GESELLSCHAFT AND HOMELESSNESS

FERDINAND TONNIES ====> GEMEINSCHAFT {SMALL TOWN COMMUNITY} = IS A TRADITIONAL SOCIETY IN WHICH SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS ARE BASED ON PERSONAL BONDS OF FRIENDSHIP AND KINSHIP AND ON INTERGENERATIONAL STABILITY {SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS THAT INCLUDE NEIGHBOURLINESS, INFORMAL SOCIAL CONTROL, AND THE VALUES OF GROUP OVER INDIVIDUAL} =====> GESELLSCHAFT {CIVIL SOCIETY OR 'ASSOCIATION'} = IS A LARGE, URBAN SOCIETY IN WHICH SOCIAL BONDS ARE BASED ON IMPERSONAL AND SPECIALIZED RELATIONSHIPS, WITH LITTLE LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO THE GROUP OR CONSENSUS ON VALUES. {SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS BASED ON AN ELABORATE DIVISION OF LABOR THAT INCLUDES LOOSE ASSOCIATIONS OF INDIVIDUALS ACTING IN THEIR OWN SELF INTEREST OVER [OR AS THE] GROUP CONNECTIONS. INTERACTIONS AMONG PEOPLE ARE BOTH RATIONAL AND CALCULATION}.

HOMELESSNESS: AGENCY OR STRUCTURE

IN GESELLSCHAFT SOCIETIES WITH WEAK SOCIAL BONDS, SUCH AS CANADA, A PREVAILING CORE VALUE IS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES. THUS, MANY PEOPLE VIEW THE HOMELESS AS “THROWAWAYS” – AS BEYOND HELP OR HAVING ALREADY HAD ENOUGH DONE FOR THEM BY SOCIETY. SOME ARGUE THAT THE HOMELESS MADE THEIR OWN BAD DECISIONS, WHICH LED THEM INTO ALCOHOLISM OR DRUG ADDICTION, AND SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR OWN ACTIONS. IN THIS SENSE, HOMELESS PEOPLE SERVE AS A VISIBLE EXAMPLE TO OTHERS TO “FOLLOW THE RULES” LEST THEY EXPERIENCE A SIMILAR FATE (SEE WHITE, 1992).

ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS FOR HOMELESSNESS IN GESELLSCHAFT SOCIETIES HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED. ELLIOT LIEBOW (1993) NOTES THAT HOMELESSNESS IS ROOTED IN POVERTY; HOMELESS PEOPLE OVERWHELMINGLY ARE POOR PEOPLE WHO COME FROM POOR FAMILIES. HOMELESSNESS IS A “SOCIAL CLASS PHENOMENON, THE DIRECT RESULT OF A STEADY, ACROSS-THE-BOARD LOWERING OF THE STANDARD OF LIVING OF THE WORKING CLASS AND LOWER CLASS” (LIEBOW, 1993:224). AS THE STANDARD OF LIVING FALLS, THOSE AT THE BOTTOM RUNGS OF SOCIETY ARE PLUNGED INTO HOMELESSNESS. THE PROBLEM IS EXACERBATED BY A LACK OF JOBS. OF THOSE WHO FIND WORK, A GROWING NUMBER WORK FULL-TIME, YEAR ROUND, BUT REMAIN POOR BECAUSE OF SUBSTNADARD WAGES. HOUSEHOLDS LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LINE USE MOST OF THEIR INCOME FOR RENT – IF THEY ARE ABLE TO FIND ACCOMMODATIONS THAT THEY CAN AFFORD AT ALL (CANADIAN COUNCIL ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, 2003).