Gender‐based violence and young homeless women: femininity,embodiment and vicarious physical capital

This article discusses how the gender‐based violence of homelessness contributes to young women engaging in bodily alliances with men as a strategy for physical protection. The embedding of individualized and postfeminist discourses through the conditions of neoliberalism and the structural disadvantage of homelessness have meant that young women are required to adopt self‐regulatory practices and take personal responsibility for their physical safety. Drawing on Bourdieu's social capital theory and its development by Skeggs and Shilling, and based on qualitative research undertaken with fifteen young women who had experienced homelessness in Australia, I suggest that feminine capital is mobilized through necessity by young homeless women through the formation and maintenance of intimate relationships with men to access a sense of safety in an environment that is hostile to the female body. However, as the narratives presented here demonstrate, the value and privilege ascribed to (certain) male bodies is only accessible vicariously to young women, it is inherently precarious, it can undermine access to other types of capital and these intimate relationships can also be a source of gender‐based violence.     

Gender Differences in Self-Reported Reasons for Homelessness

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate some of the ways in which the perceived pathways into homelessness are socially structured. We do this by examining the relative frequency of 11 different reasons homeless males and females cite for being homeless. Males were more likely to cite the following as their main reasons for homelessness: loss of a job, discharge from an institution, mental health problems, and alcohol or drug problems. Women were more likely to cite the following as their main reason for homelessness: eviction, interpersonal conflict, and someone no longer able or willing to help. Self-reported reasons for being homeless are also related to age, marital status, race, and being a veteran. As expected, they are also linked to receptiveness to treatment. Gender differences in reasons for homelessness may require different approaches to building helping relationships with homeless men and women.     

Gender Differences in Self-Reported Reasons for Homelessness

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate some of the ways in which the perceived pathways into homelessness are socially structured. We do this by examining the relative frequency of 11 different reasons homeless males and females cite for being homeless. Males were more likely to cite the following as their main reasons for homelessness: loss of a job, discharge from an institution, mental health problems, and alcohol or drug problems. Women were more likely to cite the following as their main reason for homelessness: eviction, interpersonal conflict, and someone no longer able or willing to help. Self-reported reasons for being homeless are also related to age, marital status, race, and being a veteran. As expected, they are also linked to receptiveness to treatment. Gender differences in reasons for homelessness may require different approaches to building helping relationships with homeless men and women.     

Women and homelessness,a complex multidimensional issue: findings from a scoping review

Homelessness is an increasingly prevalent issue worldwide. Women represent the fastest growing segment of the homeless population and have differing needs to men. These differences need to be considered by service providers and other stakeholders working with homeless women. A scoping review was conducted to address the question “What is known about issues relating to homeless women in the existing literature?” PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus and Web of Science were searched up until March 2018 with no date limits. The final sample of articles included in this scoping study was 232 from which six themes were extracted: (1) pathways into homelessness, (2) trauma, victimization and adverse childhood experiences, (3) mental and physical health issues, (4) barriers to accessing treatment and experiences with service providers, (5) social support and life satisfaction and (6) strengths, hopes and leaving homelessness. This review suggests a strengths-based approach to addressing women’s homelessness. This approach emphasizes people’s self-determination and strengths and views clients as resilient to problems they encounter in their lives. Future research and service provision should take into account the complexities in the lives of homeless women and recognize the autonomy of women to move out of homelessness.     

Violence Against Homeless Women: Safety and Social Policy

Abstract

Over the past 20 years there has been increasing understanding of the gendered nature of homelessness in Australia. Most significantly, this gendering has occurred through the acknowledgement of the links between domestic violence and homelessness and this has played out in Australian social policy through the funding of specialist domestic violence services. However, not all women are assisted by these specialist services—either because they are not homeless due to domestic violence, or because they fall through the gaps in the service system. Homelessness exposes these women to heightened vulnerability to violence. This article considers homeless women's experiences of violence and their implications for homelessness policy. Framed by Australian and Victorian social policy and drawing on a qualitative study of 29 women, all of whom had experienced violence during homelessness, the article argues that greater policy attention needs to be paid to ensuring homeless women's safety.     

“Please Ask Me How I Am”: Experiences of Family Homelessness in the Context of Single Mothers' Lives

An increasing number of studies in recent years have examined the issue of family homelessness. The majority of this research has taken a quantitative approach, focusing primarily upon the demographics and characteristics of homeless mothers and children and the conditions of shelter facilities. The goal of this study was to examine the experience of family homelessness from an alternative perspective through interviews with formerly homeless mothers about their lives before and after leaving the shelter system. In-depth interviews with 24 formerly homeless single mothers in New York City were conducted and subsequently analyzed employing a qualitative-narrative approach. Major themes that emerged from the women's life stories are elucidated: poverty, neglect, abuse, troubled interpersonal relationships, and mental health concerns. Surprisingly, a majority of women spoke of their experience in the shelter system in positive terms. This and other findings are discussed in the context of the women's life experiences and support services provided by the New York City shelter system. Social policy issues and recommendations for future research and program development are presented.     

Cultural Constructions of Female Homelessness in Taiwan1

Abstract

Although both individual and structural perspectives have been utilized to explain female homelessness in Taiwan, a slight difference regarding women's social role has been revealed in this study. More than half of homeless females were divorced after not being able to give birth to a son. Homeless women still struggle to survive with little support from family, government and non-governmental systems. However, the results of this study should not be overgeneralized as a prevailing phenomenon across all population segments in Taiwan, because all participants in this study are from urban areas implying that female homelessness could be an urban phenomenon in Taiwan.     

Remembering,Apologies, and Truth: Challenges for Social Work Today

Abstract

In 2003, over 41?000 families with accompanying children throughout Australia were assisted by homeless services. Sole fathers with children in their care who are homeless are a minority group within this overall population of homeless families and, as such, little is known about their experiences of homelessness and fathering. The present paper reports on an exploratory study of sole fathers with children in their care who were homeless in the Australian Capital Territory. The study identifies the fathers’ pathways into and experiences of homelessness, and the fathers share their stories of what it means to be a sole father. The paper identifies the issues fathers may experience when dealing with homelessness and fatherhood. An increased understanding of these experiences can contribute to the development of further research and improved practice with such families.     

The experiences of “aging” among formerly homeless adults with chronic mental illness: A qualitative study

Little is known about the life course of older adults with serious mental illness who have also been homeless. Using 44 life history interviews with 25 study participants ages 40 to 62, this study used case study and thematic analysis to examine the lived experience of such individuals as they enter their mid- and later-life years. Participants, whose lives were marred by early-onset substance abuse, symptoms of mental illness and a descent into homelessness, spoke of an awareness of aging and premature mortality. Major themes that emerged were: (1) reflecting on losses, (2) growing older and wiser, (3) struggling with normality, (4) having space and time to reevaluate, and (5) awareness of the future and “time left.” Life histories which focus on the person-in-context and their subjective experiences provide a viable research method to further the understanding of one of the most underserved and hardest-to-reach populations.     

Homelessness,housing instability,intimate partner violence,mental health,and functioning: A multi-year cohort study of IPV survivors and their children

Abstract

Homelessness and housing instability frequently accompany intimate partner violence and can negatively impact health and functioning. When children are exposed to homelessness or housing instability their ability to develop and function is compromised. The purpose of this study is to examine the differential impact of homelessness and unstable housing on health and functioning of women and their children over a 2-year period. Two hundred and seventy-seven mothers reporting intimate partner violence (stalking, physical, or sexual violence by an intimate partner) were asked about housing stability, abuse, risk for murder, mental health, employment/wages, and their child's functioning over a 2-year period. Outcomes of mothers reporting homelessness and unstable housing were compared to mothers reporting stable housing. Over one-third (36%) of the mothers reported at least one episode of unstable housing over the 2-year period and 11% reported homelessness. Measures of maternal mental health and child functioning were worse for both unstably housed and homeless women, compared to stably housed women, with a higher risk for sexual abuse and risk for murder for homeless women. New models of rapid rehousing are needed that address not only the housing problems of women who have experienced intimate partner violence but also the mental health and safety issues that the women and their children face.     

Life goals and gender differences among chronically homeless individuals entering permanent supportive housing

This research seeks to understand goals and the gender differences in goals among men and women who are transitioning into permanent supportive housing. Men and women experience homelessness differently. Data collected for this study come from a longitudinal investigation of HIV risk behavior and social networks among women and men transitioning from homelessness to permanent supportive housing. As part of this study, 421 baseline interviews were conducted in English with homeless adults scheduled to move into permanent supportive housing; participants were recruited between September 2014 and October 2015. This paper uses goals data from the 418 male-or female-identified respondents in this study. Results identified goal differences in education and general health between men and women that should be taken into account when service providers, policy makers, and advocates are addressing the needs of homeless women.     

The mental health of African-American and Caucasian-American women who are homeless.

1. Nurses can use research findings to educate other health professionals about homeless subcultures with attention to specific cultural and socioeconomic needs, as well as to develop interventions for homeless women. 2. Minority women are more susceptible to homelessness as they experience increased poverty levels and are often single mothers. Of all minority women, African-American women are the most vulnerable to physical and psychological illness. 3. In this study, 75% of the subjects had scores on a psychological assessment test that indicated they needed additional psychological testing.     

The New Sisters of the Road: Homeless Women and Their Children

ABSTRACT

This article examines the growing social problem of homeless women and their children. It provides a historical perspective, reasons for the increased incidence of family homelessness, the negative effects of homelessness on women and children, and programmatic responses. It also makes recommendations for effective program services and policy reforms. It urges family social workers to adopt a policy advocacy orientation. The article concludes that there is a need for further research to separate causes from effects when studying homeless women and children, and that researchers need to attend to the significance of gender for the social problem of family homelessness.     

Homelessness and Children's Use of Mental Health Services: A Population-Based Study

This study examined whether children who become homeless differ from other low-income children in their mental health service use before and after their first homeless episode, and to what extent homelessness is associated with an increased likelihood of mental health service use. Differences between children with and without new onset of sheltered homelessness in the use of mental health services emerged following homelessness and widened over time. Sheltered homelessness and foster care placement history were associated with increased odds of receiving inpatient and ambulatory mental health services. Findings underscore the importance of collaborations between homeless assistance, foster care, and mental healthcare in efforts to mitigate family homelessness and collateral needs among homeless children.     

Characteristics of Homeless Jail Inmates: Implications for Social Work

This study set out to validate the hypothesis (belief) that homeless people were likely to commit minor offenses as solutions to their conditions. Jails, and maybe prisons, would provide three meals a day, a place to sleep, and minimal health care-especially during the winter months. Instead, the data did not support the hypothesis. Contrary to the reported practices of some homeless people in Colorado who are described as committing non-serious but timed offenses to go to jail, it found a homeless population in jail who give a literal interpretation to the political phrase “the invisible people.” They were not in jail because they were homeless, but instead they were in jail for serious crimes (murder, rape, drugs, robbery) and their homelessness was a side fact Since it was not likely that this group would seek to address or resolve their homelessness, it was recommended that jail social workers identify their needs to them, track them into social welfare networks, with a designated contact person, prior to their release.     

Gender and Policy Implementation: Analyzing and Predicting the Progress of Congressional Bills Targeting Homeless Women, 1977–1987

This study examines congressional policymaking and funding support for homeless women during the 1980s. Contemporary research shows that this time period marked an important demographic shift in the composition of homeless individuals in the United States, as women, children, and families comprised a larger portion of homeless populations. Using Schneider and Ingram’s (1993; 1997) Degenerative Policy Design, I used logistic regression and predicted probabilities to analyze federal congressional bills on homelessness during a 10-year period from 1977 to 1988. Results indicate that bills targeting homeless women, children, and families increased over time, but there was substantive policy action for these groups. This aligns with Schneider and Ingram’s theory that groups like homeless women, who are constructed as dependent and needy but politically powerless, garner congressional elite sympathy but no monetary resources at the national level.     

A Feminist Analysis of Flight of Abused Women, Plight of Canadian Shelters: Another Road to Homelessness

The paper explores the link between women abuse and homelessness. Although the examples are drawn from Canada, the argument is that the plight of abused women is similar throughout North America. First, I discuss the stereotypes about homelessness and the conservative governments' stance toward the homeless. Second, I introduce abuse of women as another road to homelessness. Third, I review the literature on dependent children from abusive homes as victims and witnesses who need social protection. Fourth, I establish the important role shelters play for women fleeing abusive relationships, by tracing the history of shelters. The tenuous position of the shelters in relation to conservative governments is emphasized. The paper ends with the consequences of fear of homelessness for women and their children, and the public policy implications of the close link between abuse and homelessness.     

The “Homeless Problem” and the Double Consciousness*

The purpose of this article was to identify manifestations of a social discourse that construct those who are homeless as an existential problem. Based on 4 years of ethnographic data and grounded theory analysis, we illustrate the nature of exclusionary social practices that emerge from discourse on the “homeless problem” as well as the conflicting identities experienced by those who are homeless. Herein we frame the data using DuBois concept of “double consciousness.” Our findings indicate that those who are homeless mix together discourses of value and legitimacy with self‐applied stigmas and self‐denigrating political perspectives in ways that directly mirror DuBois’ notion of the conflicting nature of African and American identities around the end of the nineteenth century. We illustrate identity problems that manifest in the contemporary conflict between being both “homeless” and “American.”     

Resettlement and reintegration: Single mothers’ reflections after homelessness

Previous research has identified that most families who become homeless are women with dependent children. Homeless families are reported to have a variety of complex needs; however, little is known about the experiences of families once they are re-housed. The aim of this study is to explore psychosocial issues related to the resettlement experiences of single mothers following a period of homelessness. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were used to gather data from 21 women living in a UK Midlands city. Thematic analysis was used to draw conclusions from the data. Findings indicated that, despite exposure to major stressors, most women had begun the process of resettlement by improving their physical surroundings. Women had achieved personal growth as they had managed to escape violence, overcome homelessness and create new opportunities for themselves and their children. Suggestions are made for future research and improvements to services which would promote resettlement in this population.