McKenzie Boyle
Seattle Looks Like S**t: Examining the Discourse on Homelessness in Seattle
Mentor: Dr. André Lambelet
| How do popular discourses about homeless people influence our thinking? A close examination of discourse about homelessness provides insight into how problems of social inequality and social exclusion are manifested, lived, and amplified in everyday acts and interactions. By way of media, within politics, and everyday talk about homelessness, power is enacted, reproduced, and legitimized through discourses that dictate what we “know.” Here, I discuss the implications of the conflation of homeless people with trash in Seattle, show how it legitimizes the exclusion of homeless people from public space, and ultimately limits our ability to address homelessness effectively and compassionately. |
