Structural Functionalism And Homelessness

There are more than 500,000 homeless people in America (Johnson). There are many reasons and causes for people to end up living this way, but the biggest cause is tragic life events, for like loss of loved ones, job loss, domestic violence, divorce, and family disputes. Other reasons for homelessness are depression, untreated mental illness, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), and physical disabilities ("Top Causes of Homelessness in America."). Many people see homelessness as a bad thing and an issue, but it does serve a purpose in society. Homelessness can be seen in many different ways.

A social issue is a form of conflict that influences members of a society and often extends into debates about what should be considered morally justifiable. Social issues such as: illicit drugs, gender inequality, age discrimination, education, and recidivism are all heavily discussed topics of debate. However, one social issue that affects several people on a day to day basis is homelessness. Homelessness is the condition of having no permanent dwelling such as a house or apartment. Homeless is a prevalent problem on a global scale that can be viewed and interpreted many ways.

We look are homelessness and functionalism and  how on a macro leave how it affects homeless. We also look at the programs that available for people. Explanations using sociology theory    The functionalist perspective, also called functionalism, is one of the major theoretical perspectives in sociology. Edward Durkheim, was the regional person who was greatly interested in seeing how social order is possible or how society remains relatively stable. As such the theory that focuses on the macro-level of social construction, rather than the micro-level of everyday life.

Causes can be divided into the following. Structural Causes: These can include poverty, unemployment, and lack of good quality, affordable housing. More people are now at risk of becoming homeless as a result of the financial crisis of 2008 which has impacted on the most vulnerable in society and has made more and more people vulnerable. With a high unemployment rate, more people now experiencing poverty and it is becoming more difficult for people to get out of poverty. Also, with no social housing being built there is a shortage of affordable housing for people on little or no income.

The issue of homelessness in America has been evident since the early 1600’s. Across the country men, women and children spend their nights on the streets not knowing when or if they will ever find a permanent home. States and federal officials or city councils have tried to alleviate or at least reduce the number of homeless over the last several decades at a city, state or national level but it continues to be an ongoing problem. There is a multitude of factors that account for the growing homeless population that affects each state in the country differently. Though there are many contributing factors that contribute to the amount of people living on the street at any given night in the U.S. An effective way to address the problem of homelessness in America is to continue creating affordable housing, maintaining assistance programs, and continue creating workforce

What Causes Homelessness? Homelessness is living without a home. There are many factors that causes men, women, and children to become homeless. The main three causes are traumatic events, personal crisis, and drug abuse. The first cause is traumatic events.

The United States is a successful, marvelous, wealthy, and powerful country. However, one major issue that our country has, is homelessness. It is a sorrow for those who walk down this phenomenal country to witness the homeless lined up on the streets begging every traveler for a dollar. About 565,000 people are homeless a year. Furthermore, about forty six percent of this population live with a mental illness or disorder, therefore causing drained health care and shelter resources because they cannot compensate for what they receive.

Homelessness in America has become a traumatic way of life for so many over the past decade and has changed tremendously since the Great Depression. During those times, many of the homeless were either elderly or white and now you will find homelessness doesn’t discriminate and that it can consist of any race, age or gender. What is homelessness? According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “a homeless person is defined as an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family). Including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility (e.g., shelters).

Public opinion and the media have the ability to influence the creation and implementation of homelessness policies due to the fact that “homelessness” encompasses such a vast area of policy domain related to social welfare. Similarly, the policy communities that can come about in support of this topic are numerous and can involve proponents of topics related to “poverty, lack of affordable housing, mental health and substance abuse disorders, and ability of individuals to cope with these factors” (O’Connell, 2003, p. 159). Birkland describes this concept as the interactions between actors in the policy process and subtly assumes that this can expedite and advance policy proposals. More specifically, public opinion may be gauged by citizen

Many different factors greatly affect the high number of homeless people today. One of the biggest causes of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing. Affordable housing is essential for low-income families who cannot afford to pay high rent and support their families at the same time. In 2015 today affordable housing is not readily available for the families who need it most. The second cause of homelessness which is greatly connected to the lack of affordable housing is the rise of rent.

I want to put the spotlight on issues which are often forgotten. For example, throughout the United States, there are thousands of individuals who are homeless. Many people believe that those individuals are homeless because of poor decisions.

Homelessness in America Among the many day to day problems we face in America from drug abuse, high crime rates, and unhealthy eating. Poverty is ranked as one of the top problems. In America today there’s more than 46.7 million people living in poverty. One major effect of poverty is homelessness. According to Homeaid America, as many as 3.5 Americans are homeless.

The Great Depression of 1929 was one of America’s most influential downfalls that crippled society for years. The depression caused many years of failure and poverty for almost all of society. The government’s role during these times was crucial and critical for turning around the economy. The depression had a major effect on government’s power and involvement with the people and states. The government was less involved before the depression.