Out of Sight, Out of Mind: The Problems with the Privileged Conception of Homelessness

When you walk by people camping out on the streets, do you stare dead ahead or do you look down? If you look down, what do you see? A person, or something lower; less autonomous, less intelligent, or less capable? The reality is that we’ve been taught how to “deal with” homeless people by the adults around us from a very young age: Do your best to avoid them whenever possible, and when you can’t, walk by without saying a word. This lack of engagement is the most blatant example of choosing to be ignorant and choosing to remain in your bubble of privilege. To combat institutionalized ignorance about the ordeal of homelessness, the first step is to recognize where this ignorance manifests in the subconscious.

An important idea to establish right off the bat about internalized systemic stigmas and stereotypes is that it’s fairer to say that as a collective and as individuals, we suffer from misogyny, as opposed to saying that we are misogynists. In trying to get rid of these harmful narratives that we’ve internalized, there is a phenomenon wherein you simultaneously understand that your impression of a certain group of people is based on stereotypes and generalizations, but you cannot help to think in this way. This is normal–it’s at the fault of nobody and everybody that a person internalizes false narratives, but attempting to break free from these narratives is something we can take into our own hands.

Anybody can be homeless. This is not a new idea by any standard. You could be laid off, you could be getting out of an abusive relationship, you could be kicked out by your parents, you could be a victim of a natural disaster, you could be a struggling immigrant– the list goes on. It is common that the idea of homeless paints one homogenous picture of who a homeless person is, with limited considerations about their desires, background, likes and dislikes, life goals, and personality. They are solely defined by the primal nature of their existence.

Two women living in a part of Los Angeles known as “Skid Row,” where there is a high disproportionate homeless population. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Instead of expressing empathy for these victims of systemic deprivation or learning about their distinct backgrounds and circumstances, we choose to simply walk by, both literally and metaphorically: It’s not as if people who are homeless encourage this apathy. Quite the contrary, but we tend to skip any videos people make on Instagram and TikTok asking for help for their situations because we decide that our attention can be best spent elsewhere, on something more lighthearted and digestible.

This is not the end-all-be-all, however. There are many simple things you can do to pay more attention, engage more and make people’s lives a little easier. Firstly, I always like to carry a coin purse somewhere accessible on my person when I walk in the city so it is inherently easier to give somebody a couple of dollars or so. Secondly, it helps to even just ask somebody how they are, or how their day has been. Most people who find themselves homeless are always looked down upon literally and metaphorically, it would be a nice change for people to learn that their opinions and experiences are valuable.