Key Things About the Culture From Scholarly Sources: Culture of Homeless People

Introduction

The state of being homeless is a deviance from what the society considered to be normal. The situation makes the culture of these group of people to be unique to them and it also develops in a way that suits the needs of those who live in such settings. The scholarly sources reveal some of the important aspects of their culture and these include language, religion, and hierarchy especially in the United States of America. There is no specific language that has been set which these people use as a general language. It is because they are derived from multiple subcultures and each of these usually speak their own language of origin. There are other factors that influence the way the homeless people communicate which include the educational backgrounds, past history, and social status of the individuals (Brubaker et al., 2013). Moreover, not all of these people use broken grammar in communication as it is the notion in the contemporary world. However, there are some terminologies that are common among these people irrespective of their origin. Most of the terminologies are slangs which might be of impolite languages such as bag lady, waif, tramp, and hobo. Thus, the language of the homeless people is different depending on their origins but there are several terminologies that they share with special meanings.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Accordingly, religion is also another aspect of the culture of homeless people. The studies done on the group of homeless people reveals that homeless people still follow their religious beliefs. Religion is one of the aspects that has enabled a number of these people to survive the dislocation and trauma that accompanies the state of being homeless. Some of the homeless people have managed to acquire, manage and maintain a modicum of faith, humor, and dignity through their different religions even though their daily lives might be surrounded by undignified scenarios. The two major religions among the homeless people include protestant Christianity and Catholicism. However, all other religions exist which include Islam, Hinduism, and Atheists among many others. Hence, there is a practice of many different religions among the homeless people but the main ones include Protestantism and Catholicism.

Just like in most of the human cultures, there is some form of hierarchy that exists among the homeless people. The values that describe a leader among the homeless people are different from what usually establishes power in the mainstream culture. It means that the state creates an inverted form of hierarchy. The people who have experienced the most form of trauma and have spent a lot of time on the streets are found to receive the highest form of respect. The homeless people experience harsh experiences and they go through situations that are way different from that of the people on the mainstream cultures (Jackson & Shannon, 2014). The people who are most admired among the homeless include those who have lived the longest on the streets while surviving on alcohol and drugs. The ability of the individual to survive for a long time is seen as one of the highly admired qualities. Moreover, pain and trauma are considered to be badges of honor among these people as there are instances where the homeless brag about their rape records and other touting criminal records (Mackelprang, Graves & Rivara, 2014). Thus, the leaders among the homeless are those who have lived for the longest time on the streets and overcome the highest levels of trauma.

Key Things about the Culture from the Internet

The culture of the homeless people can be deduced from many of the internet and media sources available. Some of the aspects of their culture that can be deduced from the media resources include violence, their values, and the personal appearance of the homeless. The culture of the homeless is also associated with some level of violence. Many of the people who are homeless feel like they are resented by the greater society and this gives them some form of anger. These people are also unable to adequately deal with some of the day to day frustrations, and they usually feel some impotence in the ability to change most of the experiences in their lives. As a result, they usually portray a misappropriation of aggressive action to many things in their lives in which they feel like they need to have more control over. In the culture of the homeless people, violence is considered as an acceptable way that can be used in solving disputes between people. However, the response of the homeless people to violence is different and is usually depended on their background. When faced with violence, the people might decide to engage themselves in it, attempt to escape from it or to find protection from another person. Thus, violence is part of the culture of homeless people that can be deduced from media resources.

Values are also part of the culture of the homeless people. The values that are dominant among this group of people include self-survival, friendships, acknowledgment, and hope among many others (Lopez, 2015). The value of self-survival come s from the fact that these group of people depends on themselves to survive (Affeld, 2017). Most of them are jobless and do not have any alternative source of money to purchase food and other basic necessities. They appreciate making friendships and other forms of social interaction with people whom they consider to be privileged because this makes them feel more accepted by the society. Most of them always tend to acknowledge a kind word from other people because it usually makes them smile and appreciate the fact that their presence is recognized. Finally, the value of hope is present in these people as it helps them feel their situation is bearable and that it will change in the future.

The personal appearance of the homeless people is also a part of their culture. Many of the homeless people dress in normal clothing and it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate them from people of what is considered as the greater society. The homeless people usually tend to make the best out of the little they have and they try to dress well even though they have few clothing (Clark, 2018). However, most of the clothes that these people wear may not be comfortable on their bodies, and sometimes the clothes are usually not in the best shape to be worn. For the people who have stayed homeless for long periods, their clothes might appear to be wort out or sometimes very dirty. Hence, the personal appearance makes these people be identifiable because of their uncomfortable, worn out or sometimes dirty clothing.

Assessment

The information on the culture of the homeless people would be important in the process of their assessment. The process of assessment will require one to identify the causes of homelessness, the major illnesses, stereotypes, and the necessary interventions that should be taken. The causes of homelessness among these people include job loss, runaway teens, abusive relationships, drug addiction and mental illnesses among many others. The main illnesses that affect these people are mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Others are HIV/AIDs, hepatitis B & C, hypertension, diabetes, liver disease, asthma, substance abuse, and tuberculosis among many others. Understanding the culture of these people will enable an individual to deduce the link between the major illnesses that face these people and the association to their daily lives. Most of them live in outdoor conditions where it is cold and are prone to be attacked by conditions as asthma. The drug addiction problems experienced result from their attempt at being the most experienced on the streets so as to gain respect. The assessment should also into consideration the stereotypes that these people are subjected to on a daily basis. Because of their culture, these people are considered to be homeless by choice, uneducated, not wanting employment, and that all of them are addicted to the use of drugs and alcohol.

Treatment Planning

The culture of the people will also help in the determination of treatment plans that will help in alleviating the many problems that they face regularly. One of the main thing that the culture helps to deduce is the reasons for their poor health management. Some of the reasons that can be identified include lack of knowledge regarding the basic practices of health, poor hygiene, frequent infections, failure to keep appointments, and substance abuse. The lack of knowledge makes these people engage in unsafe practices that predispose them to poor health. Poor hygiene is also a part of the culture of these people because they cannot afford enough money that will enable them to observe a balanced diet on a daily basis. The frequent infections can be associated with their living environments where the hygiene standards are not very conducive and they sleep mostly in a cold place. The chronic use of alcohol and other drugs lowers their immunity and predisposes them to diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. The formulated treatment plan should take into account their culture as well as their nature of failing to keep appointments with the physicians. The main goals of the treatment plan should be to identify measures that will help reduce their frequent infections and to ensure that the appropriate medication is given that will ensure the highest level of compliance.

Counseling

The type of counseling that the homeless people should be given must be guided by the culture of the people. The culture of these people dictates that those who have stayed on the streets for a long period are the highest ranked in terms of hierarchy and they will demand some form of respect. On the other hand, some of these people have been identified as being violent. The counselor should be careful in the process of sharing information with them to ensure that they are not provoked into being violent. The main aspects in which these people should be counseled about include the stereotypes they face, the use of drugs, health behavior, and their mental health. The homeless people should be encouraged about their feelings of hopelessness and the decreases sense of self-worth to ensure that there is a reduced possibility of these individuals committing suicide. The people should also be provided with informative documents that are easy to read that will enlighten them on where the best places to obtain food, shelter, and clothing are as well as the practices that will enable them to return to their homes. Finally, they should be taught of the health risks that accompany substance abuse, and the measures of preventing sexually transmitted diseases. The counselor should also plan for follow up sessions that will involve going to look for these people because their culture reveals that they rarely observe appointments.

Current Surprises

The current surprise that I am finding out about the group of homeless people is that some of them have attained the highest level of education and yet have ended up to be homeless because of one reason or another. For a long time, my thinking has always been that these people are homeless because they lack the proper level of education that would have enabled them to be successful in the society. Another surprise for me is the fact that these people sometimes consider trauma and rape as positive things. It is because people who have endured many of the traumatic experiences are more respected by the homeless community and they command a higher level of respect.

Impact on my Expectations

The search through the internet and literature has impacted my expectations as I plan my immersion activities with the homeless...