A 6-page Argumentative research paper that follows the structure of the outline provided. It should throughout its discourse, argue for and elaborate upon the thesis presented. Multiple media outlets should be used for the sources. (books, journals, videos, websites, ect.)
Thesis: Society fails to provide enough avenues for the homeless to achieve upwards social mobility. With it also failing to provide them with the education necessary to understand society and how upwards social mobility should be achieved, the homeless are destitute and ultimately outcast from a society that does not wish to acknowledge their existence. Truly aiding the homeless thus requires educating communities regarding the challenges of homelessness, and providing educational and other stabilizing resources to the homeless themselves.
Section 1: The Structural Challenges Faced by the Homeless
● Homelessness results from structural challenges. These include racism, inter-generational poverty, and a complete lack of equality-of-opportunity for those predisposed to homelessness.
● Comorbidities associated with homelessness include drug use, mental illness, alcoholism, and many other conditions.
● Public resources aimed at mitigating these challenges are virtually non-existent.
Section 2: The Social Mobility Trap
● Homelessness is self-perpetuating. Inter-generational poverty significantly contributes to this reality.
● Because society is hostile to social welfare programs, this further problematizes providing avenues for upwards social mobility to the homeless.
Section 3: How to Aid the Homeless
● The homeless require dualistic assistance. First, public spending to increase stabilization programs, notably by providing housing first, is critical to mitigating homelessness.
● Second, the homeless must be provided with avenues towards upwards social mobility, like affirmative action in the realm of education and job training in the labor market, so that they can move out of the inter-generational cycle of poverty.
Section 4: Counter-Argument – The Notion of the Undeserving Poor
● This is rendered difficult because many Americans believe that most of America’s homeless and poor individuals are undeserving of social assistance.
● Americans often view the homeless with such hostility because they disproportionately use drugs, suffer from mental illness, and have children out of wedlock.
● The public must thus also be educated so as to understand the root causes of homelessness.
Section 5: Conclusion
● Solving the challenge of homelessness requires providing both assistance to the homeless, and educating the public about the true causes of homelessness because of the erroneous perceptions surrounding the problem of homelessness.