Sociological Imagination: Homelessness In New York City

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Sociological Imagination Paper There are several things that happen in one’s life that shapes them into what they have become. These things can also change how someone may view the world around them. Experiences can be drastic changes such as moving to a new country or smaller, more common circumstances such as, growing up in a military family. Even if someone thinks that they haven’t had anything alter their life, they probably just haven’t took the time to reflect and realize that they have. My senior year of high school, I had the opportunity to take a five-day trip to New York City, New York. I had never been to New York or to any big city for that matter. I knew that I would see and experience a lot of new things in just five short days. …show more content…

Not only were there hundreds of people walking everywhere, but there were more homeless people living on the streets. In Kentucky and even more specifically the town where I live, there are in fact homeless people. However, there are lot more homeless people living on the streets of New York City and they looked a lot worse off. It seems like when there is a homeless person in a small town, they are more likely to receive some sort of assistance. In New York City, no one really paid much attention to the people living on the streets. Everyone is so busy and caught up in their own world to even notice what is going on around them. The people living in New York are probably so accustomed to the homeless being there, that it does not even phase them. Not only was the amount of people insane compared to a small town, but it seemed as if the people there never …show more content…

Thankfully, I came back home and did not have to fully adapt to the New York City life. I will never forget all of the things that I experienced and witnessed while in New York. When someone has grown up in a small town and lived there for their whole life, even visiting a big city can be a little overwhelming at first. Five days of living in New York City was not enough time to get use to their way of life. It could take months in order to do that. If I had to move to a big city and live there the rest of my life, it would definitely take a while to adapt to everything. I have experienced enough of a culture shock from this trip to know that it really can change the way you view things in life. It’s easy to get caught up in your own life and forget that there are other ways of doing things and living life. Traveling is a great way for people to experience other ways of life without having to fully commit to that lifestyle. Understanding the world and people around you can really help you learn more about

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