Description
Book SynopsisWhose fault is homelessness? Thirty years ago the problem exploded as a national crisis, drawing the attention of activists, the media, and policymakers at all levels—yet the homeless population endures to this day, and arguably has grown. David Wagner offers a major reconsideration of homelessness in the US, casting a critical eye on how we as a society respond to crises of inequality and stratification.
Incorporating local studies into a national narrative, Wagner probes how homelessness shifted from being thesubject of a politically charged controversy over poverty and social class to posing a functional question of socialservice delivery. At the heart of his analysis is a provocative insight into why we accept highly symbolic policies that dampen public outrage, but fail to address the fundamental structural problems that would allow real change.
Trade ReviewNot only does a thorough job of outlining the history of homelessness in the United States, but also brings attention to the minimal progress the United States has made in addressing this issue. An excellent book; one of the best on the topic. Highly recommended. A provocative and unique reconsideration of the movement to combat mass homelessness in the United States in the past decades. Wagner correctly explains the causes of homelessness and the essentials for combating it. After reading Confronting Homelessness, the reader will emerge well-informed of the political barriers and potential solutions to one of America's greatest and most persistent social ills. In his deft analysis, David Wagner traces the trajectory of homelessness and, especially, public responses to this enduring social problem. An excellent overview of the contemporary social problem of homelessness in the United States … Provides a powerful way of understanding not only homelessness but other social problems as well.
