Life on streets is difficult, but free, says anthropologist

[Lite Beer]

Life on streets is difficult, but free, says anthropologist
Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Though many would look down on the homeless, for those living on the streets this way of life may be difficult but it comes with a kind of freedom, Thammasat University anthropologist Boonlert Visetprecha said.

Boonlert spent a while living with and learning from homeless people in Bangkok as part of his fieldwork several years ago, and then he spent 15 months - from January 2013 - living on the streets in Manila as part of his doctoral dissertation in anthropology for the University of Wisconsin.

There are about 3,000 homeless people in Bangkok but as many as 100,000 in Manila, Boonlert said in his presentation at Chulalongkorn University's faculty of political science yesterday. The event was organised by the university's Master of Arts in International Studies Programme.

While factors like slashed social welfare and state housing or beautification of urban areas pushing rental rates beyond the reach of the poor result in people becoming homeless in developed countries, in developing nations it is factors like underemployment, broken homes, weak social welfare and a rising jobless rate.

He said that while 7 per cent of the population in the Philippines are unemployed, as many as 20 per cent are underemployed.

With absurdly low wages - which could be less than Bt100 per day for uneducated people over the age of 40 - people find it difficult to cover their daily expenses and end up becoming homeless in Manila, Boonlert said. Former convicts also find it difficult to land a job and find themselves without a roof over their heads.

Despite the fact that some homeless people insist that living on the streets is a carefree existence, Boonlert noticed that most of them failed to recognise the structural violence that resulted from extreme inequality.

Boonlert said Thailand fared far better in terms of having a considerably smaller number of homeless people thanks to low unemployment rates. "In Thailand, things have to become very extreme for families to live on the streets."

He added that he was reluctant to propose that the government step in to help the homeless as the powers that be might use this as a tool to control these people. "I have tried to provide a space for them to speak."

He said that over the 15 months he spent sleeping rough on the streets of Manila, his motives were questioned, while some just thought he had lost all his money gambling.

"Homeless is a way of life for some," Boonlert concluded. "There's a sense of 'fun' in there, both in Thailand and the Philippines. They say life is difficult, but they are happy.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Life-on-streets-is-difficult-but-free-says-anthrop-30250294.html

-- The Nation 2014-12-20

[Kitsune]

It's a way to escape an ever more alienated life.

[HeijoshinCool]

All those years getting a PhD, and he still doesn't know that homeless people (typically) aren't homeless because of the economy, social welfare cutbacks, or beautification of urban areas pushing rental rates up (just move to a smaller town, lacking "beautification, and therefore having cheap rent).

No, the vast majority are homeless because:

they are mentally ill;

they are simply lazy and/or anti-social and don't like working;

they are the ongoing victims of human trafficking gangs;

they are actually, in their minds, happier living on the streets, without obligations.

But Dr. Boonlert will do well, go far even, in government bureaucracy, insuring he will never be homeless.

EDIT: spoolchicker

Edited December 19, 2014 by HeijoshinCool

[MAJIC]

A typical example,explain away that the people are lucky to have their freedom,in a warm climate,and so the Government don't need to help them!

What the Government is virtually saying is: we don't need to help them,because they are happier as they are! But has anyone asked the poor people???

[kaobang]

bullshoot of the week

[technologybytes]

Its a joke when someone says they "lived on the streets" for research purposes. There is no comparison between being there as an experiment whilst having a nice home to go back to, and being really homeless and destitute.

Whilst this kind of research may be useful, he can't imagine he knows how it feels to be homeless.

[yellowboat]

Use to see many homeless bed down at the Hua Lamphong railway station every night. The closest gas station served a as a place to get washed up. It seemed basic needs were met and those there seemed content.

[wwest5829]

All those years getting a PhD, and he still doesn't know that homeless people (typically) aren't homeless because of the economy, social welfare cutbacks, or beautification of urban areas pushing rental rates up (just move to a smaller town, lacking "beautification, and therefore having cheap rent).

No, the vast majority are homeless because:

they are mentally ill;

they are simply lazy and/or anti-social and don't like working;

they are the ongoing victims of human trafficking gangs;

they are actually, in their minds, happier living on the streets, without obligations.

But Dr. Boonlert will do well, go far even, in government bureaucracy, insuring he will never be homeless.

EDIT: spoolchicker

"Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?"...a Merry Christmas to all.

[worgeordie]

Stating the bleeding obvious,and he has a PhD.

regards Worgeordie

[Krataiboy]

All those years getting a PhD, and he still doesn't know that homeless people (typically) aren't homeless because of the economy, social welfare cutbacks, or beautification of urban areas pushing rental rates up (just move to a smaller town, lacking "beautification, and therefore having cheap rent).

No, the vast majority are homeless because:

they are mentally ill;

they are simply lazy and/or anti-social and don't like working;

they are the ongoing victims of human trafficking gangs;

they are actually, in their minds, happier living on the streets, without obligations.

But Dr. Boonlert will do well, go far even, in government bureaucracy, insuring he will never be homeless.

EDIT: spoolchicker

the vast majority are homeless because:

they are mentally ill;

they are simply lazy and/or anti-social and don't like working;

they are the ongoing victims of human trafficking gangs;

they are actually, in their minds, happier living on the streets, without obligations

Evidence?

[SiSePuede419]

When I was living in Cali, I went to a Unitarian church, one of the most liberal denominations of the Christian church in America.

They let a homeless man get up in the pulpit and educate everyone on what it's like to be homeless. He mentioned the same thing, "freedom".

Biologists have a theory about why humans surpass all other species in mental prowess. We think about the intentions of other humans. And as humans thought about the meaning of life, we became increasingly aware of our mortality.

To limit the fear of death, humans evolved the unique ability to deny reality, 555

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mind-reviews-denial/

[Bluespunk]

Yes.

The freedom to starve.

The freedom to have no access to health care.

The freedom to be beaten and exploited, knowing full well no one will help you.

The freedom to have nothing and no one and no hope of ever doing so.

I'll take the shackles of having a home, if it's all the same to you, mr Boonlert.

Edited December 20, 2014 by Bluespunk

[Bluespunk]

"Boonlert said Thailand fared far better in terms of having a considerably smaller number of homeless people thanks to low unemployment rates."

No mention of absurdly low rates of pay here then?

You mentioned them in your Philippines comparison.

[Gentmartin]

All those years getting a PhD, and he still doesn't know that homeless people (typically) aren't homeless because of the economy, social welfare cutbacks, or beautification of urban areas pushing rental rates up (just move to a smaller town, lacking "beautification, and therefore having cheap rent).

No, the vast majority are homeless because:

they are mentally ill;

they are simply lazy and/or anti-social and don't like working;

they are the ongoing victims of human trafficking gangs;

they are actually, in their minds, happier living on the streets, without obligations.

But Dr. Boonlert will do well, go far even, in government bureaucracy, insuring he will never be homeless.

EDIT: spoolchicker

Spoken like a true keyboard warrior who knows sweet FA about the subject on which he is writing. Try doing some research before you write your trivialising bombastic nonsense.......

Could you perhaps enlighten me as to which of your catagories these people fit into ??

[alantheembalmer]

'"Homeless is a way of life for some," Boonlert concluded. "There's a sense of 'fun' in there, both in Thailand and the Philippines. They say life is difficult, but they are happy.'

Well, Dr Boonlert, if it is such "fun" and they are "happy", why aren't we all aspiring to this way of life?

[jaltsc]

Its a joke when someone says they "lived on the streets" for research purposes. There is no comparison between being there as an experiment whilst having a nice home to go back to, and being really homeless and destitute.

Whilst this kind of research may be useful, he can't imagine he knows how it feels to be homeless.

First of all, the article did not refer to Booneirrt as "Dr." As a matter of respect, if he earned a Ph.D. he should be referred by the title he earned .

The article appears to be a synopsis of the research conducted. One would have to read his entire dissertation to understand what his original premise was, and if it was supported by the evidence, statistics collected, and his interpretation of his findings. I would tend to believe that the population he studied was a particular segment and his results cannot be generalized to the entire homeless population. What was his definition of living on the streets, or did the writer of the article embellish the real situation because he thought it would be of more interest to the readers to say he lived on the streets? I have reviewed a number of projects where the researcher's role was that of an observer, and most of their final conclusions were quite valid.

If Dr. Booniert received his Ph.D. from U. of Wisconsin, I am certain that his research was dissected by the review committee and he had to defend his dissertation. U of Wisconsin's anthropology department is very well respected in the field and they do not hand out Ph.Ds unless they are earned. Being familiar with the fields of cultural anthropology, prehistory, biological and linguistic anthropology, I have to admit that they/us are extremely anal when it comes to statistical proof. So, in conclusion (for those of you who haven't fallen asleep yet) I see no academic purpose of printing Dr. Booniert's research on a pop site. If his research has any true validity, it would have been published in a respected professional journal. Which, by the way, reading the first few paragraphs would cure insomnia in anyone who is not deeply interested in the field and doesn't have much of a life. One more reason to retire to Thailand and leave all that crap behind.

[BSJ]

I don't know any homeless people so I can't comment on their happiness. But I am guessing sleeping rough on the streets isn't conducive to happiness.

So I am calling out Boonlert......its BS mate, pure BS.

[Johnnie99]

Hey Brains, really?

A Thai 'academic' gets paid to state what we already know?

Bravo Thai universities!

Am I allowed to say what tossers they can be?

[Johnnie99]

Yes.

The freedom to starve.

The freedom to have no access to health care.

The freedom to be beaten and exploited, knowing full well no one will help you.

The freedom to have nothing and no one and no hope of ever doing so.

I'll take the shackles of having a home, if it's all the same to you, mr Boonlert.

You seem to miss the point that as so many Thais are Buddhist, they will, without doubt, feel bound by the precepts of Buddhism to take care of these homeless people almost as if they were family.

[sparkey]

I'm kind of got an image in my head of a line of homeless people all out on the street with their begging bowls

Amputees

Single mothers with kid

Old people

Kids

Etc

And then someone "please help me trying to complete a doctorate"

Ummm

[Noi657]

Hey mate... Here's a 10 million baht house and a Ferrari! Nah... <deleted> that I like my freedom!

[Lupatria]

Couldn't the guy find something useful in the huge field of social science for his doctorate? This kind of 'research' is like a healthy person is spending time in the death chamber of cancer patients to get a first hand 'experience' what its like to die...

[SiSePuede419]

Jesus himself said that he was homeless (Matthew 25:35).

But I think he was just trying to evade taxes and probably had a nice concrete mansion in Phuket...

[JOC]

I don't know any homeless people so I can't comment on their happiness. But I am guessing sleeping rough on the streets isn't conducive to happiness.

So I am calling out Boonlert......its BS mate, pure BS.

"I don't know any homeless people"

A still you feel the urge to share your wisdom with us!!

Boonlert slept rough with homeless people for 15 months. Respect!!

So I am calling out BSJ...........its bs mate, pure bs.

[Morakot]

All those years getting a PhD, and he still doesn't know that homeless people (typically) aren't homeless because of the economy, social welfare cutbacks, or beautification of urban areas pushing rental rates up (just move to a smaller town, lacking "beautification, and therefore having cheap rent).

No, the vast majority are homeless because:

they are mentally ill;

they are simply lazy and/or anti-social and don't like working;

they are the ongoing victims of human trafficking gangs;

they are actually, in their minds, happier living on the streets, without obligations.

But Dr. Boonlert will do well, go far even, in government bureaucracy, insuring he will never be homeless.

EDIT: spoolchicker

the vast majority are homeless because:

they are mentally ill;

they are simply lazy and/or anti-social and don't like working;

they are the ongoing victims of human trafficking gangs;

they are actually, in their minds, happier living on the streets, without obligations

Evidence?

HC is simply confused about cause and effect. Yes there is evidence that a disproportioned number of homeless are mentally ill. Most research indicates that homelessness aggravates existing conditions and may even cause mental ill health.

[FangFerang]

All those years getting a PhD, and he still doesn't know that homeless people (typically) aren't homeless because of the economy, social welfare cutbacks, or beautification of urban areas pushing rental rates up (just move to a smaller town, lacking "beautification, and therefore having cheap rent).

No, the vast majority are homeless because:

they are mentally ill;

they are simply lazy and/or anti-social and don't like working;

they are the ongoing victims of human trafficking gangs;

they are actually, in their minds, happier living on the streets, without obligations.

But Dr. Boonlert will do well, go far even, in government bureaucracy, insuring he will never be homeless.

EDIT: spoolchicker

Spoken like a true keyboard warrior who knows sweet FA about the subject on which he is writing. Try doing some research before you write your trivialising bombastic nonsense.......

Could you perhaps enlighten me as to which of your catagories these people fit into ??

Well said, Gentmartin. I think these people fit into the category of human beings, and as such merit my compassion. You did inspire me with an idea, though. I think I will cook a dozen kilos of rice, bag it, and give it to homeless people here in Ubon Christmas day. Thanks

[anon022]

When I was living in Cali, I went to a Unitarian church, one of the most liberal denominations of the Christian church in America.

They let a homeless man get up in the pulpit and educate everyone on what it's like to be homeless. He mentioned the same thing, "freedom".

Biologists have a theory about why humans surpass all other species in mental prowess. We think about the intentions of other humans. And as humans thought about the meaning of life, we became increasingly aware of our mortality.

To limit the fear of death, humans evolved the unique ability to deny reality, 555

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mind-reviews-denial/

Yes, it's a defense mechanism, to ward of upsetting realities, to prevent shock, insanity or despair.

[Gentmartin]

All those years getting a PhD, and he still doesn't know that homeless people (typically) aren't homeless because of the economy, social welfare cutbacks, or beautification of urban areas pushing rental rates up (just move to a smaller town, lacking "beautification, and therefore having cheap rent).

No, the vast majority are homeless because:

they are mentally ill;

they are simply lazy and/or anti-social and don't like working;

they are the ongoing victims of human trafficking gangs;

they are actually, in their minds, happier living on the streets, without obligations.

But Dr. Boonlert will do well, go far even, in government bureaucracy, insuring he will never be homeless.

EDIT: spoolchicker

Spoken like a true keyboard warrior who knows sweet FA about the subject on which he is writing. Try doing some research before you write your trivialising bombastic nonsense.......

Could you perhaps enlighten me as to which of your catagories these people fit into ??

Well said, Gentmartin. I think these people fit into the category of human beings, and as such merit my compassion. You did inspire me with an idea, though. I think I will cook a dozen kilos of rice, bag it, and give it to homeless people here in Ubon Christmas day. Thanks

What a great idea :-) and to carry it on, I will do the same in Rangsit. Doesn't seem to be a huge population of rough sleepers here but i know where there a few . Thank you too. Hope you and your loved ones have a great Christmas and New Year :-)

[greenchair]

Hey Brains, really?

A Thai 'academic' gets paid to state what we already know?

Bravo Thai universities!

Am I allowed to say what tossers they can be?

Many posters here criticising the doctor, who lived on the streets himself to better understand their plight.

Not one of you posters have knowledge of what you are talking about, as you have never been there. I did have the need when I was younger to be on the streets. I was very happy. For some reason I did not want to follow the chains of society. For me, my time on the streets is not something I look back on with sadness. When I was ready I rejoined society. Good on the doctor for experiencing real life, rather than talking through a hole in his. ...

[ggt]

There are almost 8000 people living on the streets of Washington DC...