Introduction
Homelessness is one of the most serious social problems today. People face life circumstances where they cannot meet their basic needs, such as having a safe place to live. The causes of homelessness may differ, but this does not diminish the need to draw public attention to this issue and find practical solutions.
Thilde Jensen’s photographs aim to highlight the fundamental issue of homelessness prevalent in America. These are portraits of individuals facing dire life circumstances that impact their health. Although hundreds of people live on the streets, society has become accustomed to ignoring this issue (Warner).
Therefore, the series of photographs by Jensen is critical to understanding the problem. Alcohol and substance abuse and mental health disorders, which are common among homeless people, are not problems of individuals but a critical social issue that undermines public safety. Awareness of major social issues, such as poverty and lack of affordable housing, and policy changes are needed to address homelessness effectively. Therefore, this paper focuses on the main aspects of homelessness that Jensen touches on in the photo.
Mental Illness and Disability
One of the significant problems of homelessness that a photograph can convey is the fairly common mental health issues. This problem has a significant impact on people experiencing homelessness and society, creating risks for the community’s safety. Often, homeless people have problems with aggression or schizophrenia, which is a severe challenge to society. The presence of mental disorders and their life circumstances leads to the vulnerability of this population (State of Homelessness, para 8). Moreover, these issues can be both a cause and a consequence of this lifestyle. However, this does not change the fact that homeless people are in urgent need of specialized help.
The man in the photo by Jensen may appear aggressive, but his gaze is also empty and distant. A man’s open mouth might express hostility and a desire to protect himself and his property. However, his property is of little interest to other people, being just a pile of rubbish. Therefore, it can be assumed that his living conditions significantly affect his emotional and mental state, leading to severe disorders. People living on the street usually experience cognitive and behavioral changes and have a personal value system (State of Homelessness). Because of this, they may experience mental states that can be dangerous to themselves and others.
The background of the photograph resembles a desert, which may highlight the social isolation and public indifference to the people experiencing homelessness. The photographer notes that society is accustomed to not noticing such individuals and the problems they face (Thilde Jensen: I am Not Invisible). As a result, topics related to homelessness do not receive the attention they deserve and the necessary response and action to address them. The photo highlights this problem and demonstrates how a lack of proper public attention to the issue exacerbates the condition of people.
Isolation of people experiencing homelessness from society is one of the catalysts for mental disorders. The living conditions of the man in the photograph, characterized by a lack of regular food and clothing that fail to meet the basic needs of any person, significantly affect his psyche (Jensen). In addition, homelessness is associated with stress and constant danger to life, increasing mental issues.
However, it is not uncommon for mental disorders to cause homelessness. People might lose their jobs, social connections, and financial independence, leading them to live on the streets (State of Homelessness). Unfortunately, the man’s history and past life circumstances are unknown from the photograph. However, this image highlights the hidden difficulties of people experiencing homelessness that may not be obvious at first glance.
The problem of the mental health of homeless people is of great importance to society. According to Giano et al. (2020), mental disorders are among the most common predictors of homelessness for people of different ages, genders, and socioeconomic statuses. This means that without receiving timely help, an increasing number of people will end up homeless. Such issues hurt homeless people’s quality of life and their chances of recovery.
Mental disorders increase the vulnerability of homeless people, created by their lives on the streets. This results in such individuals often becoming victims of violence or murder, and often participating in illegal activities. Therefore, the mental problems demonstrated in the photograph are critical for people experiencing homelessness.
Substance Abuse Addictions
One of the leading associations with homelessness is drug and alcohol abuse. Homeless people are more likely to have substance addictions than those who have not encountered this social problem. Moreover, according to American Addiction Centers, most abuse results from homelessness, not a cause (Mosel para 3). Alcohol and psychotropic substances are common ways of coping with stress and avoiding reality. The documentary photograph by Jensen provides a visual of how a person with substance abuse and addiction disorders can wind up homeless.
The man in the photograph seems to be dealing with a substance addiction. She managed to capture that dead stare you see in those with addictions. Some people without housing can have addictions to drugs or alcohol. When I see the face of the man in the photo and the dead expression on his face, it tells me a story of a man who could be addicted to drugs or alcohol. Addictions can push people to not care about their surroundings, or, like the man in the photograph, they do not care if they are sitting in a pile of garbage. Moreover, the man is surrounded by empty bottles, which may be an allusion to his alcohol addiction.
In addition, substance abuse significantly changes people’s behavior and physiology. Pederson notes that addicted people can be aggressive and a threat to the safety of others (para 18). The personality changes that addiction leads to can be irreparable, eliminating the possibility of curing the person and reintegrating him into society. They do not conform to social norms and have a distorted value system, which is why they often fail to realize the consequences of their actions. The chaos in which the objects in the photograph are located may emphasize this disturbed state. Moreover, the pile of garbage in which the man sits resembles a circle, which may symbolize the cyclical nature of their problems and the inability to cope with them on their own.
The lack of stability and a way of coping with the pressure of homelessness can push many people to begin abusing alcohol or drugs. The desire to escape the reality they have to face is a relatively common cause of addiction. People experiencing homelessness may turn to drugs and alcohol to cope and find temporary relief. When people develop mental disorders, they have a more challenging time finding work and are less likely to find a way out of homelessness.
Substance abuse among people without homes does not discriminate by gender or age. Among them, you see women, men, and even teens. Many parents do not see the signs in their teens until it is out of control, and they become part of the people experiencing homelessness.
There is a strong connection between homelessness and addiction. Some research shows that “around 1/3 of people who are homeless have problems with alcohol and/or drugs, and around 2/3 of these people have lifetime histories of drug or alcohol use disorders” (Mosel para 10). The prevalence of this problem necessitates understanding. It leads to overdoses and increased mortality among homeless people. Moreover, it limits opportunities for social rehabilitation for people experiencing homelessness.
Poverty and Lack of Affordable Housing
Understanding the causes of homelessness is crucial to effectively helping these individuals. Poverty and the lack of affordable housing often lead to people ending up on the streets (State of Homelessness). The lack of sufficient jobs and low wages means that people do not have enough financial resources to meet their basic needs. Finding themselves on the streets, people still lack access to regular food, which is why they are forced to beg and seek any opportunities to satisfy these needs.
The pile of garbage, the only visible property in the photo, highlights the problem of poverty. He has no property or minimum means of subsistence, so he is forced to rummage through trash cans for food or clothing. Moreover, visible among the pile are clothes, carpet, toilet paper, and leftover food, which are everyday items in people’s homes. The man in the photo does not have a home, so all his belongings are scattered around him.
There is a clear relationship between poverty and lack of affordable housing. People cannot afford to buy and maintain their own homes and lack the means to pay rent. The photographer herself notes that homelessness is “the social cost of the American capitalistic system valuing profit over human welfare” (Pritchard para 2). From this perspective, homelessness as a phenomenon looks pretty natural, as the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Finally, once people cross the poverty line, they have no other option but to be homeless.
The issue of poverty and lack of affordable housing is significant to society. The continuation of the capitalist system that Jensen talks about could result in more and more people becoming homeless. It sharpens the problem of social inequality, making it critically important to address urgently.
While other people can afford to buy new clothes or household items, the man in the photo is forced to use cast-offs and leftovers. He wears different socks because, for him, they are a necessity for survival, not just a form of clothing. Therefore, the photograph highlights the importance of creating affordable housing, providing employment assistance, ensuring access to education, and offering security guarantees for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Personal Hardship
Personal hardship faced by people experiencing homelessness is a severe problem that is difficult to understand. The social isolation of such individuals leads society not to realize the scale of the issue. Trying to appreciate the personal difficulties the man faces in the photograph involves understanding what caused his situation and its outcomes. The results are easy to evaluate since they are visually confirmed. He leads a reclusive lifestyle, wears cast-offs, likely has significant mental and physical health issues, and might abuse substances (Jensen).
The background of the photograph is empty, just as the background of the man is unknown to the audience. Jensen notes that most homeless people she met “had life stories so full of trauma and neglect” (Thilde Jensen: I am Not Invisible para 5). Unfortunately, the photo does not provide information about his education, past employment, or family. However, the photographer draws societal attention to the current challenges faced by this man and other homeless people.
Personal hardship related to homelessness varies from person to person and may include job loss, mental illness, substance abuse, and other factors. One of the main challenges to understanding these difficulties is that individuals experiencing homelessness rarely seek help or share personal information (State of Homelessness). It creates difficulties in addressing homelessness due to a lack of understanding of its causes in each case. People may end up on the street under the influence of external circumstances, such as being fired, or see it as a way out of personal problems, such as mental illness or violence (State of Homelessness). However, all homeless people experience stress and live under constant threat to their well-being and safety.
Understanding the personal hardship of people experiencing homelessness is challenging but critical. Firstly, it concerns social equality and the value of human life. Second, these challenges may impact the long-term solution to homelessness. Homeless people experience “constant harassment from cops, business owners, kids, or drunks throwing rocks or lighting them on fire as they sleep” (Thilde Jensen: I am Not Invisible para 5). They become victims of sexual violence and cruelty due to their vulnerability and lack of social protection and guarantees. All elements of the photograph highlight the difficulty of the man’s current life circumstances.
Conclusion
Jensen’s photography conveys the difficulties and problems that homeless people face. The image conveys the feeling of external isolation and internal chaos that characterize the life of a man. Poverty, criminalization, and substance abuse are just the obvious issues, behind which lie mental illness and personal hardship. Moreover, the photographer highlights how government and community inaction exacerbates homelessness. It makes it almost impossible to solve this problem, but it increases the likelihood of its recurrence in the future.
Works Cited
Giano, Z., Williams, A., Hankey, C., Merrill, R., Lisnic, R., & Herring, A. (2020). Forty years of research on predictors of homelessness. Community Mental Health Journal, 56, 692–709.
Jensen, Thilde. “The Unwanted.” Thilde Jensen.
Mosel, Stacy. “Substance Abuse and Homelessness: Statistics and Rehab Treatment.” American Addiction Centres, 2023.
Pederson, Traci. “What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Substance Use Disorder?” PsychCentral, 2021.
Pritchard, Owen. “The Unwanted: Thilde Jensen’s portrait of homelessness in America.” It’s Nice That, 2016.
“State of Homelessness: 2023 Edition.” National Alliance to End Homelessness.
“Thilde Jensen: I am Not Invisible.” Exibart Street.
Warner, Marigold. “The Unwanted: Homeless in America.” British Journal of Photography, 2019.