The Stereotype: Homeless People are Lazy Drinks - Essay Example

Culture Introduction There are various stereotypes which have managed to pervade our thoughts, our relationships, and our interactions with other people. These stereotypes and stereotypical thoughts, in some instances, are true because various instances which support them are often seen in our society. However, these stereotypes are not always true. This paper shall discuss the stereotype: homeless people are lazy drunks. It shall present the source or the roots of such stereotype and shall cite studies and articles which dispute said stereotype. This paper shall also discuss whether or not there are ‘good’ stereotypes and discuss the pros and cons of the stereotype in the hope of understanding and logically assessing the veracity of this stereotype. Discussion The stereotype: homeless people are lazy drunks, have been used to describe and portray the picture of homelessness in America. The source of this stereotype has not exactly been pinpointed, however, the fact that homeless drunks make up about 30 to 40% of the total homeless population may be blamed for this stereotype (Jones, “News”). The fact that these homeless drunks are often the ones who gain the most attention from society because of their occasionally disorderly behavior may be one of the factors which contribute to the development of this stereotype. Many studies and statistics however were able to disprove this stereotype. In a paper by Jones (“News”) she disputes the claim that 90% of homeless people are drug or alcohol abusers. She firmly disputes these claims by citing accurate sources of statistics on the homeless people. She cites the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, the National Coalition for the Homeless and the Los Angeles Services Authority as accurate sources for statistics on the homeless people (Jones “News”). Based on her review of statistics from these agencies, about 25 to 39% of the homeless population is composed of children. She then poses the question, on whether or not it is really true that these children can be drunks. On a more accurate note, Jones (“News”) notes that most of the addiction and alcohol abuse was seen after these people became homeless, not after. She also point out that substance abuse statistics from a Los Angeles survey reveal that 42% of the homeless were drug or alcohol users. Clearly, these figures are still well below the 90% rate that previous reports claim. She also points out that the more likely split in the statistics surrounding the homeless people is at 33%. This represents 33% homeless due to unemployment, evictions, and lack of affordable housing; another 33% homeless due to mental or physical disabilities; and the final 33% because of substance abuse (Jones “News”). These figures provide a more accurate picture of the homeless people and it negates the stereotype that homeless people are lazy drunks. Breeden (“Opinion”) is also quick to point out that the homeless people are being unfairly and wrongly stigmatized as lazy drunks, as hobos, and as bums. Although the author admits that there are homeless drunks, she also points out that so too are other people with roofs over their heads (Breeden “Opinion”). Some of these homeless people are also lazy, but so too are some of the rich members of society. The misfortune of the homeless lay in the fact that they have suffered one too many financial setbacks in their life which have forced them deeper and deeper into poverty. And because of their dire circumstances, they are all labeled under the same ilk as their other contemporaries living in the streets (Breeden “Opinion”). However, these labels cannot justifiably lump them all into one category or one description. The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (p. 3) also set forth their ‘myth busters’ against the stereotypical claims on homelessness. Their studies reveal that about a quarter of the homeless are mentally ill and about 40% of the homeless population are substance abusers. These results are further strengthened by James Wright of Tulane University whose studies were able to reveal that alcohol abuse was seen in about 38% of the homeless population (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, p. 3). This is in contrast to the 10% rate of alcoholics seen in the general population. Admittedly, the statistics for alcohol abusers among the homeless people in contrast to the general population is much higher. However, the percentage of alcohol abusers in the homeless population does not even comprise the majority of the homeless people. Therefore, to stereotype them as lazy drunks is not justified, nor is it accurate. An article by MacCaulay in the Daily Press (“News”) reveals that with the current global economic crisis, more and more professionals are finding themselves in the street. The global crisis has driven many small business owners and middle-income families into the streets. Many of them have the necessary skills and are eager to work to support and improve their economic status; however, the jobs are not forthcoming. They are among the thousands of workers in unemployment lines who just cannot be accommodated by government and private institutions (Daily Press “News”). There are also more significant statistical data about the homeless population which imply more imperative concerns for the society as a whole. The fact is that about 40% of the homeless population is composed of children below the age of 5; and about two-thirds of the homeless teenagers are runaways who eventually go back to their families (Levin “Impact”). These children and teenagers make up a large percentage of the homeless population and they can hardly be labeled as lazy drunks. And as was mentioned previously, our current economic circumstances have pushed up the unemployment rates as well. Consequently, many professionals have now joined the ranks of the non-professionals in braving it out in the streets (Levin “Impact”). These people are not lazy. Given the chance to improve their lives, they may even be the exact opposite. In the current state of the economy, many people have been laid off and have been driven out of their homes due to unpaid mortgages or inability to pay their rent (Cadena “Society”). They are not lazy bums who choose to do nothing with their lives; they are simply caught up in the economic hardships that the country is going through. Most of these “lazy bums” also do not fit the stereotype of the unproductive and illiterate homeless person. The truth is, many of them have the necessary skills to work hard if only they would be given a chance to turn their lives around (Cadena “Society’). Inasmuch as stereotypes tend to bring about discrimination and biases against other people, there are also some stereotypes which may be considered as “good” stereotypes. Examples of good stereotypes include: African-Americans can dance; French are romantic; Italians are good lovers; Asians have high IQs (ProgressiveU “Blog”). In order to distinguish the good from the bad stereotype, we note that the good stereotype often has a boosting effect on a person’s confidence. As people are expected to perform well because of the stereotype, a possible effect on the person is that they tend to perform better (Munger “Cognitive Daily”). Instead of having a discouraging or downgrading effect on a person, a good stereotype does the opposite. However, admittedly, some of these people caught up in this stereotype also choke up and end up performing badly as a result of the pressure of performing well (Munger “Cognitive Daily”). All in all, good stereotypes can bring about both positive and negative effects for the individual being stereotyped. When the label is a “good” one, it contains minimal disparagement; and for a person who cannot live up to the hype, it can certainly be a negative experience. Works Cited Breeden, C. “Homeless given false stigma”. Opinion. 12 March 2009. The Baker Orange. 01 February 2010 from http://www.thebakerorange.com/opinion/homeless-given-false-stigma-1.1606103 Cadena, C. “Description of Homeless Does Not Fit Our Stereotypical View”. Society. 16 October 2007. Associated Content. 01 February 2010 from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/409821/description_of_homeless_does_not_fit_pg2.html?cat=47 Jones, J. Local View: Don’t stereotype homeless population. “News”. 6 September 2009. North County Times. 01 February 2010 from http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/perspective/article_a5979341-c9d0-50f3-ba04- b0126d60c742.html Levin, B. “In a Season of Compassion, Lets Stop Hate Killings of the Homeless”. Impact. 21 December 2009. Huffington Post. 01 February 2010 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-levin-jd/in-a-season-of-compassion_b_399314.html “List of Common Stereotypes”. Blog Truelife 90. 18 October 2007. ProgressiveU. 01 February 2010 from http://www.progressiveu.org/153355-list-of-common-stereotypes Macaulay, D. “Coalition sees more professionals becoming homeless”. News. 17 October 2009. Daily Press. 01 February 2010 from http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_homeless-part1sidebar1oct18,0,216550.story Munger, D. “The negative impact of positive stereotypes”. Cognitive Daily. 16 December 2005. Science Blogs. 01 February 2010 from http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2005/12/the_negative_impact_of_positiv.php “Myths and Facts about Homelessness”. p. 3. January 2002. National Center on Homelessness and Poverty. 01 February 2010 from http://www.nhchc.org/Curriculum/module1/module1D/H3MythsandFactsaboutHomelessness.pdf Read More