Describes the need to broaden the civil rights agenda to deal more effectively with issues faced by the Hispanic community. Discusses the need for a continuing governmental role in addressing urban problems. (MW)

The multifunctional aspects of the modern metropolis predetermine that the diverse elements of the population must be considered in planning schemes. The anthropologist, the planner, and the social scientist may no longer view the city from their quite different perspectives. (JB)

Although racial discrimination contributes to increasing urban social dislocation, problems such as massive joblessness, the influx of migrants to cities, and demographic shifts underlie the current crisis. Change will only come about through public policies that benefit all the poor, not just poor minorities. (Author/GC)

Homelessness affects people of all backgrounds, races, and religions. Whether the number of homeless people is 300,000 or 3 million, as some estimates claim, there are too many people in America who struggle to find shelter daily, making homelessness one of the most serious problems facing the nation today. This discussion, designed for the…

Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association on Mental Deficiency (92nd, Boston, 1968).

Critically examines several perspectives from which the underclass is viewed and identifies policy prescriptions related to them. Conflicting perspectives correspond to assumptions about human nature characterized by Thomas Sowell as "constrained" and "unconstrained." Argues for an expanded federal role in helping the poor through employment…

The Aspen Domestic Strategy Group exists to encourage a search for common ground on the nation's social challenges by bringing together leaders of diverse views and backgrounds. It is not expected to produce legislative proposals but rather a continuing conversation to shape a more coherent approach to domestic needs. (SLD)

Books in the Opposing Viewpoints Series present debates about current issues that can be used to teach critical reading and thinking skills. The varied opinions in each collection explore aspects of a social, cultural, or political issue. A great deal of money has been spent in this country to eradicate poverty, but the problem remains. Some…

The urban Black underclass can be traced to the sharecropper South of a generation ago. The propagation of underclass culture has been hastened by an exodus of working class Blacks from the ghettos. Interviews with urban and rural Blacks help identify the problems of the underclass. (Author)

The problems that now seem overbearing in the ghettos--out of wedlock childbearing, unemployment, crime, poor educational achievement--have existed in the ghettos for more than half a century. Anecdotal material from a Chicago project highlight these conditions. Federal efforts must focus on helping individuals to escape. (Author)

Discusses areas of disagreement between the Institute of Medicine's report, "Homelessness, Health and Human Needs," and the controversial supplementary statement, "Health Care for the Homeless," issued separately by 10 of the authors. (FMW)

The negative effects of poverty, alienation, and racism influence the lives of black children most heavily. This report covering Michigan presents information and recommendations concerning the continuing decline in the quality of life for black children. It is the culmination of a series of activities including forums, symposia, and conferences…

Reviews the descriptive empirical literature on homeless women, using a theoretical perspective on stress. Finds that homelessness is highly stressful, and examines the sources and mediators of homelessness. Suggests that more is known about the risk factors than about the mediating factors that may decrease the stressful circumstances' impact.…

This essay with photographs describes the experiences of two runaways, examining why they left home and how they found help. Although runaways have a reputation for being irresponsible, they usually have good reasons for leaving home. The nun who ran Noah's Ark, where both the runaways featured found shelter and help, estimated that only about two…