Social Distress Theory and Teaching About Homelessness: A Retrospective Analysis

This paper provides a retrospective analysis of our course:“Hamelessness in the United States: An Interdisciplinary Approach.” It analyzes how such a course reveals social distress on two distinct levels: course content and course process. We deploy the concepts, tenets and insights of social distress theory to provide a retrospective analytical framework for the course. In addition, we extend the theory by presenting two corollaries to it and show how the literature on homelessness provides alternative connections among the major elements ofsocial distress theory. Thus, we raise new questions for the theory to consider. We also make recommendations for potential teachers of courses on homelessness.