Wherever I lay my head is home’ – young people's experience of home in the Brazilian street environment

Dados Bibliográficos

ID12710640
AutoresM Ursin (0000-0002-7529-5259, Nord University, autor correspondente)
Ano2011
Volume9
Fascículo2
Páginas221-234
Data de publicação2011-05-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoChildren s Geographies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1473-3277 • E-ISSN: 1473-3285
EditoraTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14733285.2011.562382
OpenAlexW2055963881
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas24
Referências citadas33

Although academic research on street children is increasing, few have discussed the multiple meanings of home, as well as young people's perspectives on their homeless status. Drawing on several qualitative fieldwork studies in Salvador, Brazil, this article explores the 'home' narratives of a group seldom appraised: the grown-up 'street children' of the 1980s and 1990s. Although many of these young people may be described as homeless in a territorial sense, their narratives demonstrate the complex ways in which many feel or have felt at home in the streets of a middle-class neighbourhood. The feeling of being at home is closely interlinked to aspects they find important in their everyday lives, namely that of autonomy, safety and belonging. This analysis illustrates earlier ignored dimensions of why young people choose the street rather than home, and in addition, challenges some common definitions and assumptions. Keywords: street childrenhomehomelessnessLatin AmericaBrazil Notes A Tarde (local newspaper, Salvador, Brazil) December 31, 2008/January 3, 2009

Art · Autonomy · Feeling · Media studies · Narrative · Neighbourhood (mathematics · Newspaper · Political science · Sense of place · Social science · Sociology · Child Welfare and Adoption · Children's Rights and Participation · Gender Studies · Homelessness and Social Issues · Psychology · Social Psychology