TY - JOUR
T1 - The Salvaging of Identities among Homeless Men
T2 - Reflections for Social Work
AU - Roche, Steven
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Australian Association of Social Workers.
Copyright:
Copyright 2015 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2015/4/3
Y1 - 2015/4/3
N2 - Abstract: This research reveals the social and individual processes that dominate the experiences of homeless men through an exploration of their struggle to achieve ontological worth. Drawing on eight in-depth interviews with homeless men who are experiencing homelessness, this research demonstrates this struggle is because of the situated nature of identities that homeless men continually reconstruct and renegotiate. It proposes that relations to this set of identities are relevant to homeless men, in particular the construction and reconstruction of their identities within homelessness. The central findings of this research reveal that homeless men actively manage their identities to cope with the instability inherent to the experience. The implications of this for social work practice are explored, focusing on the importance of self-conception and the restoration of positive identities.
AB - Abstract: This research reveals the social and individual processes that dominate the experiences of homeless men through an exploration of their struggle to achieve ontological worth. Drawing on eight in-depth interviews with homeless men who are experiencing homelessness, this research demonstrates this struggle is because of the situated nature of identities that homeless men continually reconstruct and renegotiate. It proposes that relations to this set of identities are relevant to homeless men, in particular the construction and reconstruction of their identities within homelessness. The central findings of this research reveal that homeless men actively manage their identities to cope with the instability inherent to the experience. The implications of this for social work practice are explored, focusing on the importance of self-conception and the restoration of positive identities.
KW - Homelessness
KW - Qualitative Research
KW - Social Constructionism
KW - Social Theory
KW - Social Work
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84926121589&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2014.955807
DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2014.955807
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84926121589
SN - 0312-407X
VL - 68
SP - 228
EP - 243
JO - Australian Social Work
JF - Australian Social Work
IS - 2
ER -