Young People Narrating the Meaning of Homelessness and Home

Mayock, Paula; Parker, Sarah

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-55647-1_2

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…For a majority of the study’s young people, household disruption and family instability—including experiences of family conflict and violence, in some cases—were strongly implicated in young people’s accounts of early home-leaving and homelessness (Mayock et al, 2014). All of the young people grew up in poor neighborhoods and in households characterized by economic disadvantage, with almost two-thirds ( n = 26, 65%) reporting a history of alternative care, including periods spent in nonrelative foster care, relative foster care, residential care, supported lodgings (emergency foster care), and/or informal kinship care.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The family lives and relationships of young people who experience separation from their families, including homeless youth, might be expected to be complex. Nonetheless, studies that have examined the family relationships of homeless young people, albeit limited in number, suggest that very many express a desire to reengage and participate in family relationships, even in circumstances where conflict, abuse, or violence were present (Mallett, Rosenthal, Keys, & Averill, 2010; Mayock, Corr, & O’Sullivan, 2011; Mayock & Parker, 2017; Mayock, Parker, & Murphy, 2014). Furthermore, recent longitudinal research in Europe, the United States, and Australia indicates that family plays a significant role in shaping the lives and experiences of homeless youth.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“They’re Always Complicated but That’s the Meaning of Family in My Eyes”: Homeless Youth Making Sense of “Family” and Family Relationships

Parker

Mayock

2018

Journal of Family Issues

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Analyses of the relevance of family for young people are more visible than previously within youth research. Nonetheless, understanding of the nature and meaning of family relationships for those who experience separation from their family, including homeless youth, is relatively weak. Based on selected findings from a qualitative longitudinal study, this article explores the meaning-making processes of homeless young people with explicit attention to the ways in which “family” is produced and (re)negotiated in their lives over time. Four themes are presented— family as reliable and supportive; family as interrupted and “broken”; family as fragile and elusive; and family as fluid and ambiguous—revealing the unfolding nature of young people’s constructions of family and family relationships. The enduring impact of separation, dislocation, and conflict on how young people “make sense” of familial experiences is discussed, and we conclude with the practice implications arising from the findings.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“They’re Always Complicated but That’s the Meaning of Family in My Eyes”: Homeless Youth Making Sense of “Family” and Family Relationships

Parker

Mayock

2018

Journal of Family Issues

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“…Around 20% of individuals in a homeless situation in Spain are women (INE, 2022). This lower percentage is perhaps one of the reasons why most studies of homelessness provide results on combined samples of men and women, and therefore do not consider in‐depth possible situations experienced by women as a specific group (Bretherton, 2017; Mayock et al, 2015). That is why in most cases their subjective well‐being, entailing aspects such as happiness or future expectations, have not been addressed properly, as general studies related to people living homeless fall short of providing a complete perspective of their situation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determining factors in the overall happiness and outlook for the future of women living homeless: Evidence from Madrid, Spain

Cabrera

Pérez

Panadero

et al. 2023

Journal Community Psychology

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People living homeless are quite heterogeneous groups, including different subgroups with specific characteristics that vary substantially. Within this group, women living homeless are an understudied subgroup with specific necessities which in most cases have not been addressed in general studies related to the group. The present study examines determining factors that influence the levels of overall happiness and outlook for the future of women living homeless. To fulfill this objective, a survey was conducted on a group of women living homeless in the city of Madrid (Spain). The results of a structural equation modeling analysis found that having a larger and stable social support network, loneliness, and good health conditions without any problems associated with drug abuse are the main factors influencing their levels of overall happiness and their outlook for the future. The proposed model has also shown that stressful life events play an important role in the analysis, unlike economic aspects, which have a limited impact on their situation. This article provides new information and innovation in research about homelessness, in particular women living homeless, thus being important for extending and replicating its findings to an international context.

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“…Homeless women's history, in particular, has been linked to childhood abuse and domestic abuse and violence (DVA) (Bassuk and Rosenberg, 1988;Mackie et al, 2014). Trauma which develops from the abuse often remains a chronic factor in their adult lives and has an impact on coping skills, self-efficacy and interpersonal relationship (Mayock et al, 2015). It can trigger more complex needs, distress and dysfunction (Williams and Watson, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Particularly, in cases where a woman is homeless and not fulfilling the "expected" role of a mother and carer, there is an increased likelihood for her to receive sexist or prejudiced responses within welfare, health and housing systems (Lo ¨fstrand and Quilgars, 2016). Not being accompanied by their children removes their "motherhood" (Mayock et al, 2015) and results in the woman's exclusion from policy discourses on mothers' homelessness and multiple needs ("invisible mothers") (The Royal College of Midwives, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Choosing invisibility? Exploring service (dis)engagement of women experiencing multiple disadvantage

Hess

2023

HCS

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Purpose The shift in policy discourse towards individualism is affecting service provision and access, which has become increasingly conditioned on individual agency and the “deservingness” of the recipient. Gendered and intersectional experiences of homelessness and excluded populations less likely to be living on the streets remain overlooked and unaddressed. This study thus aims to uncover what drives “invisibility” in services for women experiencing multiple disadvantage and the gendered constraints the women are facing when exiting and navigating multiple disadvantage. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on in-depth interviews with women who face severe and multiple disadvantage and their support staff. Data is also gathered through survey data and observations with a wide range of frontline service providers, as well as support notes and numerical progress data recorded by one of the service providers. Findings Contradicting the common assumption that people act as rational actors in their interaction with services, the author found that women’s decisions to (dis)engage may be blinded by forces of multiple disadvantage and mistrust. These are often developed as a result of systemic and gendered constraints that limit women’s capabilities and exercise of choice. Barriers in service access often amplified the personal barriers they were facing and reinforced women’s decisions to not engage with services. Research limitations/implications The author hopes that this paper sheds light on the particular set of barriers women with multiple disadvantage face, which will be vital to reach women who face severe disadvantage and provide more effective policies, care and support. Originality/value This study gives voice to a particular hidden population: women with multiple disadvantage. It contributes to existing frameworks on agency and choice by understanding gendered barriers behind service engagement and how services themselves may be contributing to women’s invisibility.

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Young People Narrating the Meaning of Homelessness and Home

Cited by 8 publications

References 41 publications

“They’re Always Complicated but That’s the Meaning of Family in My Eyes”: Homeless Youth Making Sense of “Family” and Family Relationships

“They’re Always Complicated but That’s the Meaning of Family in My Eyes”: Homeless Youth Making Sense of “Family” and Family Relationships

Determining factors in the overall happiness and outlook for the future of women living homeless: Evidence from Madrid, Spain

Choosing invisibility? Exploring service (dis)engagement of women experiencing multiple disadvantage

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