Frequently in today’s society, practically everything is labeled or put into categories. Some of us are considered to be too stout or too scrawny, perhaps maybe too white, or even too black. What if we were to look outside of the so called average day stressors of life like working, paying bills, getting an education, keeping up with political views, and having the satisfaction of an unchanging roof over our heads. At any given day and time, what we are accustomed to can experience the downfall of a ripple effect, leaving us to face more discernment than ever before. Although discrimination can be subjective and characteristics are usually formed by biases, research, given the right parameters shows how judgement can vary based on various factors.
According to Jackson (2015), “Discrimination is the unequal treatment, whether intentional or unintentional, of individuals or groups on the basis of group membership that is unrelated to merit, ability, or past performance” (p. 2). In order to grasp the epidemic of homelessness, factual information is needed to
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On a single night in January 2015, 546,708 people were experiencing homelessness – meaning they were sleeping outside or in an emergency shelter of transitional housing program (The State of Homelessness in America, 2016). An individual or people can fill out an application, but what if they don’t have a physical address or means of communication? This makes me revert back to the Invisible activity we did in class. One may come so close to a new opportunity, but without the necessary correspondence resources, there is no likelihood of getting employed. In the employer’s eyes, biases usually arise. Why did I waste my time with someone off the street? Other prejudices that can be formed due to a homeless person seeking employment include all thoughts due to personal hygiene, clothing choice, and background experience, or lack