urban sociology
In David A. Snow's book, Down on their Luck depicts the lives and horrors of homeless people in Austin, Texas. Homelessness is a crisis that has had an impact in our lives. Many people think that homeless people are those who are the mentally ill that are a threat to society, however, that is not the case. Majority of people who are victims of homelessness are those who have been pushed out of their homes, victims of environment catastrophes, the elderly, runaways, and unemployed individuals who are forced to move out because they can't pay rent. Some even face homelessness when they flee their countries for political and economical reasons. There are three themes in Snow's book that I feel are significant to address. The first theme I will talk about are the three dimensions of homelessness. Each of the groups in Snow's book experience some degree of homelessness, but the nature of that experience often varies considerable among them. These differences can be clarified by considering three separate dimensions of homelessness. The first dimension being life-style characterized by the absence of conventional permanent housing, the second dimension being the presence or absence of familial support, and the third dimens
The last theme I would like to address is the of low paying jobs homeless people have which prevent them from paying rent and putting them on the streets. If income keeps pace with the cost of housing, then the structural basis for homelessness is not so robust. If, however, housing costs escalate much more rapidly than income, then the incidence of homeless is likely to increase dramatically. Many homeless newcomers do indeed find work, but they are rarely the type of jobs that enable them to escape the streets. Snow feels that "the regular work market, as we have seen, was not responsive to the employment needs of the homeless, and the day-labor market seldom provided jobs that paid a living wage for more than a few days running"(p. 243). Many of the jobs the homeless quit are hardly the kinds worth keeping. Such jobs can best be thought of as stopgap measures that keep the worker off the streets, but only for a while. The jobs homeless people can get are low paying jobs that require not much skill. Homeless people move from job to job hoping they can find a job in which it pays enough to put them off the streets. ion being the degree of dignity and moral worth associated with the various categories of homelessness. These dimensions may be reasons why people become homeless. Snow feels that "homeless street people are more likely to be perceiv
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Approximate Word count = 922
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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