Why not think about using some examples of homelessness to teach the topic of poverty (Wealth, Welfare and Poverty) or stratification and inequality? It’s different, there are some good books on it,and it’s really important. And, many students will surely have seen homeless people selling The Big Issue or begging.
I’m about to start some part-time teaching work with the homeless and that’s what has prompted me to make this comment.
Living near Cambridge, it’s hard not to have missed all the publicity gained by Alexander Masters book ‘Stuart - A Life Backwards’ , which was also made into a film.
Check out this review and why not get a copy from your local library. It’s a great read and a chance to inject something different into the sociology syllabus.
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Hi David ,
Yes its a fabulous book isn’t it. I don’t teach the ‘wealth and poverty’ paper mainly because most of my students are Chinese or Russian and this topic is a bit British and parochial if you know what I mean. Too much PWS and ‘Thatcherism’ What I do use though is the wonderful map in the end covers of the book when I am trying to teach ideas about ‘Social Space’.
Ah, yes, some time since I’ve read it - had forgotten about that. Excellent idea. Where do you teach?
D
