Egalitarian Service: The opposition to the Single-Story

“Good service” in a world that consistently preaches the importance of giving back to our communities, yet never demonstrates how, has commonly been misunderstood as volunteering and never expecting anything in return. We are taught how to identify our community’s weaknesses and try to improve upon them, but to never learn from them. Thus, one of the greatest challenges I faced when volunteering as an English tutor for the non-profit organization Hidden Road Initiative was learning how to connect with my students. They perceived me as an individual who was privileged enough to never have to face the hardships of war while I viewed them as children born to an unfortunate fate in constant need of nurturement. I did not understand how to emotionally connect with them, and they did not know how to reach out to me for support. This form of giving and not looking for anything in return had created an unconscious pattern of hierarchical service where I, “the giver,” had the upper hand, making my students feel like the “lesser.” Hence why we did not truly build a connection with one another until I began to share my own interests and personal stories to which they could relate to even though we were born to different circumstances and lived thousands of miles apart.

Therefore, I believe that the foundation of good service exists in an egalitarian form of service where we treat our community members as our equals and not simply beneficiaries. In doing so, we open up doors of opportunities to build genuine relationships with others and identify the root problem within the community; because, without truly hearing the perspectives of the people directly affected by the issue, we fall into the trap of the single-story. We believe in the information that is the most accessible to us; the media, the stories we were raised with- allowing them to skew our perspective of the world around us without ever confirming the credibility of this information. It is easier for us as a society to blame all our problems on one issue, than delve into the root causes of said issue because to actually dig deeper requires time and effort, something no one is willing to commit in such a high pressure, fast-paced world.

The University of Southern California (USC) is guilty of encouraging this notion of the single-story with its looming gates and professional patrol vehicles. The school proudly markets its security system to worried parents and ensures that their children will be safe within the walls of their school, creating the notion that those outside do not belong. However, USC is partly responsible for the problems plaguing its city with its constant real estate expansions that have sky-rocketed housing prices in the neighborhood, contributing to the issue of unaffordable housing, yet many students, parents, and staff are oblivious to the school’s effects on the outside world. They encourage their USC community members to practice inclusiveness through volunteering and other forms of involvement within the community, yet the school consistently contradicts itself as it continues to promote the Trojan community as a separate entity from the world around them.

Thus, in practicing egalitarianism, we as individuals are able to connect with our community and its diverse members on a deeper level, dissolving the gap between “us” and “them.” No individual wants to feel dependent on the service of another, hence the issue of the hierarchical structure where one side does all the giving. Instead, when we open up our minds to the idea of mutual giving and receiving, it is seen that oftentimes both sides are more susceptible to being honest with themselves and each other. They begin to share stories and can connect with one another through their shared interests and behaviors, bridging the gap that separates them from understanding each other on a human level. Thus, it is important to understand that giving and receiving is not only measured in tangible terms, for most mutually beneficial relationships are developed on the premises of open-mindedness and our ability to recognize the value of the intangibles; such as perspective.

When we open our minds to the idea that we do not, in fact, know everything just because it is what we have heard all our lives, we begin to challenge the ideas that were ingrained into us by society. Hearing the stories of others plays a significant role in changing our perspective of the world around us. The media has always portrayed the homeless as aimless drug-addicts, begging for their next buck to chase their high. However, this is not the case for most of the homeless population on Skid Row who have been forced out of their homes due to the rise in housing costs across the city. One of those individuals happens to be Jossalyn who is a victim to the unaffordable housing crisis. Facing over fifteen years as a homeless, Jossalyn has tried everything to regain a roof over her head. She used to work long hours and sustain herself off of food stamps, grossing around ninety-thousand a year, yet it was not enough to keep her home. Since then, she has been applying into Section 8’s affordable housing infrastructure since 1994 and has not heard anything back to this day. (Source: Youtube -“Homeless Woman Slept in an Alley for 15 Years Downtown Los Angeles.”)

Jossalyn has been forced to survive off of dumpster diving, panhandling, and the kindness of strangers. She prefers to live in a tent on the streets than in a mission or homeless shelter where she is susceptible to disease from unsanitary conditions and rape; yet, unfortunately, her story is just one of many similar cases as Los Angeles is known for its extremely high homeless population- having six homeless people for every one thousand residents. However, as proven in the Los Angeles Times article, “Cause of Homelessness…”, the pattern of homelessness in cities across the United States is not driven by drug addiction as the media and politicians have portrayed it as; but instead, by the rate of unaffordable housing in individual cities.

Consequently, although there are many organizations similar to Water Drop LA, a non-profit organization committed to providing water and snacks to the homeless on Skid Row and its surrounding areas every Sunday, the issue of homelessness will never be resolved through these organizations. Instead, through these organizations we, on the individual level, expose ourselves to the world around us, allowing us to connect with the individuals affected and identify what is the true cause of the issue. Therefore, in the case of homelessness, through researching and personal connections, more individuals within the community are able to recognize that the efforts of organizations such as Water Drop LA, although necessary for immediate relief, are only temporary solutions to a deeper rooted problem — unaffordable housing.

Once we recognize the value of the perspective and wealth our community offers us through our connections to the individuals within it, we are more inclined to make a permanent difference. It is in our human nature to want to elevate the people we are personally connected to, so that we can rise together. Therefore, when we treat the person in front of us as an equal and know their individual needs, subconsciously we begin to look for solutions to not only ease their suffering but also end it. As USC students we cannot ignore the fact that everything we stand against, our school represents. We must encourage the university to “take responsibility for improving the economic conditions of the neighborhood — through the creation of affordable housing, unionized jobs, and the funding of radical, human-centered services.” (USC Abolition Zine)

The people beyond the gates deserve access to the same privileges we are fortunate to receive. We must recognize that it is underlying conditions such as mental health issues and individual’s’ inability to regain financial independence after hitting rock bottom that contribute to the increasing rate of homelessness in Los Angeles. Therefore, we must advocate for policy change directed towards increasing funding for subsidized housing, the improvement of support services and job training/employment support, and encourage the establishment of prevention and early intervention programs to assist individuals and families at risk of eviction.

Homelessness is not an issue that is out of our control as members of the community, and it is an issue that can have a permanent solution with the right form of policy change. Therefore, good service entails being active members within our community and holding ourselves and institutions accountable to bring about positive change.