The Dire Straits of Homelessness

Dramatic Echoes and Creative Propositions From the Field

Dados Bibliográficos

ID2168692
AutoresSavvas Georgiade, Savvas Georgiades
Ano2015
Volume25
Fascículo6
Páginas630-642
Data de publicação2015-08-18
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1091-1359 • E-ISSN: 1540-3556
EditoraInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10911359.2015.1011254
OpenAlexW2123361965
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas9
Referências citadas35

This ethnographic study draws on the realities, survival strategies, and needs of a group of homeless people living in South Florida. Fifty-six individuals (mean age = 51 years; age range = 21–76 years) of various racial backgrounds responded to a semistructured narrative interview. Two thirds of respondents encountered substance abuse challenges and experienced chronic homelessness, one third worked, and three fifths were arrested at least once. Thematic narrative analyses revealed that substance abuse, unemployment, a low-paying job, and a relationship breakup were the most prevalent causes of homelessness. The greatest difficulties reported concerned sleeping patterns, police harassment and brutality, dehumanization, and hunger. Survival strategies incorporated hiding from police, attending local food drives, soliciting food from local fast food places, and begging. Support came predominantly from the church, family members, and friends. Relief desired embodied broader employment opportunities, close-by food drives and shelters, a designated area to sleep precluding police harassment, better wages, and less discrimination by society. Implications of the findings and future research needs are inspected

Begging · Criminology · Dehumanization · Economic growth · Harassment · Narrative · Political science · Poverty · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Underclass · Unemployment · Homelessness and Social Issues · Housing, Finance, and Neoliberalism · Psychology · Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies · Gender Studies · Law · Social Psychology