Introduction:
Hello everyone, my name is Krysten Hicks and welcome to my podcast. This semester in my English 1102 class, our group topic is women oppression in today's society. Today I will be discussing, oppressed homeless women, in our current society. Homelessness has been a reoccurring societal issue for as long as we can remember. In article I read by the National Academies Press, "Homelessness Through The Early 20th Century" it is historically believed that, homelessness emerged as a national issue in the late 1870's, and continues to be an evolving dangerous problem in today's society. As a Psychology major, it is a passion of mine to dig deep into the study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior. My focal point today, will be homeless women and the societal and psychological factors that play a part in their daily lives, along with the services being offered to them today. I will be covering these main issues by citing scholarly articles on the topic.
Body:
Homelessness is a devastating experience that significantly impacts the health and well-being of women. Taking a look at homelessness today, it has unfortunately taken on an entirely new meaning. In an article I recently read by Pamela J. Fisher called "Victimization and Homelessness: Cause and Effect," Fisher explains how victimization appears to be both a cause and an effect of homelessness; she describes homelessness victimization as "associations between childhood events and subsequent adult dysfunction, especially between child abuse and development of mental illness" (230). she further states there is mounting evidence that [earlier childhood] experiences may increase later vulnerability (230). In another article "Family Violence and Homelessness: The Relevance of Trauma Histories in the lives of Women" by Angela Browne, Browne informs her readers of the widespread presence of family violence and sexual assault in today's homeless women. Browne also suggests that characteristics noted in these women at the time they are identified as being homeless may be due in part to the long-term effects of past traumas (371). While Browne's research suggests trauma plays a significant role in women who are homeless, it doesn't appear to be the only issue women who are homeless seem to face. In the article, "Chronically Homeless Women Report Higher Rates of Substance Use Problems Equivalent to Chronically Homeless Men," by Ellen Edens, a study was done showing 83% of homeless women having lifetime mental health issues followed by 68% having substance abuse related issues (386), thus showing, there are a lot of societal and psychological factors involved; generating victimization in these women which ultimately causes them to not be able to function productively in society. The main consensus after reading these articles is the overwhelming amount of difficulties oppressed homeless women seem to face, starting out, as early as childhood, leaving an immense effect on their life as an adult.
Now that we've established the many key factors that play a role in the lives of these homeless women, let's examine the relationship between women who are homeless and the services being offered. I would first like to ask the question, is it possible to treat and care for women who are homeless, when it comes to their mental health issues, substance abuse problems, trauma and all other health needs? In Lisa Goodman's article, "No Safe Place: Sexual Assault in the lives of Homeless women" it identifies how there is no safe place for homeless women, not even in a women's shelter. It also states "the systems that impact homeless women who are sexual assault survivors require new funds, new forms of collaboration such as trauma- informed homeless services, resources of funders, and policy makers" (2). Goodman further sheds light on how "most staff members hired in women's shelters don't meet the criteria to successfully detect and respond appropriately and sensitively to trauma or sexual violence these women face. This creates a lasting affect on the continuous cycle of oppressed homeless women [in today's society]". In the article "Working with families experiencing homelessness: Understanding trauma and it's impact" by Kathleen Guarino and Ellen Bassuk it was emphasized in order to make a difference in the lives of these women, it would be essential in understanding their trauma and the impact it has on their [daily] lives; becoming "trauma-informed" requires that service providers tailor their services to meet the unique needs of trauma survivors and avoid additional harm (14). In understanding trauma, you would first need to define it; trauma is having a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. It seems there are a lot of advocates and professionals aware of the importance of this universal problem, becoming educated on the matter would be the first step.
Conclusion:
Having researched oppressed homeless women in today's society, I've found there to be a lot of elements involved in the stigma placed around homelessness. Nobody wakes up one day and decides to be homeless. These articles provide data collected, showing oppression was in these women, long before they became homeless also proving that some services that are put in place further oppress these women. If you would like to learn more about this topic please visit The National Alliance to End Homelessness at www.endhomelessness.org. Thank you for listening to my podcast and I hope some of the things discussed helped further your knowledge on women's homelessness.
Works Cited:
Ph. D. Browne, Angela. "Family Violence And Homelessness: The Relevance of Trauma Histories in the Lives of Women." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry Vol. 63, Issue 3. (July.,1993), by American Psychological Association pp.370-384 Accessed 3/12/2021 doi.org/10.1037/h0079444
Edens Lockard Ellen et al. "Chronically Homeless Women Report High Rates of Substance Use Problems Equivalent to Chronically Homeless Men." Women's Health Issues Vol. 21, Issue 5 (June., 2011), by Jacobs Institute of Women's Health pp.383-389 Accessed 3/12/2021 doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2011.03.004
Fisher, Pamela J. "Victimization and Homelessness: Cause and Effect." New England Journal of Public Policy: Vol. 8: Iss. 1 Article 20. (1992) Accessed 3/12/2021 scholarworks.umb.edu/nejpp/vol8/iss1/20
Goodman Lisa, Katya Fels, "No Safe Place: Sexual Assault In the Lives of Homeless Women." by The National Online Research Center on Violence Against Women, VAWnet, a Project of the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence/Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, (2006) pp. 1-12. Accessed 3/12/2021 www.vawnet.org
Guarino Kathleen, Ellen Bassuk "Working with Families Experiencing Homelessness: Understanding Trauma and its Impact." Zero to Three Corner (2010) by The National Center on Family Homelessness pp.14-28. Accessed 3/12/2021 www.acesconnection.com
National Academies Press "Homelessness Through The Early 20th Century" (2018) Appendix B, The History of Homelessness in the United States Accessed 3/15/2021 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519584