Homelessness as a Socially Constructed Identity: Intersectional Group Formation Among Homeless Youth

• In Event: 25.068 - Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: 25.068-20 - The Cultural Construction of Identity and Equality of Educational Opportunity

Abstract

Since the onset of the recent economic recession, rates of school-aged youth homelessness have increased rapidly in areas throughout the U.S. Drawing on participant observations and in-depth interviews with 26 diverse homeless adolescents, this study explores the unique ways homeless youth construct social networks and make meaning of their lives given their intersectional identities. Participants make sense of their circumstances and stigmatized identity status by forming three distinct subcultures—the Homeboys, Sistergirls, and EmoCores—and these subcultures provided a sense of belonging and safety. The findings highlight that homelessness is not simply the absence of a stable residence, but also a social identity category and way of being that brings particular social and cultural significance.

Author

• Shanta R. Robinson, University of Chicago