At Home on the Street: People, Poverty, and a Hidden Culture of Homelessness

by Jason Adam Wasserman, Jeffrey Michael Clair

In their compelling examination of what it means to be truly at home on the street, Jason Wasserman and Jeffrey Clair argue that programs and policies addressing homeless people too often serve only to alienate them. Wasserman and Clair delve into the complex realities of homelessness to paint a gripping picture of individuals - not cases or pathologies - living on the street and of their strategies for daily survival. By exploring the private spaces that those who are homeless create for themselves, as well as their prevailing social mores, the authors explain how well-intentioned policies and programs often only widen the gap between the indigent and mainstream society. The result is an unvarnished look at the culture of long-term homelessness and a fresh approach to reaching this resurgent population. In their compelling examination of what it means to be truly at home on the street, the authors argue that programs and policies designed to assist homeless people too often serve only to alienate them.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sociology, American

252 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 2009

Reviews

[Goatllama]

Great little primer, both for an introduction to the paradigm of homelessness and for alternate ways of addressing it. Sometimes a tad repetitive, but having something continuously waved in your face will make you remember it, so I don't know if I can *really* call this a problem. Not too long to be intimidating but packed with info that's easily digested by a layman to sociology (that's me!). Highly recommended.

4.5/5 only because I think it could have used maybe one more editing pass.

[Damien Roberts]

I had to read this for a sociology course with a focus on poverty. Another book I had to read was "Nickel and Dimed". This one, in my opinion, captures the struggles of poverty in a much stronger way than Barbara Ehrenreich's attempt did. It wasn't perfect, as in almost any case study there are easily disputable points, but I thought it was a very strong glimpse into the struggles so many marginalized American's go through.

[Pops]

An insightful academic work. It's a good resource for anyone looking for an analysis of the state of public approaches to homelessness.

[Mills College Library]

362.50973 W322 2010

[Victoria]

Starts out strong, so far has somewhat lost my interest...but perhaps will get better.

[Michael Murphy]

Lent valuable insight into what it means to be street homeless, yet left me wanting for solutions.