Discuss your reaction to the article: why is it interesting, how does this information affect your main question, why do you think this source is reliable?

APA Format and Work Cited Please!

1. Tell the the main question (thesis) for your exploratory essay. AGAIN

2. Pick 2 MORE/DIFFERENT Peer-Review Journal Articles that you think will contribute interesting information to your main question.

3. For each article:

a. Introduce the article: give the author, title, publication, date, and other relevant information.

b. Summarize the WHOLE article; what is the main point or argument that the author is making?

c. Discuss your reaction to the article: why is it interesting, how does this information affect your main question, why do you think this source is reliable? etc.

d. What questions do you have now? What do you want to find out more about now that you have this information? Now introduce article #2. Why do you think this article will give you even more information. This is where you can write some personal introspection on how the source helped you, allowed you to think differently about the problem, or even fell short of your expectations and led you in a new direction in your research, which forms a transition into your next source. 

Repeat steps 3 a,b,c,d with the second article.

Instructions:

Here is sample essay of the section 3a,b,c,d.

QUESTION: It is said that “the measure of the worth of a society is how it treats its weakest and most vulnerable citizens” (Sizer). This perception can be related to the prevalence of youth homelessness in America. How then has this been occurring in the wealthiest nation in history?

            Using the FIU database, I located a particularly useful overview from the National Alliance to End Homelessness. In a section titled “Causes of Youth Homelessness,” it first stated that the “same factors that contribute to adult homelessness such as poverty, lack of affordable housing, low education levels, unemployment, mental health, and substance abuse issues, can also play a role in the occurrence and duration of a youth’s homelessness.” These were good points that brought up questions in regards to parent-youth relationships and some of the long-term effects, which I decided to come back to later. Furthermore, it said that beyond these factors, “the phenomenon of youth homelessness is largely a reflection of family dysfunction and breakdown, specifically familial conflict, abuse, and disruption,” which I agreed with. Though the article did not specify further, some types of conflicts that came to mind were disputes over risky behavior such as promiscuity, opposing views on discipline, and sexual orientation. When it comes to domestic abuse there are many layers including physical, emotional, sexual, and mental that, along with the conflicts, leads to the deterioration of families. The brief continued to say that youth usually enter a state of homelessness as a result of running away from home- which the desire and reaction of escaping from these predicaments is understandable- or from being abandoned by their guardians. Additionally, it stated that family conflict is “more critical for youth than adults since they are, by virtue of their developmental stage in life, still largely financially, emotionally, and, depending on their age, legally dependent upon their families.”

            This information confirmed some of my previous knowledge on the subject of youth and families, but what about other types of influence. What about the system? Being released from institutional or other state care can be another cause of youth homelessness. For instance, foster care and juvenile correction facilities. I decided to next look at how the transition from foster care involve and represent the homeless youth population. In an article from the Child Welfare League of America, it stated that approximately 20,000 to 25,000 young people [16 and older] age out of the foster care system each year, meaning they are released due to their turning of age. I began to wonder how hopeless most of these youth must feel, knowing that they will have to fend for themselves. They are entering society after subsisting in a lifestyle where there has been a significant lack of nurture. Won’t this inhibit them in their reintegration into society? These individuals are frequently moved in and out of homes and they were placed in the foster care system because of parent abuse or neglect in the first place. With few social skills gained and resources available, these youth don’t have many options. Consequently, when they age out they face challenges such as homelessness. “Twenty-five percent of former foster youth nationwide reported that they had been homeless at least one night within two-and-a-half to four years after exiting foster care” (National Alliance to End Homelessness). The traumatic experiences before and after becoming homeless, will have long-lasting impressions throughout the course of their lives.