Rehumanizing Young Adolescent Experiences of Homelessness to Challenge Dominant Narratives

• In Event: 51.035 - Sympathetic and/or Agentic? Constructions of Youth in Educational Scholarship

Abstract

There are 1.3 million students experiencing homelessness enrolled in US schools. The purpose of this qualitative humanizing research study was to document the lived experiences of AJ, a young adolescent experiencing homelessness in a small city in the southeastern US. This study had two research questions. (1) What funds of identity do students experiencing homelessness possess? (2) How are these funds of identity supported, if at all, by school structures and personnel? Data sources included field notes, semi-structured interviews, and identity artifacts. Analysis revealed AJ’s friend fund of identity. Findings present a nuanced portrait that counters societal narratives surrounding homelessness. AJ’s experiences point to locations where educators could promote student buy-in and development of equitable policies and practices.

Author

• Matthew John Moulton, Indiana State University