Beggars Barred: Poverty or Pretending?

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  In the U.S., there is a very fluid attitude when it comes to the perception of the homeless population. Some people feel as if homeless people didn't work hard enough or were irresponsible in order to be in the situation they find themselves in. On the other hand, others feel compassion for people who have lost their livelihood for a multitude of reasons. Many times, you will see people on the road with signs asking for money or food, which many ignore and many give. With the current economic situation in the U.S., homelessness is more common and therefore people are more likely to be generous.


    In Morocco, citizens who ask for shelter, food or money from other citizens are named as "beggars". Beggars in Morocco are those that have the lowest social status, where a lot of them were farmers who lived in rural areas that were forced out by aridity. Because of the disastrous environmental factors, the majority of farmers in Morocco struggle to earn a living which affects their quality of life and social status.


However, a pandemic of people pretending to be misfortunate have made it even harder for people to climb back up the social stature. Because of the exposure of people who pretend to be beggars that have access to other jobs, all beggars now are being considered as crooks in which little to no sympathy is shown to any of the homeless population anymore where before people usually would give to help. 


A common phenomenon that occurred before the switch in perspective of beggars was jobs being offered to those in need of an opportunity. However, recently, it has been increasingly difficult for beggars to receive job opportunities compared to before, leaving them low in the social and economic sector permanently. 


Hopefully soon, the unfortunate people of Morocco will be given opportunities to redeem themselves amongst the social scene and able to find other profitable ventures besides farming that will allow them to see some form of financial freedom once again. 


Achlim, Y. (2022, October 6). Climate change is destroying the lives of Moroccan farmers. Https://Www.newarab.com/. https://www.newarab.com/features/climate-change-destroying-lives-moroccan-farmers

News, S. W.-M. W. (n.d.). Beggars in Morocco: Reflection on a Growing Social Phenomenon. Https://Www.moroccoworldnews.com/. https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2012/05/40786/beggars-in-morocco-reflection-on-a-growing-social-phenomenon-3



Achli



Comments

  1. Ally WayneJune 21, 2024 at 8:53 AM

    Dylan, I really enjoyed your insights into the perception and treatment of the homeless population in Morocco and the comparison to the US. Societal attitudes play a huge role in shaping the experiences and opportunities available to the homeless population. In both contexts, there's a tension between compassion and skepticism, influenced by economic conditions and the presence of fraudulent behaviors. What policies or initiatives do you think could be implemented to effectively distinguish between those genuinely in need and those exploiting the system, while also ensuring that compassion and support are not diminished for the truly vulnerable populations?

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