What are some similarities and differences between the kids on Skid Row vs. those running away from home in the article? What are some differences between generational and situational homelessness? Consider some of these relationships in your blog posts today.
While there is not too many general differences between children living on Skid row versus those that run away from home as far as maintenance and care for themselves and their living situations; the first point on my triangle is the main difference that I saw, which the difference between generational homelessness and situational homelessness is. In what they were calling the third world city, the Skid Row area houses a huge population of homeless children that live in this situation because they know nothing else, their families are based and from homelessness, or the life of hotel life. While on the other side of the coin children that choose homelessness by running away are running from conditions of neglect, abuse and poverty in their own home so they chose to be on their own versus a victim.
A comparable factor about children from Skid Row to kids that chose to run away from home for a life of homelessness is that both stem from violent and explosive backgrounds. That generally speaking from all evidence in our reading and viewing that their lives are filled with crime, abuse, neglect, hunger, just to name a few. I think Franklin, the child from Skid Row that was given a camera to document what life was really like did the area great justice; and if you take the time to Google his name and video clips you can see more footage and understand why I say this. When you hear the term third world city it is almost shocking, until you see some of the footage this young man captured and the stories that there is to tell and you realize that whether you are generationally homeless or this is the life you choose the one story that you all can share is a tale of abuse and neglect.
Another interesting point in my triangle of thoughts is the difference in attitude that people seem to have between generational and situational homelessness. The people or youth that live the lives of homelessness because of their families in many cases seem to come up angry and violent, generally making their way into the legal system at some point. While people that tend to be from situational homelessness seem to feel more victimized and humbled by their experiences. If they have chosen the lifestyle in the way of running away from home, then generally they feel justified and grateful to be away from the situation; while at the same time those that are here due to a fall in their lives generally fit the model of victim and are more humble about the experience, hoping that they one day can come back to some normalcy that they used to know.
A squaring point or one that is greatly worth noting was a similarity that I do see in all the organizations and foundations around the world that have been established for young homeless people. This week we have seen a lot of povertous children that although maybe not considered homeless in some countries their living conditions are still equal to that. You see homeless squatters on Skid Row and then you see these small facilities, small groups or even in the case of the Rageeda in the video on Views in Global Poverty, 3 women took care of all of the children of a community of people that worked on construction sites. And when the job was done everyone including the teacher/caregivers travels to the next site and carry on with the same routine. On Skid Row you had education on wheels with people that came into the Skid Row area to not only help children find education but maintain it and hopefully find better programs to help aid them in making their lives at least safer.
A great point that I think needs to be taken away from this week’s information is that children are products of their environment. We have seen and read so much about the violence and hurt that is part of their lives but still hear their words of how things can be better. Yet somehow just like their family before them they end up struggling and what was once an optimistic youth is now a hardened criminal. With all of this we are changing our world dramatically in a way that will take too much to put back together correctly. Poverty has spread so badly that know we have areas in our own United States that are considered to be of third world standards. If extreme poverty such as the many shanties towns and dusty alley ways of other countries is capable of being that entire people know how far off is America from having more than just one city be that way?
Hyde, J. (2005). From home to street: Understanding young people's transitions into homelessness. Journal of Adolescence , 28 (2), 171-83.
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