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HOMELESSNESS & SOCIAL THEORY.
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Examines social bases of problem in contexts of structural functionalisn, conflict theory & symbolic interactionism.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Examines social bases of problem in contexts of structural functionalisn, conflict theory & symbolic interactionism.

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HOMELESSNESS WITHIN THE CONTEXTS OF STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM, CONFLICT THEORY, & SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM Introduction This research considers the issue of homelessness in American society within the context of three sociological paradigms. These paradigms are (1) structural functionalism, (2) conflict, and (3) symbolic interactionism. Homelessness in the United States Since 1980, the homeless have been emerging rapidly as a new segment of the underclass in the United States. This shift towards homelessness is, according to some observers, the direct result of reductions in federal funding for low-income housing (Fox and Roth 141). Both the number and the demographic composition of the

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M. It can only be solved by addressingthe problem's root, structural sources (Yeich 111). Structured Social Inequality 3rd ed. "Girding for Disaster: Local Officials and Private Charities Brace Themselves for Welfare Reform." Progressive 61 (March 1997): 22- 24."Counting Homelessness." Society 32 (November-December 1994): 2-3.Fox, E. "Grassroots Political Action As An Intergroup Phenomenon." Journal of Social Issues 52 (Spring 1996): 39-51.Magnet, M. Some reliable data do exist that definethe homeless. The types of questions for whichanswers would be sought would include those associated with (1) feelingstoward persons who are homeless, (2) feelings towards persons who are poor,and (3) willingness to commit resources to solve the problem ofhomelessness. Contrary to the claims of victim-blamingresearchers and politicians, homelessness cannot be solved by changingcharacteristics of homeless people. It might be thought that a better way to count the homeless would beto work with the various agencies which attempt to help them. The National Coalition for theHomeless, an advocacy group, stated in 1988 that approximately threemillion persons in the United States will be homeless at some point duringany given 12-month time period. The major problems with these data are that theclassifications are not mutually exclusive, and the proportions are notuniform across the country. These subjective interpretationsare derived from the definition of the situation from the perspective of anindividual who is a part of the situation. Conversely, it would be much easier for some toquietly ignore the problem if the public could be convinced that thehomeless are just a bunch of nuts, drunks, and drug addicts (Conniff 23). This shift towards homelessnessis, according to some observers, the direct result of reductions in federalfunding for low-income housing (Fox and Roth 141). Homelessness Within the Contexts of Structural Functionalism, Conflict Theory, & Symbolic Interactionism Introduction This research considers the issue of homelessness in American societywithin the context of three sociological paradigms. Roles are "shared norms applied byoccupants of social positions" (LaRossa and Reitzes 147). "Homeless Children." Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (1989): 141-15 .Heller, C. That level issignificant in terms of both absolute numbers and population proportion(Conniff 22). By contrast, the United States Departmentof Housing and Urban Development estimated that at any given time thehomeless number between 25 and 4 thousand. The types of questions for which answerswould be sought would include those associated with (1) what causes peopleto be homeless, (2) whose fault is it that people are homeless, and (3) whoshould be responsible for solving the problem of homelessness. Who, then, are the homeless? Consensus, according to structural functionalism,is the basis of social unity (Heller 4 6). Tetlock statedthat people's value priorities were related to the nature of their thoughtsand reasoning about social issues. According to realistic conflict theory (Sherif, 1966), actualintergroup value conflict may foster intergroup antagonism. In particular, the more a social issuearoused a conflict between two values that people regarded as highly andequally important, the more their reasoning was differentiated, in that itacknowledged the contradictory pros and cons of both sides of an issue inthat ways of coping with the trade-offs between the conflicting values wereconsidered. White Jr." Public Welfare 55 (Winter 1997): 1 - 16.Babbie, E. Conflict theory holds divergentinterests among social strata serve to divide the strata within a society.Social unity, according to conflict theorists, is achieved through coercion(Heller 4 6). Symbolic interactionists hold that human action cannot be understoodapart from the subjective interpretations assigned to situations by theindividuals involved in those situations. Homelessness can be most accuratelyunderstood as one symptom of changing social conditions. E. Meanings are "modified through an interpretive process used by theperson with things he or she encounters" (LaRossa and Reitzes 143). Similar problems exist with respect to profiling the homeless. Structural Functionalism The structural functionalism paradigm focuses on the organizationalstructure of social life, which entails the identification of thecomponents of the social structure and the development of an understandingof the interrelatedness of these components (Babbie 56). The type of research that would be used to obtain the datarequired for the research would be a survey of that segment of the generalpublic who possess the necessary economic resources to maintain stablehousing arrangements. ContemporaryAmerican society is characterized by a widening economic and social gapbetween the rich and poor (Yeich 111). (4 ) contend that in-group bias is a motivating force in situations involving intergrouppolitical conflict. Both the number and the demographic composition of the homeless in theUnited States are today matters of dispute. With respect to the conflict paradigm, the issue of homelessness wouldbe studied from the perspective of changing economic conditions that havecaused those individuals and families with sufficient economic resources tobecome increasingly stingy toward the expenditures of public funds thatwould assure that persons of low- and modest-income would be able tomaintain stable housing arrangements. The causes of homelessness can be traced to changes in the structureof American society attests. In the American population, minority racial andethnic groups account for somewhat less than 2 percent of the total.Among the homeless, however, this proportion is much higher-from a high of9 percent in New York City where minority racial and ethnic groups accountfor approximately 39 percent of the total population, to a low of 25percent in Portland, Oregon where minority racial and ethnic groups accountfor approximately 12.5 percent of the total population ("CountingHomelessness" 2-3). Symbolic Interaction The symbolic interactionism paradigm views social life as a process ofinteractions between individuals, and the paradigm attempts to explainsocial phenomena within the context of such interactions (Babbie 56).Symbolic interactionism emphasizes connections between shared meanings, orsymbols, and actions and communications, or interactions. Tetlock suggested that, whereas people may resolve anattitudinal dilemma by using a simple cognitive solution such as bolsteringor the spreading of alternatives when the conflicting values activated byan issue are of unequal importance, people are more vigilant whenevaluating issues that arouse a conflict between highly and equallyimportant values. The Practice of Social Research 6th ed. Hinkle, et al. The types ofquestions for which answers would be sought would include those associatedwith (1) employment opportunities and qualifications, (2) housingalternatives, (3) available social services, and (4) societal willingnessto commit resources to solve the problem of homelessness. Socialinteractionists conceive a families and organizations as social groups,within which individuals develop both their own self-concept and individualidentity through social interactions within the group structure. "A Value Pluralism Model of Ideological Reasoning." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 5 (1986): 819-827.Yeich, S. Those who would minimize theproblem, however, contend that "Ozzie and Harriet and their kids" are not"out on the street," and that most of those who are on the street "areseverely mentally ill ... The homeless are not congregated in easilyfound locations. "Grassroots Organizing With Homeless People: A Participatory Research Approach." Journal of Social Issues 52 (Spring 1996): 111- 121. With respect to the symbolic interactionism paradigm, the issue ofhomelessness would be studied from the perspective of how people incontemporary society view homeless people and why they assign blame to thehomeless for being homeless. The type ofresearch that would be used to obtain the data required for the researchwould be a survey of that segment of the general public who possess thenecessary economic resources to maintain stable housing arrangements. chronic alcoholics ...," and "regular drugtakers" (Magnet 172). It is, according to socialinteractionists, through social interaction that "individuals apply broadshared symbols and actively create the special meanings of self, others,and situations" (LaRossa and Reitzes 149). These paradigms are(1) structural functionalism, (2) conflict, and (3) symbolicinteractionism. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1992.Conniff, R. Approximately two-thirds of the homeless aresingles while one-third are families. The type ofresearch that would be used to obtain the data required for the researchwould be a survey of both the general public and societal leaders,especially political leaders. Further, locations are often fluid-the individual whosleeps under one freeway overpass tonight may sleep under another tomorrow,and the family that parks its car in a K-mart parking lot to sleep tonight,may park for the same purpose tomorrow night in a city park ("Aconversation with John F. First,consider the number of the homeless. S. Group Conflict and Co-operation: Their Social Psychology. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992.Hinkle, S., Fox-Cardamone, L., Haseleu, J. Meaning, thus,"arises in the process of interaction between people" (LaRossa and Reitzes143). Homelessness in the United States Since 198 , the homeless have been emerging rapidly as a new segmentof the underclass in the United States. Many of the homeless distrust thesystem, and, thus, are reluctant to seek help through formal organizations. A., Brown, R., and Irwin, L. Suchstructural problems make it all but impossible to obtain an accurate countof the number of homeless persons. Conversely, some of the homeless register with more than one agency. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1996.Tetlock, P. R., and Roth, L. "The Homeless." Fortune 116 (23 November 1987): 17 , 172.Sherif, M. Social conflict theory, thus, assumes that societal groups haveconflicting interests and that powerful groups will resist changes whichthreaten their own interests. An accurate estimate of the number of homeless persons likely falls atsome point between the estimates of the advocacy groups and those of thefederal government-a number that is somewhere between 4 thousand andthree million at any given time. These problems are not the only ones,however, mitigating against an accurate count ("A conversation with John F.White Jr." 1 ). Family heads among the homeless arepredominantly female, which means that most homeless families are alsosingle-parent families. Works Cited"A conversation with John F. The advocacy groupscould generate a great deal more public interest in and sympathy for thehomeless, if, indeed, it could be shown that Ozzie and Harriet and the kidswere on the street. White Jr." 1 ). Identityrefers to self-meanings in a role. Such disagreements occur forreasons of both societal structure and political motivation. A mid-point between these estimates wouldplace about three-quarters of one-percent of the American population in thehomeless classification at some point within a given year. Structuralfunctionalists posit that societal stratification is integrative becausesuch stratification evolves from common societal values (Heller 4 5).Integrative theory holds that common values bind together the differentstrata within a society. Counting the homeless is atbest a difficult undertaking. Conflict The conflict paradigm describes social life as a struggle amongcompeting parties, which may be either individuals or groups (Babbie 57).Conflict theorists posit that stratification within a society is endemicbecause such stratification derives from coercion by one societal strata ofanother societal strata (Heller 4 5). Theadvocacy groups emphasize that a growing number of working people andfamilies are findings themselves homeless. Thatapproach, too, is fraught with problems. With respect to the structural functionalist paradigm, the issue ofhomelessness would be studied from the perspective of changing economicconditions that have made it increasingly difficult for persons of low- andmodest-income to maintain stable housing arrangements. Problems of identification plague both sides.

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