Introduction
The homeless population in the US is growing at a steady rate, with 1.5 million men, women, and children experiencing homelessness every year. Statistics is an important tool in understanding the scope and impact of social problems such as poverty and homelessness and helps identify trends and patterns in these issues, providing valuable information that can inform policy decisions and allocate resources. Poverty exists on many levels, not just low-income individuals who suffer. Poverty also creates an environment for social problems such as homelessness and hunger (Olivet et al., 2021). The homeless and poor have been hidden from public view for too long. However, many of them have been ignored as social problems rather than recognized as major issues that must be addressed immediately. Poverty and homelessness threaten an individual’s health; dental health, for instance, is relatively expensive and presumed to be a service only for the rich. Understanding poverty and homelessness’s impact on the dental field will enable me to help my employer streamline their services to serve the whole population.
While homeless people may not be visible, they are not immune to the problems of poverty and inequality. The task is to assist others in solving these issues by providing solutions for social problems such as poverty, homelessness, crime, and inequality (Peterie et al., 2020). Addressing social problems rooted in poverty and homelessness, there should be a way to discover how these problems are connected. Generally, social problems of poverty and homelessness include violent crime, deviance, inequality such as food insecurity, high incarceration rates for low-income minorities, and healthcare issues that affect a large portion of the population. The purpose of discussing social problems is to bring attention to these issues and find ways to address them since they lead to many negative consequences for individuals and society.
Violent crime
The problem of violent crime in society is an important issue that requires a comprehensive approach. The key reasons for this are the emergence of peer group pressures, poverty and homelessness, and the deterioration of parenting skills (Hastings, 2021). Social class is also significant because it affects inequality within a country and among individuals. It is believed that violence is a cause of social problems, and it leads to poverty, homelessness, and other things at the same time. Violent crime is common in poverty-stricken areas and homeless shelters (Olivet et al., 2021). Causes of violent crime include high unemployment rates, drug addiction, lack of education, and mental health issues. When many people live in these conditions, the likelihood for violence to occur increases as poverty is an incentive to steal or engage in crime. The known solutions to the problem are social intervention, increasing punishment, and promoting deterrence measures.
Deviance
Deviance is an unusual or unacceptable behavior in a particular person, group, or social setting. Deviance is the act shared by public members to break a social norm. Deviance can be viewed as the disturbance of a normal behavior pattern or as actions or responses that are not part of an accepted standard. For example, homelessness can lead to individuals engaging in deviant behaviors, such as panhandling or loitering in public spaces (Wanger, 2019). These behaviors may result from the difficult living conditions that homeless individuals face in a society that often stigmatizes and marginalizes those homeless. Poverty can lead to homelessness, lack of income, and the consequent state of destitution, which leads to unsafe and irregular living conditions. Wagner (2019) considers deviance any practice perceived as unjust or illegitimate in a particular context. In addition, deviant behavior is often seen as anti-social such as when a person engages in illegal activities such as drug use. Generally, poverty leads to many problems and makes people think negatively, which can cause them to commit different offenses against other people or the law.
Food Insecurity
Poverty and homelessness are related directly to food insecurity in society because of a lack of resources. According to a Food and Agriculture Organization report, 1 in 10 people suffer from hunger, including undernourishment and food insecurity daily (Fitzpatrick & Willis, 2021). Poverty comes from a lack of resources for food, shelter, and education, and if people have very little or no resources, then there will be problems with their living conditions. Food insecurity means not having enough food to meet the nutrient needs of all people, especially children and pregnant women (Fitzpatrick & Willis, 2021). Many people go on to become homeless because they cannot stay self-sufficient. This could be due to economic recession causing job loss when they try to get back on their feet after losing their jobs. These conditions lead to vulnerability, which can develop into cycles of poverty through low wages and a lack of jobs that contribute to malnutrition.
High Incarceration Rates for Low-income Minorities
Poverty is a major problem for low-income minorities in society. Low-income individuals suffer from poverty because of a lack of education and job opportunities and are overlooked by society. The poor are less likely to receive treatment for drug and alcohol addiction; hence more likely to be victims of violence and homicide and to engage in criminal behavior such as shoplifting or stealing to feed their families (Herring et al., 2020). The result is a vicious cycle perpetuated by racism and classism that keeps people of color poor, homeless, disenfranchised, and incarcerated. Low-income individuals are often victimized or criminalized because they cannot find jobs that afford them economic stability and independence (Peterie et al., 2020). By removing barriers and creating pathways for individuals to move up in their communities, we can combat this cycle of poverty and reduce homelessness among low-income individuals.
Healthcare Issues
Healthcare is an essential aspect of ensuring one has quality. However, poverty is a barrier that hinders most people from accessing timely and standard care. Most people, therefore, need help to afford care from well-established care facilities. Further, the poor need to pay more attention to other care concepts, such as dental health. Therefore, an employer in the dental field should formulate comprehensive strategies that will enlighten such a group of people to recognize the essence of dental health. Additionally, as the fraternity of dental health develops, understanding the challenges posed by poverty and the homeless will aid in standardizing the prices to make dental care affordable.
Poor health quality can also contribute to homelessness along with the attachment of social isolation. Healthcare availability could reduce the transmission of diseases like HIV and malaria, for example. People struggle to meet basic needs such as food and shelter and become more vulnerable to sickness and disease (Davies & Wood, 2018). Dealing directly with persons struggling with poverty, homelessness, addiction, and chronic illness means that health systems in these areas are strained to their limits. Additionally, homeless populations face increased medical problems due to overcrowding and exposure to environmental hazards, including violence, unsafe living conditions, and poor nutrition (Davies & Wood, 2018). It is important for people who experience homelessness to receive medical care at a clinic to get treated for any physical or mental health issues that their homeless lifestyle might cause.
The skills have gained in this course and the understanding of various social problems such as poverty and homelessness are essential in molding my services in the dental field. I will be of great help to my employer in the dental field through the provision of aid in the articulation of care to various people faced with various problems. As a member who knows the community’s challenges, I will provide insights to the employer on handling such people as the poor and the homeless. With my assistance, they can offer quality services to all members and positively impact the community.
Conclusion
In conclusion, poverty and homelessness are critical societal problems that must be addressed. They are related to other social problems, such as crime, and impair the provision of essential services such as healthcare. Many factors can lead to poverty and homelessness and vary from culture to culture, but in any case, we need to remove these barriers to build a sustainable community. Institutionalized discrimination keeps people from opportunity and makes it difficult to access housing and education. To eliminate these issues, individuals must get involved with local government and find ways to help bridge these gaps in programs or create new ones for families facing these unfortunate circumstances. Knowledge of social issues can be impactful in one’s area of specialization and to their employers.
References
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Fitzpatrick, K. M., & Willis, D. E. (2021). Homeless and hungry: food insecurity in the land of plenty. Food Security, 13(1), 3-12. Web.
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Herring, C., Yarbrough, D., & Marie Alatorre, L. (2020). Pervasive penalty: How the criminalization of poverty perpetuates homelessness. Social Problems, 67(1), 131–149. Web.
Olivet, J., Wilkey, C., Richard, M., Dones, M., Tripp, J., Beit-Arie, M., Yampolskaya, S. and Cannon, R. (2021). Racial inequity and homelessness: Findings from the SPARC Study. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 693(1), 82-100. Web.
Peterie, M., Bielefeld, S., Marston, G., Mendes, P., & Humpage, L. (2020). Compulsory income management: Combatting or compounding the underlying causes of homelessness? Australian Journal of Social Issues, 55(1), 61-72. Web.
Wagner, D. (2019). Checkerboard Square: Culture and resistance in a homeless community. Routledge.