Sociological Imagination And Homelessness Essay

The sociological imagination leads Ralph to homelessness in many ways. Sociological Imagination is how a person perceives the world, the political and social politics, the economics, or the geography. Those factors are going to partake in his journey of how he became homeless and what Ralph’s life is like now.
Ralph used to live under Penn Station in a community that seemed like they were a family and would always look out for one another. They would talk and treat each other like one, but they still compare one person to the next (as families usually do). When a person lives in a homeless community, there is only so much to look out for without creating a social hierarchy. They talk about who has the nicest house and who has the nicest things or who has the better jobs. They place everyone on a scale.
Living in a homeless community can lead to different psychological factors that could have affected Ralph in many

different ways. He seems to have more of a positive outlook on things, even if he still feels like certain things may be his fault. Depression does not seem to have taken over too much as to where he can not function, but being homeless may be the cause of some depression he may or may not have.
Certain drugs also have an effect on your brain. Ralph used to be addicted to crack and that he would almost overdose every time he smoked because he just wanted to feel the same high as he did the very first time. Ralph says that part of becoming homeless was him becoming addicted to crack, but him being clean makes him not want to be around other addicts. That is smart because he is staying away from a part of what helped him become homeless and gives him a greater outlook on life because there is a possibility of things becoming better. It also helps him not get into a dark place again where he may have been when smoking crack.
Ralph also tries to keep things normal the best he can. When he took in Dee, he wants her to clean up after herself so there is no rats. He also brushes his teeth, has a pet dog, and has a TV, VCR, and dresser where he sleeps. All of these things are him trying to keep things as normal as he can in a homeless setting. This is also going to give him a more positive look on life, because if he keeps things as normal as he can, it can give him hope that this is how things could be in the future.
Economics also has an effect on Ralph being homeless.

You need money to survive and there is a chance that Ralph did not have any. You need money to pay for the food you eat and the clothes you wear. You need money for your bills, including the ones for water to clean yourself. Not having money puts anyone in a hard spot because it is what you need for everything now. If Ralph did not have any money, that factors in to him not having a home because he can not afford one.
Politics also comes into play when it comes to being homeless. The political kind has an impact because the people in government want to keep people like Ralph off the streets and put them into shelters, but those shelters can be overcrowded. That may be a reason why Ralph went to the community under Penn Station. When AMTRAK finally kicks out the community, that put Ralph in a tough situation, but he was placed into a Section 8 program that helped him get a better life. The people in politics helped him to get out of the bad situation he was in and into the better life he has

now.
The relationship that Ralph has with himself factors in to being homeless. Some people think that because that they are homeless, makes them a bad person and that they will be homeless for the rest of their life. Other people always stay positive in hopes of getting out of homelessness. If Ralph thought that he was always going to be homeless, chances are that he might still be in that situation.
The relationship you have with others is another reason Ralph could be homeless. When he moved into the underground community, he needed to be able to talk to others and form relationships with them in order to survive. He had to communicate with them in order to be able to eat and sleep in some peace. If he was not able to communicate with others, it might have led to him being homeless because he could not tell people the situation he was in.
Geography is another important factor of becoming homeless. If he was moving around from place to place, it is going to take a lot of money and he might not have had that. Even if he was just in one place, having an apartment or house is expensive and it makes a difference on where the location is. Geography is also what led him to eventually live under Penn Station. Living in parts of the world that are more expensive is going to have anyone in a rut if they do not have the money. If Ralph could not pay for the place he was living in because of where it was located, it could have been a factor of him being homeless under Penn Station.
Even though the sociological factors led Ralph to become homeless, that does not compare to the life he is living now. At first it seemed like getting kicked out of the underground community was a bad thing, but it actually helped him to have a better life.