"I May be Homeless, But I'm Not Helpless": The Costs and Benefits of Identifying with Homelessness

Abstract

Anecdotal research strongly suggests homeless persons who develop subsistence strategies to survive on the street maintain self-reliance yet are highly unlikely to transition back off the street. T he current study empirically tests this assumption. Ninety-seven homeless persons were interviewed, given a spontaneous self-concept description measure, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (1979). Combing two self-report scores created an``identi® cation with homelessness'' score. As predicted, those individuals who identi® ed most highly with the identity of being homeless: (a) used fewer services (were more self-reliant), (b) made fewer attempts to transition off the street, and (c) had higher self-esteem scores than those with low identi® -cation scores. T hese data and additional data assessing the impact of perceived needs on the aforementioned dependent measures are explored.

Homelessness and identity: a critical review of the literature and theory

“…'fictive story telling', either 'embellishment or outright fantasising, typically of the future' (Seal, 2007: 3). Snow and Anderson (1987) as well as several other scholars (Farrington and Robinson, 1999;Osborne, 2002) have in such a way reinforced the notion of the 'homeless identity' as a central trait. As Parsell (2008) purports, studies demonstrate that people who are homeless do things that would be considered outside the norm, whether begging or going through rubbish.…”

The Experiences of Street Involved Youth Living in the North.

“…For example, friends offered their homes for temporary housing and provided the youth with basic necessities. Several of the participants felt acceptance and support from others who had experienced similar difficult life experiences which aligns with previous literature (Bender et al, 2007;Kidd, 2003;Osborne, 2002), Connection to others appeared to emerge as the motivating factor for the participants who permanently left the streets. Whether it was guidance from a positive figure or motivation to take care of children, it appeared that connection to others influenced the youth to make lifestyle changes.…”

“…Youth who are homeless often view their peers and other homeless adults as their street family and rely on these individuals for emotional support (Bender et al, 2007;Osborne, 2002). One study acknowledged the positive influence of non-homeless Mends who provided temporary housing and basic necessities for homeless youth (Bender et al, 2007).…”

“…The idea of connection to other people was deeply woven in every story, highlighting the influence of relationships on coping. The literature and the interviews in this study present both positive and negative aspects of relationships with peers, family, and partners (Bender et al, 2007;Kidd, 2003;Osborne, 2002). Often, negative or unhealthy interpersonal relationships affected the youth, reinforcing regressive or avoidance forms of coping.…”

“…Additionally, self-worth, pride, and self-respect were identified by youth as important qualities (Kidd, 2003;Osborne, 2002). Some youth recognized that their sense of self-worth improved through the process of learning from past mistakes and life experiences (Kidd, 2003;Lindsey et al, 2000).…”