SAGE Lecture Spark [9/25/18] The Publisher of the Social Sciences

Homeless D.C. High School Football Player Kept Off the Field Ballou High school student, Jamal Speaks, had been denied permission to play for his team after it came to light that he was homeless. His homelessness brought into question his eligibility, but his being kept off the field caused an uproar among his team, locals, and eventually made the rounds on social media. There are still lingering residency issues. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/recruiting-insider/wp/2018/09/19/homeless-high-school-football-player-kept-off-field-as-d-c-officials-disagree-on-eligibility/?utm_term=.d7f1332e17d6

American Public Sharply Divided on Opinions of Poverty “44% say poor people ‘have it easy because they can get government benefits without doing anything in return.’” “73% of Republicans say the government can’t afford to do much more to help the needy, while just 32% of Democrats say this." http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/09/16/public-is-sharply-divided-in-views-of-americans-in-poverty/

Americans Have Complicated Views of Homelessness “…The news media’s approach to reporting on homeless people can activate disgust, increasing public support for policies that make it difficult for the homeless to pull themselves out of poverty and get off the street.” “Disgust helps explain why so much of the public supports both policies that transfer resources to homeless people and exclusionary policies that cause them harm.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/07/14/americans-want-to-help-the-homeless-as-long-as-theyre-not-around-this-explains-why/?utm_term=.d5d59fd75cae

Key Concepts Inequality and Media Representation: The creators of media content often reinforce and reproduce the inequalities which are present in society, based on race, socioeconomic status, gender, etc. In representing homelessness and poverty, the media often emphasizes uncleanliness and disease, which, in reinforcing negative associations, makes it more difficult for them to be supported or successful. Some media representations challenge or shift traditional representations of inequality.

Assessment Writing: How have you seen poverty and/or homelessness portrayed in the media? Debate: Is it the responsibility of the media to portray poverty/homelessness in a particular way? Revisit the second Washington Post article for some discussion of how the media can portray these issues. Poll: Which of the following do you believe to be major contributing factors to homelessness in your country? Check any that apply. Drug/Alcohol Abuse, Refugee/Immigrant Status, High Costs of Living, Financial Crisis, Bad Luck, Escaping Domestic Violence/Abusive Situations, Personal Choice, Mental Health Issues, Bad Money Management, Natural Disaster, Laziness Short Answer: Do you think that homeless people are responsible for their situation? Current Events Quiz A D.C. high school football player has recently had his sports eligibility questioned over his ___? Despite being barred from playing with his team, Speaks was offered ___? In a recent survey, which political party most agreed “that the government can’t afford to do much more to help the needy”? What percentage of Americans polled agreed that “poor people ‘have it easy because they can get government benefits without doing anything in return”? The news media’s approach to reporting on homeless people can cause ___, which increase public support for policies that make it difficult for the homeless to pull themselves out of poverty and get off the street. Answers Homelessness A college scholarship Republicans 4. 44 5. Disgust