Introduction
Social problems affect many citizens and make it impossible for them to overcome most of the hurdles they experience in their lives. Homelessness is one of them and it is associated with poverty and absence of personalized medical services. The affected individuals will also suffer family breakdown and poor health conditions. This paper applies three sociological perspectives to help different stakeholders to get a clear understanding of this issue.
Sociological Perspectives
Sociological imagination can guide scholars and human services professionals to understand the nature of homelessness and how it affects different people. Conflict theory is essential in analyzing communities at the macro level and describing how the struggle for scarce resources could result in societal rivalry (Grenier et al., 2016). The presence of inequalities and ineffective systems would also make it hard for some members to achieve their goals and improve their living conditions. The absence of proper mechanisms to address disparities would also result in increased cases of homelessness (Grenier et al., 2016). The structural aspects of this theory will explain why regions that lack resources will have more citizens who are affected by this social problem.
Symbolic interaction is useful when examining micro issues in a given community. This model would suggest that some individuals would remain homeless because of ideological influence occurring amongst them. Similarly, the existence of diverse economic or financial classes in a given country will result in groups that are stable while others are not (Grenier et al., 2016). Additionally, some people might fail to receive the necessary support and empowerment from their guardians or parents, thereby developing thoughts and ideologies that expose them to poverty. Since humans are social in nature, they will establish stratifications and differences that will define their lifestyles, relationships, and interactions or associations with others (Benokraitis, 2018). Those who lack adequate resources will form unique understandings and ideologies that could increase chances of poverty and eventually result in homelessness. However, its subjective interpretation makes it inappropriate in describing the development or nature of this social problem.
The third sociological perspective that could guide different professionals to understand the nature of homelessness is functionalism. This theory focuses on the macro-level elements of a given society and it tries to explain how different attributes in a given community would promote stability. According to supporters of such a model, individuals who have shortcomings or fail to work hard will have increased chances of becoming homeless (Samudra & Yousey, 2018). The presence of personal flaws in personality would trigger power struggles and eventually force those who are unable to conform to lead better lives. Homelessness appears to be an integral aspect of the wider society since it becomes the only refuge for persons who are lazy or unwilling to support social norms and engage in nation building activities.
Conclusion
The above discussion has identified homelessness as a major social problem that arises from the forces experienced in different communities. Different perspectives try to offer powerful arguments regarding the position, source, and purpose of such an issue. The most important thing is for all stakeholders to consider the above arguments and present evidence-based solutions that could transform the experiences of the victims. In conclusion, policymakers and sociologists can collaborate to introduce superior strategies and programs that can address this challenge and ensure that more victims lead meaningful lives.
References
Benokraitis, N. V. (2018). SOC: Introduction to sociology (5th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Grenier, A., Barken, R., Sussman, T., Rothwell, D., & Bourgeois-Guérin, V. (2016). Homelessness among older people: Assessing strategies and frameworks across Canada. Canadian Review of Social Policy, 74, 1-39. Web.
Samudra, R., & Yousey, A. (2018). Defining homelessness in the rural United States. Online Journal of Rural Research & Policy, 13(4). Web.