scholarly journals Exploring the ‘Spoiled’ and ‘Celebrated’ Identities of Young and Homeless Drug Users

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Hoolachan
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Homeless People ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Housing Situation ◽  
Symbolic Interactionist ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Supported Accommodation

Young people experiencing homelessness and who use drugs are vulnerable to being attributed with ‘spoiled identities’ due to stigmatising attitudes by wider society. This article is underpinned by a symbolic interactionist account of self-identity and stigma. It draws upon ethnographic research in a UK-based supported accommodation hostel for young people and explores how the residents in the hostel related to the labels of ‘homeless,’ ‘drug user’ and ‘youth’ and how these were expressed through their self-identities. Over a period of seven months, in-depth participant-observation, semi-structured interviews and a focus group were conducted involving 22 hostel residents, aged 16 to 21 years old. The data highlight how the residents engaged in processes of ‘distancing’ or ‘othering’ by making disparaging remarks about other people in similar situations based on stereotyping. These processes reinforced spoiled identities while enabling the residents to disassociate from them. However, residents also appeared to embrace and celebrate certain features of each label, indicating an acceptance of these more positive features as forming a part of their self-identities. The article concludes by arguing for a nuanced approach to understanding stigma and identity among homeless people, one that accounts for more than just a person’s housing situation.

Being an Addict and Healing: Narratives and Practices in A Gospel Rehabilitation Center

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 63-74
Author(s):  
Yumeng YAO
Keyword(s):  
Drug Users ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Personal Narratives ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Drug Addicts ◽  
Rehabilitation Center ◽  
Geographic Factor ◽  
Border Areas ◽  
Healing Narratives

As a social problem, addiction is especially troublesome in the southwestern border areas of China. This research explores how they became addicts and how to deal with it based on six months of ethnographic research in a gospel rehabilitation center in Yunnan. In rationality analysis and discussion, personal choices of drug users arc often held accountable. However > it is necessary to take the geographic factor and historical background into consideration when reflecting on their way of being addicted. Besides? this study would > through personal narratives of drug addicts? attempt to introduce the irrationality factor of desire to analyze from the perspective of the subjects how their drug use experience is related to the society through desires. And then, by using participant observation of their daily practices in the center, this study makes an in-depth exploration of how such desires arc handled through healing treatment at the Gospel Rehabilitation Center. And how they through healing practices to realize rebirth.

scholarly journals Contradictory and Intersecting Patterns of Inclusion and Exclusion of Street Youth in Salvador, Brazil

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 39-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marit Ursin
Keyword(s):  
Middle Class ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Homeless People ◽  
Homeless Persons ◽  
Street Youth ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Longitudinal Qualitative Research

Drawing on longitudinal qualitative research in Brazil involving participant observation and narrative interviews with young homeless persons, and semi-structured interviews with middle class residents, local businesses, and patrolling police officers, three overlapping yet contradictory dimensions of inclusion and exclusion are developed. First the hegemonic exclusionary discourse that tends to produce stigmatizing labels on poor people in general, and boys and young men on the street in particular, is mapped out. Second, socio-spatial exclusionary mechanisms involving architectural measures, surveillance cameras and violent policing, guarding the neighbourhood from stigmatised ‘others’ are examined. Third, the less recognised but equally important inclusionary mechanisms, facilitating street life and enabling a sense of belonging among young homeless people are explored. A simplistic and unidimensional conceptualisation of social exclusion is critiqued while demonstrating the multifaceted, intertwined, and contradictory character of homeless people’s social relationships with middle class residents, businesses, and police. Furthermore, the exclusion/inclusion dualism that is vivid in the existing literature is questioned. It is suggested that a nuanced picture is vital to increasing our understanding of the everyday lives of homeless populations and that further investigation and theorization of their exclusion as well as inclusion is needed.

Exploring the emotional experience of lean

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Siobhan Taylor ◽  
Robert McSherry ◽  
Susy Cook ◽  
Emma Giles
Keyword(s):  
Participant Observation ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Symbolic Interactionist ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Lean Implementation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Thematic Network Analysis ◽  
New Framework

PurposeThis research aims to contribute to the literature on Lean implementation in healthcare by studying the emotional experiences of the relevant actors related to a Rapid Process Improvement Workshop (RPIW) in a UK healthcare context. The purpose of this study was to go beyond what people think about Lean and towards an exploration of their subjective, emotional and “feeling” experience and whether that emotional experience influenced Lean implementation.Design/methodology/approachA phenomenological and symbolic interactionist qualitative case study was undertaken. Data related to participants' emotional experience were collected through non-participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using thematic network analysis.FindingsThis paper provides novel insights into the emotional experience of Lean as experienced through an RPIW. The findings reveal that participation in an RPIW is much more than a technical process. It influences how people feel about themselves, is based on relationships with others, and requires mental, physical and emotional effort. All of these factors influence engagement with, initiation of and sustainability of the RPIW.Research limitations/implicationsA new conceptual framework for the planning and implementation of RPIWs has been developed. However, because of the chosen research approach, the results may lack generalisability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the framework and proposed practice implications.Originality/valueDespite emotions being an integral part of individual and social everyday life, emotional experience has not been studied in relation to Lean. This study is the first to explore emotions in relation to Lean, with implications for practice as to how RPIWs are managed with a new framework for implementation being proposed.

scholarly journals Assessment of stigma and prejudice in the organization of care networks for drug users

2022 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elitiele Ortiz dos Santos ◽  
Leandro Barbosa de Pinho ◽  
Aline Basso da Silva ◽  
Adriane Domingues Eslabão
Keyword(s):  
Continuing Education ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Psychosocial Care ◽  
Rio Grande ◽  
Rio Grande Do Sul ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Open Forum ◽  
Organization Of Care

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess stigma and prejudice in the organization of the Psychosocial Care Network for drug users. Methods: this is a qualitative study, developed through Empowerment Assessment. The survey was conducted in a municipality in Rio Grande do Sul, with 42 network workers. For data collection, participant observation, semi-structured interviews and open forum were used. For data analysis, thematic analysis was used. Results: the network’s mission involved a proposal for care without prejudice and judgments for drug users. It was identified that the composition of the network with training in multidisciplinary residency and psychiatry facilitates achieving the mission, and among the difficulties, the challenges to overcome prejudice were analyzed. Strategies for continuing education, seminars, and user empowerment in the community are suggested. Final considerations: stigma and prejudice need to be problematized in the networks for the organization of more inclusive and rehabilitating psychosocial care.

scholarly journals The project “DiverCity – intercultural urban perception”

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Lehmann
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Homeless People ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Spatial Diversity ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Structured Interviews

The project "DiverCity" observes spatial diversity in cities from an intersectional point of view and analyzesdifferent forms of urban life with an interdisciplinary approach. The main reason for this research is given by raising sociocultural coexistences living together in urban spaces; a subject that occupies the man from the beginning of his settlements, actually since the early development of cities. In spite of the social changes that are produced within modern urban lifes, the debate about social life very often seems more a matter rooted in politics than in everyday life itself. Societies generate solutions and create its own concept of coexistence, very since allowing joint relationships between different spheres and social groups. But how is this actually done? These dynamics are precisely the main object of investigation in the "DiverCity" project.   It therefore focuses its study on socio-cultural minorities and their perception of urban space. This is basically examined in two cities of different dimensions, a small and larger city in Germany, Lüneburg and Hamburg. The investigated minority groups are Muslims, people with disabilities, homeless people and homosexuals. Using empirical social research methods, especially based on semi-structured interviews and participant observation, the urban and spatial perception of the mentioned groups was examined and compared to each other. The presentation shows the first results of the analyzes carried out in Hamburg and Lüneburg as well as the planned extension of the project and its realization in Argentina.

Everyday Choice Making: Outcomes of Young People with Acquired Brain Injury After Moving from Residential Aged Care to Community-Based Supported Accommodation

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dianne Winkler ◽  
Libby Callaway ◽  
Sue Sloan ◽  
Nadine Holgate
Keyword(s):  
Brain Injury ◽  
Young People ◽  
Acquired Brain Injury ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Residential Aged Care ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Choice Making ◽  
Supported Accommodation

Objectives: (1) Examine the opportunities young people with acquired brain injury (ABI) have to make everyday choices after moving out of residential aged care (RAC) into community-based shared supported accommodation (SSA); (2) Compare everyday choice making of this group with a group of people with ABI living in RAC.Research design: Mixed methods comparing two independent groups.Method and procedures: Responses on eleven relevant items of the Resident Choice Scale (RCS) were compared between two groups; 45 people with ABI living in RAC and 20 people with ABI who had moved from RAC to live in SSA. In addition, the choice making experiences of the SSA group were investigated through semi-structured interviews with the individual and/or their family member. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed.Results: Greater opportunities for everyday choice making were demonstrated on 10 out of the 11 RCS items for people living in SSA, compared to RAC. These included improved choice regarding meals, bedtime and leisure activities. Qualitative data also illustrated new choice opportunities afforded to the SSA group. Five key themes relating to choice were identified: rules and routines, communication, things to do, food and home-like environment.Conclusions: Community-based, age-appropriate and small-scale supported accommodation provides people with ABI more opportunities for everyday choice making than RAC.

Reconceptualising emotional capital and intimacy using a sociological lens: the Authentic Revolution

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreea Nica
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Relationship ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Authentic Movement ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Us ◽  
Emotional Capital

Sociologists and public health scholars have called attention to the rise of social isolation and loneliness in the US. Considering these developments, it is vital to extend the sociological imagination to better understand the forms of meaningful connection and social relationship characteristics sought by individuals. The growing Authentic Movement represents a series of decentralised social groups in the US and abroad that focus on Authentic Relating and Circling Practices. This ethnographic research combines semi-structured interviews and participant observation techniques to examine how these groups promote and allow for participants to explore concepts of emotion intimacy and alternative ways to form authentic connections with others in psychologically safe and (semi-) structured environments. In addition, the research aims to explore how these communities specifically address the rising trends and social problem of social isolation and limited meaningful (emotional) connection with others.

scholarly journals ‘Just Knocking out Pills’: An Ethnography of British Drug Dealers in Ibiza

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Turner
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Drug Market ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Seasonal Workers ◽  
Ethnographic Fieldwork

Background: Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork with British seasonal workers and tourists, this paper provides an extensive overview of the methodological processes of researching drug users and drug dealers within the international nightlife resort of Ibiza. In an innovative application of Bryman’s (2004) Disneyization framework, it is argued that seasonal workers are engaged in a deep form of performative labour. As mediators of Ibiza’s hedonistic atmosphere, this social group are revealed to be deeply immersed in the island’s renowned drug market. Methods: Ethnographic fieldwork employing a grounded theory design was undertaken over three summers in tourist locations across Ibiza, including: nightclubs; bars and cafes; beaches; airports and hotels. Field notes from participant observation were supplemented with data from semi-structured interviews (n=56). Documentary photography was also employed, with 580 images taken during fieldwork. Results and Conclusion: Many British seasonal workers in Ibiza are rapidly enmeshed within the drug market associated with the island’s hedonistic nightlife. Participants in this study were invariably engaged in high levels of illicit drug use, and unlike their tourist counterparts, this was drawn out over several months. As a consequence of the fragile nature of employment within the legal economy, many seasonal workers in Ibiza rely on income from drug dealing. In a social context where drug use is woven into the consumer space, it seems the multiple risks associated with the drug trade are obfuscated. The paper demonstrates that ethnographic immersion within bounded play spaces is essential if researchers are to generate theoretical insight into the complex intersections between illicit drug use, dealing and social context.

Vulnerable Girls and Dangerous Boys

Young ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 427-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann-Karina Henriksen
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Young People ◽  
Working Class ◽  
Feminist Theory ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Institutional Practices ◽  
Insight Into

The study explores the gendered institutional practices and rationalities applied to young people placed in Danish secure institutions. The study draws on ethnographic research, combining participant observation and interviews to gain insight into professionals’ gendered practices and rationalities, and young people’s experiences of confinement. Drawing on Foucauldian power analytics and post-structuralist feminist theory on subjectivity, the study finds that the disciplining practices are gendered to promote working-class masculinity for boys and normative femininity and (hetero)sexuality for girls, with minorizing effects on some boys and girls. The study provides unique insights from a gender-integrated context for confined young people and supplements scholarship on the gendered logics that underpin interventions operating within the penal–social work nexus.

scholarly journals Aspirations for Higher Education: Evidence from Youth Living in Kenneth Gardens Municipal Housing Estate (Durban)

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ndwakhulu Stephen Tshishonga ◽  
Zethembe Mseleku
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Young People ◽  
Career Guidance ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
National Development ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Poor Access ◽  
Entry Requirements

This paper explores the obstacles that prevent young people from accessing higher education. Inadequate and unequal access to higher education internationally and in South Africa, in particular, has undermined young people’s potential to contribute to national development. In South Africa, limited access to higher education for the majority remains a major problem. Hence, young people are underdeveloped socially, economically and academically. Thus, lack of educational opportunities relegates young people to the periphery of the mainstream socio-economic development. This paper uses Kenneth Gardens as a case study to interrogate a lack of access to higher education and its implications for youth vulnerability and non-participation in their own development. The research was qualitative in nature. The imperial data were solicited from semi-structured interviews with Kenneth Gardens youth. In addition, participant observation was used as a research instrument. The major findings from the research were the lack of aspirations as one of the major obstacles that hinder youth from accessing higher education, and the research also found that lack of funding, lack of awareness and inability to meet the minimum university entry requirements were underlying factors. Additionally, a lack of career guidance in schools and unemployed graduates were found to be fundamental for poor access to higher education.

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