233
Entanglements of Homeless People in Society
Abstract Submissions Closed
RC19 Sociology of Poverty, Social Welfare and Social Policy (host committee)
Language: English
Session Type: Oral
People without own housing live in a precarious life situation. Their troubling reality is often closely linked with a serious lack of economic, cultural and social resources.
However, homeless people neither do live in pervasive isolation nor are they totally excluded from the social order. They are involved in specific relations and remain in some way dependent on other people. This means that the marginalized group of homeless people depend on other people who can be friends, allies, opponents or competitors. Furthermore, homeless people get a specific status in welfare regimes: Homelessness is regarded as a social problem, which should be processed and solved. In this context, homeless people are confronted with various assistance systems shaped by the social and labour activation policy paradigm. In order to understand the contingent and complex life worlds of homeless people and the unequal power relations they live in, we would like to focus on these dynamic interdependent networks homeless people are involved. This kind of theoretical reflection opens the view both on a social notion of normality, cultural labelling and attribution processes as well as on involved and articulating subjects with (sub-)cultural meaning, identity constructions, and specific cultural practices. The people involved have relative autonomy, ability to act as well as individual life plans and experiences. They interpret specific situations within relationships, make decisions and enter into relationships. We look forward to theoretical and empirical as well as interdisciplinary or country-comparative contributions displaying different entanglements of homeless people in society around the world.
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