TITLE:
Disrupting Spaces: Homelessness and Political Agency in Venice, California
AUTHORS:
Mary Louisa Cappelli
KEYWORDS:
Homelessness, Poverty, Spectacle, Politics, Agency, Performativity
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Applied Sociology,
Vol.14 No.8,
August
30,
2024
ABSTRACT: Visual occupation of homelessness in public places disrupts traditional notions of community and space and testifies to the power of personal and political agency of unhoused individuals. This case study examines the public display of homelessness and daily social encounters with encampments in Venice, California. Using photographic images to analyze the social articulation of resistance, agency, and performance, the study contends that homeless performance in public spaces directly resists societal norms and regulations, challenging community expectations. The spectacle and performance of homelessness serve as a subversive political discourse, confronting the audience with the harsh realities of American capitalism. By capturing the performative aspects of homelessness, I demonstrate how these visible acts serve as political statements, evoking a range of emotional responses and prompting a reevaluation of societal attitudes towards poverty and homelessness.