Neoliberal Governance and Hegemony

Why is homelessness considered a normal part of our society? Why have many people learned to comply with social inequality? Why is providing housing to poor people seen as increasing their dependence on the government and decreasing their drive to become self-reliant individuals able to compete in the global market?  Why in  America  today families make too much money to qualify for federal assistance but not enough to pay their bills? Its important to look at the systemic oppression that has perpetuated throughout American history. It is no mystery that the same stereotypes of the deviant homeless are repeated each decade.   The US can be currently characterized by issues of systemic inequalities such as increasing class exploitation economic restructuring and declining relatives wages. Racial injustice, unequal educational opportunities, and gendered inequality are components of homelessness.Racial injustice, unequal educational opportunities, and gendered inequality are components of homelessnses. Recent American history demonstrates that people who speak out and politically resist social inequalities risk being punished and putting their economic position in jeopardy. We live in a system where people are afraid to put themselves at risk of loosing any of their relative privilege.  Lyon -Callo hypothesizes that the hegemony of deviant homeless establishes “naturalness” of current economic and social relations to prevent homeless people and shelter staff from challenging structural inequality which creates homelessness.  He argues Neoliberal governance creates common sense through its hegemony  of compliance with the conditions creating homelessness. He argues, Neoliberal development of government institutions, trained experts, and professional reformers like social workers, urban planners, teachers, health services and police are created to “manage” and “regulate” the lives of the poor in the interest of normalizing them. Therefore he explains that practices intended to resolve homelessness contribute to its maintenance. As students what can we do to challenge the system, “common sense” and systemic social inequality? I want to become a social worker who does not participate and contribute to the maintanance of  this oppression.  Currently, while working  at a homeless youth shelter, I want to participate in Lyon-Callo’s discourse and observe any social inequality that may be unconsciously perpetuated. I want to be an activist in bringing this discourse to light, educate others and participate in a non-profit organization which counters this social inequality.

Callo, Vincent. Inequality, Poverty, and Neoliberal Governance: Activist Ethnography in the Homeless Sheltering Industry. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview Press, 2004. Print.