Johns Hopkins University
Public Health Studies: AS.280.224
Health, Homelessness, and Social Justice
Summer II – June 27 - July 29, 2016
Facilitator: Adam Schneider Time: T, Th, F – 5:30pm-8:00pm
Room: TBD
410/215-8319 (cell) Office Hours: T, Th, F – 8:00pm
and by appointment
Health, Homelessness, and Social Justice
Homelessness is bad for one’s health, and its existence, persistence, and growth demonstrate deep policy failures and social ills. This course examines issues fundamental to the modern phenomena of homelessness in the U.S. – and the connection between disparate health and desperate inequality. Noting this connection, Dr. King reminds us that there are ethical values and dimensions to the decisions we make about health policy – and public policy generally. Equality and justice are among the values that we might prioritize – both individually and collectively – as we develop and assess programs, policies, and systems. But there are others: life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, community, democracy, human rights, and human flourishing. In this course, we will consider these and other values together with issues of health and homelessness. We will also examine tools of policy analysis and political action, and how those committed to changing the world can use those tools to engage that system critically. Through examination of specific policy issues related to health and homelessness, concomitantly we will examine methods for addressing the immediate health needs of people who lack housing, as well as strategies for changing the social structures responsible for creating homelessness – thus creating a world consistent with our values.
We will draw upon the diverse experiences of classmates, health care providers, advocates, and community members – both with and without housing – to inform and enrich our learning. Through readings, presentations, discussions, and experiential learning with Baltimore as our “laboratory”, we will understand the causes and experiences of homelessness, the connections between health and housing status, and how we can more effectively create the change we wish to see in the world.
Format of the Course
If effective, the course will not only deepen our understanding of health and homelessness in the context of values important to us, but also prepare us for action on issues that trouble us. Accounts of social justice seem to involve (1) a set of social values (e.g., liberty, equality), (2) which are translated into particular objectives (e.g., increasing self-determination, reducing disparity) that ultimately aim for social change, and (3) which are enacted through particular political strategies (e.g., a campaign for health care as a human right) and policies (e.g., establishing a system of universal health care). We will seek to integrate in our discussions each of these aspects of social justice and its relationship to issues of homelessness and health – seeing how values important to us can guide us in our assessments of ends and means.
Each session will have a collection of core readings, for which everyone is responsible. (Typically, the core readings are between 50 and 150 pages, depending on the amount of time between class meetings – more pages for Tuesdays, fewer for Fridays, and somewhere in between for Thursdays.) The core readings provide a set of shared experiences that will supplement the unique experiences that each of us bring to the class. (The readings are subject to change based on the interests and learning of the class; I encourage class members to suggest additional – or alternative – topics and readings.) I will also provide numerous supplemental readings, which provides opportunities for additional learning on topics of particular interest.
The course format will be seminar, not lecture. Learning is an active, not a passive, process; each will benefit from the participation of all. Attending class, engaging in class and group discussions, and reading and reflecting upon texts will generate the best results. Members of the class will be expected to prepare for and participate in class discussions and will be responsible for individual and group work.
Throughout the course we will be joined by community members – both housed and homeless – who are working to advance social justice (whatever it is – or whatever they believe it to be) on issues of health and homelessness through direct service and advocacy.
Praxis and Dialectic
Effective engagement with the world requires the ability to formulate critical questions about one's experiences; to recognize the “silences” in the information provided and identify the information needed to solve a problem; to make keen observations of behavior and events; to process and analyze data in order to make effective decisions and chart a course of action; to act; and to evaluate one’s action. These are all part of the process of critical thinking.
Critical thinking demands that each individual take a mentally active stance towards one's intellectual and experiential tasks. In that sense we are all continuous learners. We are all expected to engage intellectually with the course reading; to attend classes and participate actively in class discussions, exercises, and projects; to question and analyze our own and others’ assumptions and viewpoints; to take initiative in all aspects of the progress of the course.
Everyone must complete class readings and be prepared to engage actively in class discussions. To this end, each member of class should prepare three questions or reflections on the readings for each session, which will be used to inform the class discussion. My aim is not to punish someone who, for reasons beyond their control, misses a class; however, given the emphasis on active learning in class discussion and interaction, it is essential for everyone to do their part.
It’s important to me to get on-going feedback from you about how well we’re achieving my – and your – goals for the course. Much of this feedback will come through our regular interactions, but if you’d like to provide me with feedback, criticism, or suggestions anonymously, you can send me an email from the following email account: . Password: philosophy.
Goals of the Course
We each have our own goals that we bring to this course, which we will discuss in the first class meeting. In addition, I hope we will try throughout the course to develop in each of us, from wherever our starting point is, the ability to…
· Understand of the implications of some prominent social values on issues related to contemporary homelessness – as well as the power of rigorous philosophical analysis to inform decision-making about both means and ends in the struggle to change the world;
· Articulate and critique well our own perspectives and commitments;
· Comprehend the dialectic between social policies and human well-being – as well as the social, economic, and political context of health and the modern phenomena of homelessness;
· Articulate the causes and consequences of homelessness from multiple perspectives, including the perspectives of people experiencing homelessness;
· Describe the myriad of health needs and service options related to the heterogeneous homeless population;
· Understand public policy processes in the United States and tools of policy analysis and political action;
· Analyze the implications of contemporary social policies for the attainment of social change – in particular, the impact of local, state, and federal policies on issues of poverty, housing, and health with special focus on homeless populations;
· Propose solutions to reduce the incidence and burdens of homelessness.
· Engage effectively with others – including and in particular those who are economically oppressed, politically excluded, and socially marginalized – in the public policy process to bring about social change.
Our goals are not merely pedagogical; they are also political. We want to develop both a deeper understanding of the issues and our ability to act effectively to address them. Ultimately, our goal is not merely to understand the world; it’s to change it.
In subsequent pages you will find a draft outline of the course. It is intended to guide – but will not be permitted to restrict – our discussion, thinking, and learning. It is open to change based on the interests of the class, and will be amended as needed to promote effective learning and action.
Outline of the Course
Blackboard and email will be used to provide and update reading assignments, provide online resources, and communicate changes to the course schedule. Although numerous books will be recommended, you are not required to purchase any texts for this course. All required readings and other materials will be made available electronically on our course Blackboard site or by email.
Session 1 (Tuesday, June 28): A Small Group of Thoughtful and Committed People
Noted cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead tells us “never [to] doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” What led each of us to join this small group that’s interested in changing the world? What issues do we most want to affect? What values do we bring to the discussion that inspire and inform our visions of what ought to be?
Session 2 (Thursday, June 30): Who Is Homeless? The Power of Defining Problems – and Solutions
How is the problem of homelessness defined? Who defines the experience and extent of homelessness? Could the problem of homelessness be defined differently? How would the solution(s) to homelessness differ if the problem was defined differently? Who benefits from the current definition of the problem – and solutions?
Session 3 (Friday, July 1): Liberty and Justice for All?
We are taught to believe in liberty and justice for all – and that these values are upheld by the United States. What sorts of liberty are most important if we seek to promote individual well-being and social justice? How does social policy – and, in particular, social policy related to health care, housing, and poverty – promote or restrict such liberty?
**SPECIAL READING FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY**
· Frederick Douglass, “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro.” July 5, 1852. Available at http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/douglassjuly4.html.
Session 4 (Tuesday, July 5): Disparate Health and Desperate Inequality
What sort of equality is important as we consider issues of health, homelessness, and social justice? How are we to measure inequality? Under what circumstances, if any, is inequality justified? What impact does desperate inequality have on the health of individuals and communities?
Session 5 (Thursday, July 7): Community and Individual Well-Being
We all live in numerous communities. What sort of dialectical relationships exist between community and individual well-being – e.g., how does where you live impact on your health? How does community weigh against values that prioritize the individual? Can we measure individual well-being and how can we use it in policy decisions related to health and housing?
Session 6 (Friday, July 8): Democracy in Practice
Democracy is celebrated as a fundamental value in the United States – and much of the Western world. How are democratic principles upheld in policies and programs designed to address issues of health and homelessness? In what ways are they lacking? How might they be promoted more effectively?
**Paper: Identifying an Issue
Session 7 (Tuesday, July 12): Homelessness and the Housing Question
Homelessness is poverty without a key. To what extent has housing policy created the modern phenomena of homelessness – and how can changes in housing policy be used to end homelessness? What ought to be the primary purpose or value of housing? What purpose is prioritized in our current political economy?
Session 8 (Thursday, July 14): Public Policy & Political Analysis
What is public policy? What is the public policy system? Before engaging the system, how do we translate our desire for social justice into concrete policy ideas and initiatives?
Session 9 (Friday, July 15): Baltimore: A Walking Tour of History and Experiences of Homelessness
How have political power and public policy in Baltimore City created and exacerbated the phenomena of homelessness? How public officials, service providers, and advocates responded to homelessness at the individual and systemic level? How do we go from a personal commitment to social justice to political engagement? What opportunities and challenges does the existing system offer for engagement?
**Paper: Articulating Your Values
Session 10 (Tuesday, July 19): Methods of Activism
What strategies and tactics are most likely to be effective in bringing about the outcomes we desire? How should we work with like-minded others – in particular, those who are economically oppressed, politically excluded, and socially marginalized – to achieve our goals?
Sessions 11, 12, 13: Topicals
These sessions will be dedicated to discussion the intersection of social problems and social values that are important to members of the class – as well as the context of public policy and social action in which they take place.
Session 14 (Thursday, July 28): Ending Homelessness
In recent years, localities, states and the federal government have developed plans to end homelessness. What processes are used to create such plans – and how are they effectively implemented? Can we end homelessness – and the related health problems – without addressing poverty and/or the lack of affordable housing for low income households? How are organizations working to address these issues?
Session 15 (Friday, July 29): Wrap Up
Where have we been – and where do we go from here?
**Paper: Social Issues, Social Values, and Social Action
**Paper: Personal Reflection
Course Readings
For each session, there will be a list of core readings, which will be made available electronically on our course Blackboard site, or by email. Although you are not required to purchase any texts for the course, I will be happy to recommend texts – and to accept your recommendations for texts – on issues related to the course. Two good recent texts on the political economy and public policy that create homelessness are
Willse, C. (2015). The value of homelessness: managing surplus life in the United States. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
Wagner, D. (2012). Confronting homelessness: poverty, politics, and the failure of social policy. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner.
I will be happy to order copies of these (or other) books through a local bookstore.
Other Media: Our work occurs within a broader societal context. As such, it is important to follow – and we will dedicate time each meeting to discussion of – relevant current events. The New York Times (www.nytimes.com) and Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) have good right-of-center coverage of national and state policy and politics. Good left-of-center coverage is available at www.portside.org. You can also listen to Amy Goodman’s “Democracy Now” (available at www.democracynow.org), and there are many quality center-right programs on NPR (e.g., “All Things Considered” and “The Diane Rehm Show”). The Baltimore Sun (www.baltimoresun.com) Baltimore Brew (www.baltimorebrew.com/), and The Marc Steiner Show on WEAA Radio (88.9FM) are among the best places to follow state and local issues.