NCJ Number
238319
Date Published
2008
Length
285 pages
Annotation
This book explores the historical and contemporary implications of homelessness as both a social and spatial problem.
Abstract
Case studies of the dynamics of homelessness are introduced in the first chapter and are used in analyses throughout the book. Guiding questions are also posed, such as why homelessness is often viewed as a "problem" and what can be learned from the experiences of homeless people and the communities they often create. Chapter 2 focuses on the spaces the homeless are often constrained to occupy, i.e., the trend toward shrinking public spaces that are open equally to everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status. Chapter 3, "Patterns of Exclusion," considers how the homeless are demonized and stereotyped as embodiments of danger, disorder, disease, and criminality. Chapter 4 examines the motivations and methodologies in the author's interdisciplinary study that draws upon official records, media reports, interviews, and participant observations linked to the homeless community in Tempe, AZ. Also, in-depth reviews of the relevant literature locate the issues within the context of daily life on the streets and the unique perspectives of homeless people, their advocates, and those who choose to study them. Chapter 5 focuses on the origins, intentions, passage, and enforcement of an ordinance that prohibits sitting on the sidewalks in downtown Tempe. This ordinance provides an opportunity for an intensive case study of the forces of development, privatization, demonization, sanitization, criminalization, and exclusion of the homeless. Chapter 6, "The Ecology of Resistance," addresses the human rights struggles and the contested realms of public space. Chapter 7, the concluding chapter, sets the context for future research by portraying the effects of globalization and associated issues that have arisen in a variety of locations around the world. Extensive references and a subject index