Stephanie Southworth - Böcker

Stephanie Southworth and Sara Brallier discuss Homelessness in the 21st Century with Ari Barbalat on the New Books NetworkAn accessible and engaging introductory text on homelessness and housing policy, this timely book uses a sociopolitical framework for understanding issues of homelessness in the United States.The authors, leading sociologists in their field, use data from over 250 interviews and field notes to demonstrate that homelessness is rooted in the structure of our society. They identify and describe the structural barriers faced by people who become homeless including the lack of affordable housing, the stigmatization and criminalization of homelessness, inadequate access to healthcare, employment that does not pay a living wage, and difficulty accessing social services. Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, most of the people included in this book believe strongly in the American Dream. This book examines how the belief in the American Dream affects people experiencing homelessness. It also highlights individuals’ experiences within the social institutions of the economy, the criminal justice system, and the health care system. Furthermore, this book explores how stereotypes of people experiencing homelessness affects individuals and guides social policy. The authors examine policy changes at the local, state, and national levels that can be made to eradicate homelessness, but argue that there must be a political will to shift the narrative from blaming the victim to supporting the common good.Expertly combining history, theory and ethnography, this book is an invaluable resource for those with an interest in housing policy.

Stephanie Southworth and Sara Brallier discuss Homelessness in the 21st Century with Ari Barbalat on the New Books NetworkAn accessible and engaging introductory text on homelessness and housing policy, this timely book uses a sociopolitical framework for understanding issues of homelessness in the United States.The authors, leading sociologists in their field, use data from over 250 interviews and field notes to demonstrate that homelessness is rooted in the structure of our society. They identify and describe the structural barriers faced by people who become homeless including the lack of affordable housing, the stigmatization and criminalization of homelessness, inadequate access to healthcare, employment that does not pay a living wage, and difficulty accessing social services. Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, most of the people included in this book believe strongly in the American Dream. This book examines how the belief in the American Dream affects people experiencing homelessness. It also highlights individuals’ experiences within the social institutions of the economy, the criminal justice system, and the health care system. Furthermore, this book explores how stereotypes of people experiencing homelessness affects individuals and guides social policy. The authors examine policy changes at the local, state, and national levels that can be made to eradicate homelessness, but argue that there must be a political will to shift the narrative from blaming the victim to supporting the common good.Expertly combining history, theory and ethnography, this book is an invaluable resource for those with an interest in housing policy.

Theory and Application in Sociology: Readings on Contemporary Issues introduces readers to overarching theoretical paradigms in sociology through current, high-interest readings in the dis-cipline. Selected from a variety of sources, each reading engages students in thinking about the social world from a particular theoretical perspective and helps them understand how that perspec-tive is then applied.The reading selections explore social issues in the United States that students see and hear about every day, such as poverty, homelessness, education, healthcare, the environment, and crime. The material illustrates the ways in which these larger societal occurrences and policies impact students' life experiences and opportunities. Students learn how race, class, and gender shape their interaction in the world, and how different sociologists view those interactions based on their different sociological perspective.Effectively linking real-world experiences to both theory and scholarship, Theory and Application in Sociology is an excellent choice for sociology courses, as well as those in social justice and public policy.