The Relationship Between Empathy and Held Stereotypes of the Homeless

1010 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Sociological perspective on homelessness

Homelessness is a social suffering experienced by human beings throughout the world. In 2013, the NYC Department of Homeless Services reported that about 1 out of every 2,662 people out of the general New York City population of 8,244,910, experienced homelessness (NYC Department of Homeless Services, 2013). Preceding these findings, in 2012, the US Department of Housing and Development reported that New York’s homeless population accounts for about 11 percent of the US’s homeless population (2012 Annual Homeless Assessment Report). In our society, the homeless are a highly stigmatized group that is subject to negative stereotypes about their situation of being homeless (Knecht & Martinez, 2009). Stereotypes are generalizations about a group of people (cultural, ethnic, racial, social, socioeconomic status etc.) that are held as rigid beliefs despite not being true. They can be positive or negative, and can be attributed to a person’s internal characteristics or external characteristics (Mio, Barker & Tumambing 2011). Some of the common attributed stereotypes to individuals experiencing homeless are that they are all alcoholics, mentally ill, dangerous, or substance abusers (Knecht & Martinez, 2009). As a result, homeless individuals are often overlooked as being human beings who can benefit from increased help from society in terms of policy and advocacy. What part of human beings leads them to be inclined to aid or ignore a homeless individual as a result of their understanding, or lack of understanding of “the other’s” current emotions? Empathy, is a self-conscious characteristic human beings hold that allows them to understand another individual’s situation and feelings (Segal, Cimino, Gerdes &Wagaman, 2013). In regard to ho... ... middle of paper ... ...on.pdf Mio, Jeffrey S., Barker, Lori A.,Tumambing, Jaydee S.. Multicultural Psychology: Understanding Our Diverse Communities. USA: Oxford Press,2011.Print. Segal, E. A., Cimino, A. N., Gerdes, K. E., Harmon, J. K., & Wagaman, M. (2013). A confirmatory factor analysis of the Interpersonal and Social Empathy Index. Journal Of The Society For Social Work And Research, 4(3) The US Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Community Planning and Development (2012). The 2012 Point- in- Time Estimates of Homelessness. Retrieved 1 March 2014. https://www.onecpd.info/resources/documents/2012AHAR_PITEstimates.pdf Tompsett, C. J., Toro, P. A., Guzicki, M., Manrique, M., & Zatakia, J. (2006). Homelessness in the United States: Assessing Changes in Prevalence and Public Opinion, 1993–2001. American Journal Of Community Psychology, 37(1/2), 47-61.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of 'The Baby In The Well: The Case Against Empathy'

    318 Words  | 1 Pages

    In “The Baby in the Well: The Case Against Empathy” by Paul Bloom, Paul want’s his readers to understand that empathy is not very helpful unless it is fused with values and reason.

    Read More

  • Why Do People Help Rehumanize The Homeless

    783 Words  | 2 Pages

    Principally, to a homeless person, if there was only one thing they hated, it would be pity. The only way society at this point knows how to deal with the homeless is by pitying them. They take the individuals and they put them in a group basically labeled “displaced”, then it is expected that it is up to the state to help them. Many say they try, but because homelessness deals on such a personal level, many don’t get helped because they are grouped. On the personal level, when one sees a homeless person, many, if not most people, shy away thinking that “someone else will help them”. In most cases, they are ignored. Because everyone is thinking this way, not many local homeless people get assistance. In this country, homelessness is one of the last issues to be thought of, which is why the homeless population is now flooding into small cities and towns. Homelessness should be combatted one person at a time and not as a group. I agree that everyone needs to pitch in and help rehumanize these lifeless souls, and with everyone’s help, it can be done on a personal level.

    Read More

  • The Reflection Of Empathy, By Stephen Dunn

    755 Words  | 2 Pages

    Empathy is imperative to teach kids from a young age in order to help them recognize mental states, such as thoughts and emotions, in themselves and others. Vital lessons, such as walking in another’s shoes or looking at a situation in their perspective, apprehends the significance of the feelings of another. Our point of view must continuously be altered, recognizing the emotions and background of the individual. We must not focus all of our attention on our self-interest. In the excerpt, Empathy, written by Stephen Dunn, we analyze the process of determining the sentiment of someone.

    Read More

  • Homeless Families in America

    3762 Words  | 8 Pages

    Although most people know what homelessness is and it occurs in most societies, it is important to define because the forces of displacement vary greatly, along with the arrangement and meaning of the resulting transient state. The Stewart B McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 defined a homeless person as “an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence or a person who resides in a shelter, welfare hotel, transitional program or place not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation, such as streets, cars, movie theaters, abandoned buildings, etc.” Resent surveys conducted in the U.S. have confirmed that the homeless population in America is extremely diverse and includes representatives from all segments of society, including: the old and young, men and women, single people and families, city dwellers and rural residents, whites and people of color, employed and unemployed, able workers and people with serious health problems. The diversity among people that are homeless reflects how difficult it is to generalize the causes of homelessness and the needs of homeless people. Robert Rosenheck M.D., the author of Special Populations of Homeless Americans, explains the importance of studying homelessness based on subgroups, “each subgroup [of homeless people] has unique service needs and identifying these needs is critical for program planning and design.” Despite these diversities, homelessness is a devastating situation for all that experience it. Not only have homeless people lost their dwelling, but they have also lost their safety, privacy, control, and domestic comfort.

    Read More

  • Stereotypes Of The Homeless

    1042 Words  | 3 Pages

    There has been research evaluating the negative stigma regarding homelessness since the 1960’s. Although this stigma has been perpetuated since the beginning of time, it started to becoming

    Read More

  • Empathy Discussion Questions

    727 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Empathy has been defined as the process of entering into the world of another: “an understanding and appreciation of the thoughts, feelings, experiences and circumstances of another human being”, as stated from this weeks lecture. However this is just the tip of the ice burg. Empathy is dynamic, flowing and changing with every circumstance.

    Read More

  • Social Stigma For The Homeless

    1683 Words  | 4 Pages

    Today in the United States, there are over 1,750,000 adults living on the streets (Deforge, 2003). In a study by The National Center for Family Homelessness, 1 in 45 children are homeless. When one contemplates what it means to be homeless many words may come to mind: derelict, sad downtrodden, dirty, lazy, and many more. There is a stigma connected with the word homeless, and the people it describes. This research investigates how social stigma impacts the opportunities of homeless individuals in our country, as well as around the world. This is an issue that severely needs to be dealt with, because if society can improve the lives of the most unfortunate individuals in our society, society will improve the lives of everyone around as well. Like the old saying goes, “you’re team is only as good as your worst player,” so it is with society. Creating better living situations for the homeless could result in more jobs (building new homes, providing assistance, management), a community seems less run down (no more men and women sleeping on park benches or begging for money on the corner), happier individuals (somewhere to belong, people to talk to about their issues, they can get the help they need), and many other options. There are so many facets to this topic, that to truly delve into a solution one must use more than one perspective.

    Read More

  • The Perception of the Homeless

    1191 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are over 3.5 million homeless people in the United States alone (National Student Campaign against Hunger and Homelessness). Within this amount of people there are challenges beyond not having a home that the majority of citizens with a home do not face. These include: thinking about appearance, quality and source of food, living space, and source of money. Those mentioned are just a few things that non-homeless people may overlook when thinking about the challenges of homelessness. As a nation the way we perceive others around us comes into play here. Intentionally or not, homeless people are often judged based on their situation, rather than who they are. This may exist due to the communication barrier between the homeless and non-homeless. In order to move away from judgment and stereotypes, education on the subject of homelessness is vital.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Homeless People

    1400 Words  | 3 Pages

    Homelessness is a huge problem throughout the United States. It is difficult to see how many people are homeless in communities across the nation. In Fort Morgan alone we have an unseen homeless population. Homeless people go without help because they are judged and looked down on regardless of their story. They go without their stories being told and being judged on a daily basis. Many times, the truth is, homeless people are not what people’s perceptions of them are.

    Read More

  • Egan's Use Of Empathy

    1524 Words  | 4 Pages

    Egan (1994, pp. 108-21) discusses the use of empathy as a tool for assisting the worker to

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Homelessness

    1708 Words  | 4 Pages

    But in working with the homeless population, it heightened an awareness that individuals still have their own internal biases for others’ gender, ethnicity, lifestyle, orientation, status, and even cultural backgrounds, that are withheld from others. Especially with homeless individuals, which inspired the effort being made to assist them with their basic survival needs, these stereotypes make it much of a challenge. While, there are many questions that need to be answered to assist the homeless, there are no right answers that are clear cut. Homelessness exists with no particular face, and yet there are many residing in the streets. Although homeless individuals have significantly greater substance abuse and mental illness diagnoses, the homeless also have poor health, shabbier appearance and less life satisfaction (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2013 & Stein & Gelberg, 1997).

    Read More

  • Stereotypes Of The Homeless Research Paper

    1011 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many misconceptions about The Homeless. Homeless people are some of the most vulnerable members of society, many are severely physical or mental ill, physically disabled, suffered from physical and/or sexual abuse, or have been incarcerated. Instead of recognizing them as victims who deserve our support and compassion, many are treating them as criminals who need to be punished. The stereotype that people are homeless became so because of their own faults and failures creates a notion that people with homes are, in some sad way, better than homeless people. This ignorance stereotype makes homelessness even more difficult to overcome.

    Read More

  • Empathy Essay

    794 Words  | 2 Pages

    Empathy is critical in the healthcare field, but often times hard to convey. For this reason, many people have to make a point to try and show empathy. This is where the fine line of the benefits of empathy and the negative

    Read More

  • Homeless Stereotypes

    680 Words  | 2 Pages

    Living on the border of Indiana and Ohio, I occasionally encounter homeless individuals when I go to Cincinnati for baseball games. When I walk by homeless individuals I am usually fearful, as I am unsure of how they will react to me not giving them any money. I also wonder why the individuals don’t just go to the fast food restaurant around the corner and obtain a minimum wage job. But despite these negative thoughts, at times, I do feel bad for these individuals. For example, about a week ago I went with my Dad to his office in downtown, and we saw numerous individuals sleeping outside in below freezing weather. I could barely make it five minutes in the cold, and I cannot imagine how horrible being in that weather indefinitely must be. While I do believe that these individuals should receive the compassion that all individuals deserve, I cannot help but be suspicious and wonder if they truly are victims of

    Read More

  • What Is Instinctive Empathy?

    1279 Words  | 3 Pages

    The history of mankind saw the existence of instinctive empathy which is crucial to reinforce the survival of our ancestors, allowing them to be receptive and responsive towards the needs of their progeny. Since then, this survival instinct has gradually evolved as a socially expected behaviour, attitude and personality trait, as someone devoid of it will pass off as being rude or even mentally ill (Waal, 2013). Advancement in neuroscience research has attributed the physiological basis of empathy to the mirror-neuron mechanism in our brain, in which a specific type of brain cell, called mirror neurons are activated when we observe another person’s emotions, helping us to feel the same way, thus fostering a form of connection which can be comforting

    Read More

More about The Relationship Between Empathy and Held Stereotypes of the Homeless

Open Document