Solidarity and Welfare

The proof that you actually learn something at university

It was about time I would post this side of the street. Often when I see homeless people I am reminded of the course Solidarity and Welfare that I took last semester at my home university. I am reminded of the deservingness criteria for instance when I see kids walking around in the subte to sell things or when I see the little kid in between the cashiers at the subte hoping that we will give him our change. I think about how little control they have over their neediness. When I see a blind person sitting at the street or walking slowly with a can in his hand. I also wonder sometimes how real it is. I don't doubt that they are poor, but to what degree they are making them appear more deserving and I think about the various ways that make people more deserving.

It reminds me too, of how different the system here is. In the course we learned mostly about Europe, but this is not Europe. In the Netherlands I see relatively few homeless people whereas I see many here every single day. I know that the supporting system of solidarity and welfare is quite different, but I must honestly say I don't know the details.