The above image is a photograph that was taken around the 1950s, the caption of the photo was “unemployed men sleeping on the ground”. The caption of the photo is what I found more interesting than the actual photograph itself. Instead of referring to the individuals living on the street as “the homeless”, or “hobos”, they were referred to as simply being unemployed. Nowadays, we have normalized the terms “the homeless”, and “hobos” that we never really stop to think about how derogatory these terms really are. Growing up I never heard someone say “look at that unemployed person sleeping on the street”, but rather “look at that hobo sleeping on the street”. The caption of this photograph really sheds light on the apparent difference between the language used in the past as compared to nowadays. I believe that we should take note of the simplicity of the term unemployed, rather than the critical meaning the term hobo holds.

I grew up in a small town, always envious of those who lived in Toronto. My peers and I would idolize the lifestyle the residents of Toronto lived: having a wide selection of places to dine at, an endless stream of activities to do, and most importantly, the architecture. I decided to begin my studies at the University of Toronto as an escape from my small town, and to become a Torontonian in which I had long desired to be. I took the blogging in the just city course to primarily focus on the positive and negative aspects of the city. One thing I admire about the city is the presence of historical monuments and heritage sites located throughout. Each site tells its own story, and the significance it holds among the community. However, no matter how much I love the city, there is still one complaint that I am unable to look past. It has to do with the increase in the population of homeless people, and the lack of available resources to assist in removing them off the streets. There also appears to be a lack of support to assist battered women and children. With this blog, I hope to bring forward some of the positives and negatives of the city life, and really dive deep into what constitutes this great city.