poverty and people being homeless. I believe that education plays a tremendous role in whether or not people survive in society. As stated previously, people that live in poverty many times do not know how to get out of it either because of how the system is set up or their lack of knowledge. Parents place such an emphasis on higher levels of education because it increases an individual’s “marketability” in the workplace. Because education is valued in society, those that have a degree are more likely to be successful than those without a degree. There should also be some education happening in middle school or high school. I think that this would need to include emphasizing the importance of a budget. As stated earlier, many
References: Berg-Weger, Marla. Social Work and Social Welfare. Second ed. New York: Routledge, / 2010. 66-69. Print. Burt, M. R. (2006). Strategies for Preventing Homelessness. Washington, DC: Urban Institue. Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness. (2011, November). The History of Homelessness in America 1640s to present. Retrieved from http://www.dceh.org/?p=1253