I went to the Veterans Village and was able to talk to some of the Vets. I did not conduct a formal interview, but I talked to a few of the men and one of their stories about their path to Veterans Village stood out to me. He mentioned that one of the main reasons he ended up homeless was because of child support and the bad economy. When discussing his history, he mentioned that the reason he joined the military was because he was from low-income family and he wanted an opportunity to make a better living. After entering the military he had a child, but was separated from the mother. While in the military he was able to pay the child support and still support himself. He said that when he got out of the military he still had to pay a lot in child support, but he was no longer making the same amount of money and was having trouble finding a job. With the cost of living and child support he was unable to afford an apartment and he started “couch surfing” at his friends. He said that he used alcohol as a way to escape from his responsibilities and his experiences in the military. His financial struggles and substance abuse continued to escalate, leading him to live on the streets and eventually turn to Veterans Village. It was very interesting for me to hear his story because it deviates from some of the traditional assumptions I had previously about why individuals end up homeless. The financial burdens in a failing economy made it almost impossible for him to support himself and added substance use caused his stability to further entropy.
In relation to conflict theory, this veteran’s experience is an example of class struggle and the obstacles that arise in society when one tries to break out of their social class. He grew up in a lower class family and joined the military to change that status. He tried to break into a group that could be considered more elite, the military, with more resources. Even so, when he no longer belonged to that group those additional resources were no longer provided and he returned to a lower class with additional financial burdens and obstacles. The policies and laws of the higher classes related to child support payments further played a role in his personal conflict of the interests of higher classes and policy makers and his ability to meet those requirements. Although when he joined the military he was included in a special interest group and benefited from their resources, his exclusion from this community further disabled him to break out of poverty. The struggles that many veterans face while transitioning from military to civilian life seems to be further amplified by economic hardships.
- Julia Kamp
Great insight, Julia! Your experience really demonstrates the reason many of us want to pursue military social work. Advocating for people who have defended our country should be something that everyone does, and yet it is left up to only the ones who notice the discrepancy in resources. I liked your use of the word "entropy," which also hearkens back to systems theory!
ReplyDeleteYou made an interesting (and honest) point about assumptions people, in general, make about the causes of homelessness. You recognized and accepted that the reality is much more complex than assumptions. It is sad that many people still maintain that those down on their luck and deprived have done it to themselves and should pull themselves up by the bootstraps. Traditionally, those who suffer from mental illness, substance abuse, and those without the social support are at the greatest risk for homelessness. Increasingly, though, it is healthy people with limited social support and with one or two crises that create a domino effect end up on the streets. The reason: lack of employment. While a person becomes homeless, he or she is kept there by the vicious cycle of shame, no access to basics (shower, clean clothes, computer or telephone for job search) and no way to obtain a job. No bootstraps for them....
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