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Homelessness Postmodernist and Feminist Perspective

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Homelessness Postmodernist and Feminist Perspective
Karen Anderson
Social analysis – Homelessness
Feminist and postmodernist perspectives
ACAP

Being Homeless in Australia, what does that actually mean? The statistics show that homelessness in Australia is a growing and a concerning problem involving people from all walks of life and in all parts of Australia. This paper will examine the evidence of homelessness and analyse the media’s coverage of homelessness with postmodernist theory and then the feminist theory. The feminist perspective in the media is a view on homelessness as something that may be brought about by oppression from patriarchy, capitalism or imperialism and that women as a group need to set forth to create infrastructures to assist women in need from not just homelessness but also for rape and battered women. “Poverty, Illiteracy and homelessness are critical woman’s issues throughout the world”.(Freedman, 2006, p. 98) . The media’s postmodernist perspective views homelessness in a panoptic way, not picking only women’s issues to report on. What is homelessness? Who are the homeless? The traditional symbol of homelessness was the old man on a park bench somewhere in the city, is that still true.? This essay will attempt to answer this question. To be able to deal with the homeless, better visions of who are actually homeless and what they require needs to be investigated, to ensure social aid is provided where it is most needed.(Cortese, 2003)
Issue.
Homelessness. Homelessness is a social problem worldwide. In Australia, it is an ever-increasing issue with numbers of homeless people growing at an alarming rate. At the last count, the homeless population was 105,000 people; close to half of these people were younger than 25 ( ref ? ) . Men made up 58% of the numbers and women 42%. (ABS, 2008) . These numbers had risen 5% since the 2001 census(ABS, 2004) . There was a concerning number of indigenous people homeless,; 17% of SAAP- (Supported accommodation assistance program) clients were



References: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. AIHW. (2009). Australias Welfare 2009 - Homelessness.Retrieved May 3, 2010 from http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10872 Albrechtsen, J Australian Government. Australian_Government. (2008a). Homelessness: A new approach.Retrieved 27 April, 2010 from http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/housing/pubs/homelessness/Pages/HomelessnessnewApproach.aspx Australian Government Australian Government. Australian_Government. (2008c). The road home: A national approach to homelessness [White paper].Retrieved from http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/housing/progserv/homelessness/whitepaper/Documents/default.htm Bond, M Chamberlain, C., & MacKenzie, D. (2008). Counting The Homeless.Retrieved May 9, 2010 from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/2050.02006?OpenDocument .pdf Cortese, A Dang, A. (2007). Sydney’s bed shortage crisis for homeless women.Retrieved May 01, 2010 from http://www.missionaustralia.com.au/news/193-sydney-bed-shortage-crisis-for-homeless-women Danielle Australian Government. EOWA. (2006). 2006 EOWA Australian Census of Women in Leadership.Retrieved May 10, 2010 from http://www.eowa.gov.au/Australian_Women_In_Leadership_Census/2006_Australian_Women_In_Leadership_Census/2006.asp Freedman, E Genz, S. (2010). Singled Out Postfeminism 's "New Woman" and the dilemma of having it all. The journal of popular culture, 43(1), 97-119. Mission Australia Lyotard. (1984). The postmodern condition: A report on knowledge (10 ed.). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press Moore, A., & Reynolds, P Moore, M. (2009, June, 15). Homelessness rises in regional areas: Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved May 07, 2010 from http://www.smh.com.au/national/homelessness-rises-in-regional-areas-20090614-c7fx.html. Morello, V Morrison, Z. (2009). Homelessness and sexual assault. ACSSA Wrap No. 7, 2009, 7.Retrieved April 29, 2010 from http://www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/pubs/wrap/w7.html Perusco, M Quinn, J. E., & Radtke, H.L. (2006). Delemmatic negotiations: The (un)tenability of feminist identity. Psychology of women quarterly, 30(2), 187-198. Raitt, S SMH. (2007, August, 5). Homeless women turned away from refuges: Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved May 01, 2010 from http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Homeless-women-turned-away-from-refuges/2007/08/05/1186252534123.html. Tanner, L Tully, D. (2003). Childhood sexual assault and homelessness. Brisbane: Paper presented at the 3rd National Homelessness Conference. pdf Van Krieken, R., Habibis, D.,Smith, P.,Hutchins, B.,Haralambos.,& Holborn, M

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