Yvonne Damian

Lee, B., Farrell, C., & Link, B. (2004). Revisiting the Contact Hypothesis: The Case of Public Exposure to Homelessness. American Sociological Review, 69(1), 40-63.

Yvonne Damian word count:598

This article studied the pertinence of Contact Theory between the racial group the person views as being associated with and other racial group they are being exposed. The study used three methods in addition to prior methods, such as:  In addition to examining face-to-face exposure they examined many types of in-groups exposed to the out-group, labeled bad.  The other method used, examined different attitudes and outcomes.  And thirdly, mixing community settings anticipating future lowered racism.  All research discovered exposure showed changed attitudes in favorable directions as anticipated.  Also, their primary study measured the homeless growing population size, media exposure of their unfortunate situations, and policy treatment; thus developing moments of exposure and affecting viewpoints indirectly. This suggests Contact Hypothesis expanded exposure had success in changing stigmatisms rather than narrowed versions.  Expansions allowed knowledge about other racial groups replacing ignorance, which creates stereotypes and fear. The method used was quantitative analysis which 1500 random people completed telephone survey, nationally representative of the U.S.  The dependent variable was attitudes about homelessness[yD1] .  The study examined why people had positive attitudes about homelessness and others had more negative attitudes.  The main independent variable studied exposure to the homeless population and demographics in relativism about homelessness.  They used fourteen exposure measures relating to interaction and information about homelessness.  They examined blaming the homeless vs. society and who viewed them as dangerous and lazy. Results showed exposure, demographics, observation, interaction, and membership (if they, themselves were ever homeless); these measures shaped the attitudes about homelessness.  Overexposure influenced a negative attitude toward homelessness and people with low exposure reflected same negative attitude.  African American's had the most exposure so the contact theory only worked on white population. AA were overexposed to homelessness and developed a negative attitude whereas, whites had a more positive result.  

 

Balistreri, K. (2016). A Decade of Change: Measuring the Extent, Depth and Severity of Food Insecurity. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 37(3), 373-382.

Since the recession of 2008 food insecurity hasn't changed even though the economy has improved.  The study (independent variable) measured the severity and depth of food insecurity within the ethnicity and races which are low-income, with, or without children.  Finding's showed severity and depth rapidly increased in households without children.  Also, non-Hispanic White household's w/o children had steeper increased depth and severity of food insecurity across ten years, yet had a lower prevalence rate.  Lastly, non-Hispanic Black units with or w/o children were most underprivileged in low income areas.  Factors that influence unchanged food insecurity are unemployment rate, spike in food prices, and other goods, necessities, and services.  This changed who is experiencing higher prevalence, depth, of food insecurity.  Stating Hispanic and Blacks were affected more than Whites in the Great Recession by losing a greater percentage of wealth. The dependent variable were factors influencing and sustaining food insecurity despite improving economy ie, loss of job and fluctuating income. Food insecurity has been linked with poor quality of life, decreased levels of physical health, and different health diseases such as diabetes and hypertension in adults. Children's health had poor prognosis for anemia, asthma, and linked with cognitive and academic development delays; behavioral, anxiety, and aggression are increased.  The method used was a random 3-time period (2001-3, 2006-8, 2011-13) evaluated early 2000, time around the recession, and time after recession from The Current Population Survey (CPS) Food Security Supplement (FSS).  To ensure household were used once adjacent years were used.  The study concluded U.S families never improved economically since The Great Recession.  Food insecurity never returned to pre-2008 because of inflation and elevated food pricing.  It's important to acknowledge 1 million childless adults are likely to stop receiving SNAP benefits, which reduces U.S food insecurity; yet states are returning to 3-month limit.      

Elizabeth Bautista Homelessness

Elizabeth Bautista

468 words

April 5, 2018

 

Revisiting the Contact Hypothesis: The Case of Public Exposure to Homelessness;

 

            The Revisiting the contact hypothesis: The case of public exposure to homelessness article focuses on finding how the exposure to homeless people have an indirect influence on a person's attitude. The authors collected their data from a national telephone survey done in 1990 by Columbia University. The multistage probability was used to choose more than 200 phone numbers in the continental United States. A ten-dollar incentive was given to those adults who participated in the interview that lasted about 40 minutes. There was 1,507 interviews completed by the investigators, 65 percent where English speakers and 63 percent where non-English speakers. They focused on nine multi-item scales, and considered them as the dependent variable; the four scale assess, the three-item individual causes scale, the role competence scale, and  three attitude scales. The exposure to homeless was considered to be the independent variable. The results of the survey show that those who are exposed more to homelessness are more likely say that homelessness is caused by structural causes and are less likely to believe in individual causes. Respondents also tended to see the homeless people as competent and non-threatening. The exposure to homeless can develop positive attitudes. Those who are also exposed to the homelessness are more likely to fight for the rights of the homeless. The results also show that age, education and political views also have an influence on attitudes toward the homeless. The older generations have less sympathy for homeless people and those with education and liberalism have a higher sympathy. Another factor that influences attitudes are the minority status. Hispanics and African Americans are less likely to feel sympathy for homeless than whites. Hispanics are less likely to support homeless rights or help them out. In conclusion the exposure to homelessness doesn't give a very positive attitude toward the homeless.

 

 

Food Insecurity Is Associated with Increased Risk of Obesity in California Women

The article focuses on how the limitation and unavailability of healthy food is connected with food insecurity and obesity in California women. The data was collected from an evaluation done in 1998 and 1999 California Women's Health Survey. The sample size of the survey was 8,169 women, older than the age of 18. The random sample was interviewed by telephone and where asked four questions from the U.S Household Food Security Module in English and in Spanish depending on their preference. In 1998 only, 70 percent responded and 81 percent in 1999.  The article also wanted to see the correlation between food insecurity and obesity with income, race, education, country of birth and health status. The results showed that 13.9 percent of women were food insecure and 4.3 percent had food insecurity with hunger. Non- Hispanic White women who were food insecure without hunger where 36 percent. Women who were food insecure without hunger were more likely to be obese than those who were food secure. 

Aaron Freitas Homeless/hunger quiz

 

The first article I will discus is "The 'Homeless Problem' and the Double Consciousness" by Jason Adam Wasserman, Jeffrey Michael Clair and Chelsea Platt. This article delves into how society perceives people who are homeless and how that effects the way the homeless individuals perceive themselves.

The authors collected their information through personal interviews and conversations with homeless people. The point of the interviews was to identify how the homeless individuals see themselves through the lens of American society.  The authors wanted to know if W.E.B. DuBois's theory of a double-consciousness could also include other groups of disenfranchised people. The double-consciousness theory is the idea that an individual will see and judge themselves by an outside standard not set by their own group or themselves. Usually, this standard is a negative belief held by a dominant social class about a subordinate social class. 

What the authors found was that homeless people often hold negative ideas about themselves that match up with what society believes about them. These things include the ideas that the homeless are lazy, have substance abuse problems, mental heath issues and are homeless due to their own personal failings. Often the authors would report that the people interviewed would claim that they wanted to work but that other homeless people didn't or that they could choose to stop being homeless if they wanted to. These beliefs mirror the commonly held beliefs of American society about the homeless. It is also of note that almost every homeless person was also very patriotic, holding no negative beliefs about America or its policies.

In conclusion, the authors believe that as a society we must combat negative views about the homeless, not only in society, but with special attention to the homeless individual themselves. To begin to solve what has been called "the homeless problem" we first must get rid of the idea that the problem lies with the homeless person. This would be to the benefit of both society and the individual. 

The second article is titled "A Decade of Change: Measuring the Extent, Depth and Severity of Food Insecurity" By Kelly Stamper Balistreri. The study in this article aimed to evaluate how food insecurities have changed over the last decade, from 2001 to 2013.

The date range used came from two different surveys conducted on food insecurities over a span of multiple years. The data showed both expected and unexpected result with regards to food insecurity among Americans. As expected food insecurities rose greatly across the board from 2006-2008 during the Great Recession. What was less expected was that the rates of food insecurity among Americans has not gone back to the levels seen before the Great Recession, even though the economy has largely recovered. One reason for this is the cost of food has steadily risen whereas wages have stayed the same. The study also found that low-income families with children are the most likely to have food insecurities and black low-income families have the highest prevalence of food insecurities with little change over the time span evaluated. Low-income Hispanic families however showed little change in the prevalence of food insecurities, but for the families that did have food insecurity, the severity went up 5-12%. White low-income families showed the most rapid increase in food insecurity during this time span. In conclusion, food insecurity overall in the United States has continued to climb across all low-income peoples.   

Crystal Medrano

                                                                                                          Crystal Medrano

                                                                                                                    596 Words

A Decade of Change: Measuring the Extent, Depth and Severity of Food Insecurity

The study used three indices from FGT measures, food insecurity rate, food insecurity gap, and squared food insecurity gap, that would help examine patterns of food insecurity by race and ethnicity and among low income families with or without children that were placed below 185% of the poverty line, between 2001 and 2013. Data from 2001-2003, 2006-2008 and 2011-2013 was gathered from the CPS Food Security Supplement because of the major events happening around the recession.  Within the years analyzed, there were about 263, 779 White, Black and Hispanic households examined. To measure food security, an 18-item household food security scale was used to measure 12-month frames and the severity of food insecurity. Questions focused on concerns about lack of food, availability of money, and children having access to food. Also, FII and Rasch scoring method, was used to understand how food insecure a household was.

            Patterns of food security reported between 2006 and 2008, showed households with children made no recovery from having low food security due to low incomes and earnings. It was seen that the severity of food insecurity with households without children increased greatly through the decade. Also, large increases were shown among the three indices measured. By race, Blacks with children, showed a major increase and highest, in having severe food insecurity and were the most underprivileged. In comparison to Hispanics having an increase of 5% to 12% food insecurity, Whites with children underwent very severe food insecurity. Hispanics had less food insecurity because their employment increased when the recession started. Therefore, the FGT measure found that those under the poverty threshold became more food insecure through the three-year points examined.

Does Acculturation Matter? Food Insecurity and Child Problem Behavior among low income working Hispanic Households

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between acculturation levels, food security standing and perceptions of health and behavioral outcomes of children within low income Hispanic and White families. English speaking and Spanish speaking households were compared with white low-income households. Data came from a study on the Rhode Island Food Stamp Program and 339 household participants were gathered from the RI Department of Human Services. The process of gathering participants was by sending an informative letter and then contacted by certified UC of Rhode Island Research Center interviewers to ask if they were willing to participate, as well as conduct a phone survey. About 97% of participants were female and aged around 31 years old. Spanish speakers were given Spanish surveys and since language use was being measured, they were less acculturated. Participant received $10 for grocery shopping as compensation. The survey questions asked and assessed the households' demographics, household income, food security, hunger status, food access and selection, child health satisfaction, behavioral concerns and target child in the home that was getting child care aid.  

            Results reported that there was a significant relationship between acculturation and food security. First, it was found that Spanish-speaking Hispanics were more prone to be food insecure with/without hunger, due to their socioeconomic disadvantage, than the other two groups. English speaking Hispanics were more food secured and Whites reported getting help from friends and family with accessing food. With food access and selection, all groups reported to buying fresh food, but Spanish speaking Hispanics tended to travel to further supermarkets and were more prone to buying fresh vegetables. With child health and outcomes, white households reported having children with learning and behavioral problems a lot more than the two Hispanic groups. Spanish speaking Hispanics were less satisfied with their target child's health and had many concerns about chronic illness due to income, access to health care and acculturation level.  

Bounmy Xiong

Bounmy Xiong-533 words

Soc 111

MW- 1PM

Food insecurity is an effect for many families today that have children and for those who don't have children. The price for food is rising and becoming more expensive today and sometimes it is hard to afford things at the grocery stores. Even though, there is government help such as SNAP, it is still on the rise for many families. During the recession, there was a limit for low-income individuals. Even though other race and ethnic minorities are supported by SNAP, it seems to be more represented by them because they are usually sometimes unemployed, and it would be a disadvantage for them if they did not have help from the government if they cannot financially support themselves. When comparing food insecurity to whites and other ethnic minorities, whites tend to have a lower percentage compare to them where the percentage was much higher. Food insecurity can have an effect on children such as having a delayed academic and cognitive development and they are more likely to have anxiety and aggression problems. The methods in this article is data from the current population survey (CPS) and food security supplement (FSS). The data used is three different time points and how it has changed throughout the years. FSS is used for a household observation that went on for two years and they would ask whether there was enough money to buy food for the house. The results to this article was that it was only limited to low-income housing and about 6.8% were below the federal poverty line. Even though food prices are going up, inflation is on the rise as well and as it continues to rise it will affect families. According the FGT, the low-income household that fell beyond the food secure threshold was considered to fall deeper into food insecurity.

            The next article talks about the contact hypothesis which is thought as an optimal circumstance. Racial and ethnic minorities are considered as an out of group choice when it comes to research. One of the deficiency talks about in-group and out-group and how back then research used to be face-to-face and for the out-group it was observations or conversations within family or relatives. An out-group would consider the homeless people because when they share with others they are automatically labeled, and they tend to suffer more due to their identity and will eventually face reject from people who consider themselves as a "normal" person. According to Goffman's notion of stigma, a person who is characterized as being in a stigmatized group are more likely to stereotype and feel less sympathetic towards homeless people. Exposure is split into four different categories and each category talk about the impression people have on homeless, media coverage, everyday life observation and meeting a homeless person. The methods in the article is data from a nation telephone survey. The primary issue is causal direction such as individuals who limit their exposure to avoid homeless people. Another one is avoidance and whether people change where they shop and if they have a negative attitude about it. The results of it showed that exposure plays a role in attitudes towards the homeless people regarding what the situation is.

Bounmy Xiong 

Khou Yang Soc 111 MW 1PM

Khou Yang, 519 words

Soc 111

MW 1PM

In the first article, it talks about how food insecurity has an effect on households with or without children. In the introduction, it starts off talking about how the price of food is rising and becoming more expensive. A program called SNAP helps those who are low-income family and many families are still struggling even with help. Back in the day, there was a limit for an individual. Food insecurity also makes an impact to different ethnic groups who is supported by SNAP. Ethnic groups tend to be the one who relies on SNAP because of unemployment or not being able to support themselves financially. Of course, whites tend to have a lower percentage for food insecurity since they are able to support themselves financially. Food insecurity can also have an effect on children as well such as the development as they grow up. The methods in this article is data from the current population survey (CPS) and Food Security Supplement (FSS). The data includes different time points and how it has changed throughout the years. FSS is used as a household observation for two years and ask questions about whether there is enough money to buy food for the house. Blacks with or without children is worse for food insecurity because they tend to struggle. According to FGT, the household that fell beyond the food secure threshold will fall deeper into food insecurity. The results show that about 6.8%-185% said that they were below the federal poverty line. Low-income household who had no children tend to have less food insecurity compared to those who have children. Due to the price of food rising, inflation goes up as well and eventually food insecurity occurs more.

            In the second article, it talks about the contact hypothesis and how it is thought as an optimal circumstance. Racial and ethnic minorities are considered as an out of group choice when it comes to research. One of the deficiency is in-group and out-group and how it used to be face-to-face and for out group it was observations or conversations within relatives or family. An out-group is the homeless people because they aren't able to share much with other people because they would be labeled and suffer more due to their identity. Once they are known as someone who lives on the streets, they will face rejection from people who considered themselves as "normal." Even if they try to share with others, the viewpoint of how others see it would be negative instead of positive. Those who are willing to help out will have a more positive mind towards them and try to do what they can to help them. According to Goffman's notion of stigma, someone who characterize them as a stigmatized group are likely to stereotype and are highly stigmatized. The methods in this article is a national telephone survey and it was one adult per household. Each adult was offered $10 if they did the survey. The results of this shows that exposure plays a role when a person runs into a homeless person and how they would handle the situation.

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Khou Yang

homelessness quiz resubmit

Jessica Helm, 457 words

            The two articles Relationship Among Respondent Ethnicity, Ethnic Identity, Acculturation, and Homeless Status on a Homeless Population's Functional Status and Revisiting the Contact Hypothesis: The Case of Public Exposure to Homelessness both examine aspects of homelessness. Including public opinion about homelessness and factors surrounding the homeless themselves. Impacts of homeless on society and the homeless' people themselves.

            The article Relationship Among Respondent Ethnicity, Ethnic Identity, Acculturation, and Homeless Status on a Homeless Population's Functional Status examines the correlation of ethnicity and the homeless' functional status. The study was conducted in Los Angeles county on 394 homeless, within those 394 participants more than one-third of them claimed to be on or use drugs at the time of the interview. This study used the Behavior and Symptom Identification Scale to measure functional impairment on the homeless, which they measured by the subscales: Relation to Self and Others, Depression–Anxiety, Daily Living Skills, Impulsive– Addictive Behavior, and Psychosis. The study found that White and African American did poorer than Native Americans and Latinos, on the BASIS subscales relation to self and others, depression-anxiety, and daily living skills. Another finding was that the degree of homelessness affects the depression-anxiety scale, in which people with acute homelessness showed higher signs than people who were chronically homeless.

            The contact hypothesis indicates that the amount of contact between the member's pf an in-group and an out-group can positively change the stereotypical attitudes towards the outside from the in-group which is examined in the article Revisiting the Contact Hypothesis: The Case of Public Exposure to Homelessness. The amount of time spent with a certain group can lower prejudice against said group. The study determined that overall exposure to homeless people affected people's opinions/views in a positive manner. Exposure also positively affected people's willingness to get involved and support policy about homelessness. They also found that the age of the participant, impacted the amount of sympathy towards the homeless, with older age comes a decrease in sympathy for the homeless. African Americans and Hispanics were less likely to hold empathy for the homeless. 

            Both articles touch on aspects of homelessness, however they deal with different areas and do not leave much for comparison. Nonetheless, the article Revisiting the Contact Hypothesis: The Case of Public Exposure to Homelessness could examine racial impacts of biased towards the homeless. When look at racism as impact or factor, you can possibly determine the personal threat level felt towards homeless in relation to race and ethnicity.  Relationship Among Respondent Ethnicity, Ethnic Identity, Acculturation, and Homeless Status on a Homeless Population's Functional Status hold criticism due to the fact that the participants were under the influence at the time on the interview, which could of possibly affect the outcome of the surveys.