Afternoon of Alterity - Nazareth College

without anything but the barest essentials. The homeless are ableto truly understand what is of importance in this life due to theirlack of distractions and irruptions. The homeless hold what theybelieve to be meaningful inside of them. The homeless populationdoes not have a physical place to hold an attachment to. Therefore,an attachment appears between the psyche and the self. A homelessperson creates their own reality within their mind.The transition of the definition of home from a physical spaceto a psychological space clearly demonstrates a clear shift in what isconsidered to be of value to the people. The modern-day homelessrecognize the need to be able to find a place for themselves amongsociety within themselves. Home is not something that can bepurchased with money but rather it is a sense of self-awareness thatis created within the mind. A strong sense of self allows a person tobe able to exist without a permanent physical space. The ultimatefreedom of self-identification is to be able to recognize the presenceof the self from within, without a direct relation to a physical space.The shift in the definition of home raises a further implication:how has the family structure evolved? Possibly family structures areexperiencing a shift from the family unit to the individual. As aresult, this could lead to a society that values the individual anddisregards the community.152 afternoons of alterity