This paper presents a comprehensive exploration of the complex phenomenon of homelessness in California,with a specific focus on the state’s three largest cities-Los Angeles,San Francisco,and San Diego.Against the ba...This paper presents a comprehensive exploration of the complex phenomenon of homelessness in California,with a specific focus on the state’s three largest cities-Los Angeles,San Francisco,and San Diego.Against the backdrop of a high cost of living and a housing market strained by insufficient affordable options,the multifaceted nature of social diversity further complicates the landscape,leading to a widespread presence of homelessness that spans both major urban centers and rural regions.Through an in-depth examination of the distinct challenges confronting each city,ranging from housing shortages to intricate social dynamics,this study seeks to illuminate the underlying factors driving homelessness and identify potential avenues for intervention.Moreover,the paper delves into the unique vulnerabilities experienced by certain demographics within the homeless population,including veterans,families with children,and LGBTQ+individuals,highlighting the critical need for targeted solutions tailored to their specific needs.By synthesizing existing research and incorporating firsthand accounts,this research endeavor aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of homelessness in California and inform the development of comprehensive strategies aimed at fostering inclusive,sustainable communities statewide.展开更多
During the United States economic recession of 2008-2011, the number of homeless and unstably housed people in the United States increased considerably. Homeless adult women and unaccompanied homeless youth make up th...During the United States economic recession of 2008-2011, the number of homeless and unstably housed people in the United States increased considerably. Homeless adult women and unaccompanied homeless youth make up the most marginal segments of this population. Because homeless individuals are a hard to reach population, research into these marginal groups has traditionally been a challenge for researchers interested in substance abuse and mental health. Network analysis techniques and research strategies offer means for dealing with traditional challenges such as missing sampling frames, variation in definitions of homelessness and study inclusion criteria, and enumeration/population estimation procedures. This review focuses on the need for, and recent steps toward, solutions to these problems that involve network science strategies for data collection and analysis. Research from a range of fields is reviewed and organized according to a new stress process framework aimed at understanding how homeless status interacts with issues related to substance abuse and mental health. Three types of network innovation are discussed: network scale-up methods, a network ecology approach to social resources, and the integration of network variables into the proposed stress process model of homeless substance abuse and mental health. By employing network methods and integrating these methods into existing models, research on homeless and unstably housed women and unaccompanied young people can address existing research challenges and promote more effective intervention and care programs.展开更多
Objective:To determine the prevalence of HIV infection among homeless men and women and the related risk behaviors in Tehran,Iran.Methods:In 2007-2008,Tehran municipality stacked up 10657 homeless men and women for as...Objective:To determine the prevalence of HIV infection among homeless men and women and the related risk behaviors in Tehran,Iran.Methods:In 2007-2008,Tehran municipality stacked up 10657 homeless men and women for assessment of HIV and began collaboration with Iranian Research Center for HIV/AIDS(IRCHA)departments to conduct HIV infection prevalence surveys in homeless populations.The results were analyzed for associations with demographic information,family support,status of drug abuse and relation with family and friends.Results:Overall HIV prevalence was 1.7%(95%confidence interval 1.4-1.9).Factors independently associated with HIV infection included history of using drugs[AOR 8.15(4.86-13.67)].older age[AOR1.80(1.08-2.99)for 40-55 yr],occupation[AOR 1.64(1.19-2.24)for unemployed],and no relation with family[AOR 1.82(l.30-2.54)|.Conclusions:This study supports the idea that injection drug use is contributing to the increased spread of HIV among Iranian homeless.Harm reduction programs should be expanded,particularly among homeless injection drug users.展开更多
BACKGROUND: Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have often been found in studies on homeless people, due to high rates of traumatic experiences. Most research on homelessness has been conducted in North ...BACKGROUND: Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have often been found in studies on homeless people, due to high rates of traumatic experiences. Most research on homelessness has been conducted in North America and Western Europe. However there are many social and cultural factors which can impact the prevalence and number of PTSD symptoms. AIMS: This study sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of trauma and PTSD symptoms among homeless adults in an Eastern European nation (Poland). METHOD: Randomly chosen residents of shelters were interviewed (N = 200). The respondents were asked about symptoms of PTSD, alcohol abuse/dependence, depression symptoms and perceived social support. RESULTS: The data indicated that 30% of the homeless sample were victims of traumatic events, 22% showed at least one PTSD symptom, and 7% met criteria for a lifetime diagnosis of PTSD. Symptoms of PTSD were the most common among those who had symptoms of alcohol abuse/ dependence and depression. CONCLUSION: The study’s findings support the need to attend to mental disorders such as PTSD when addressing the array of needs of homeless people.展开更多
Homeless Bird is a 2000 National Book Award novel for young adults by Gloria Whelan. By employing the fairy tale Cinderella as an archetype, Gloria Whelan successfully blends fantasy with realism, building an image of...Homeless Bird is a 2000 National Book Award novel for young adults by Gloria Whelan. By employing the fairy tale Cinderella as an archetype, Gloria Whelan successfully blends fantasy with realism, building an image of new Cinderella, who is independent, courageous, and full of rebelling spirits in a patriarchal society, thus presenting young readers a more familiar and more acceptable access to the harsh reality. With the theme of female initiation, Koly＇s initiation journey is allegorical which needs to be read as an extended metaphor to exhibit the power of courage and hope in people who determine to take the fate in their own hands.展开更多
I had a loveless childhood. I didn’t have loving parents. I didn’t know how to care about others and I didn’t even really know what love was. I always complained, thinking everyone owed me something, and I blamed l...I had a loveless childhood. I didn’t have loving parents. I didn’t know how to care about others and I didn’t even really know what love was. I always complained, thinking everyone owed me something, and I blamed life for not giving me what other children had. Not until I came to the Guang’ai Family did I truly discover love, thanks to my teachers and classmates.展开更多
No stranger could detect anything unnatural to see the 14-year-old Zhang Lizheng burst into the house with the greeting remark, "Mom, I’m back!" He’s just returned from school. "You’re the last to co...No stranger could detect anything unnatural to see the 14-year-old Zhang Lizheng burst into the house with the greeting remark, "Mom, I’m back!" He’s just returned from school. "You’re the last to come back today," says the "Mom" indulgently, taking off the boy’s jacket and hanging it on the clothes rack next to the door. "Wash your hands and dinner is ready." On the round dinner table lie several dishes and six sets of bowls and chopsticks. "You’ll also have your favorite scrambled eggs and tomatoes tonight," smiles the lady in her late 20s, who looks too young to be a mother of four boys.展开更多
Knowledge of how homeless people deal with natural hazards and disasters is sparse and there is a remarkable absence of homeless people in policies and practices for disaster risk reduction(DRR). This article aims at ...Knowledge of how homeless people deal with natural hazards and disasters is sparse and there is a remarkable absence of homeless people in policies and practices for disaster risk reduction(DRR). This article aims at filling this gap by exploring the lives of homeless people in two New Zealand cities that are exposed to natural hazards. It shows that natural hazards are of marginal concern to homeless people in comparison to the everyday hazards that they experience and that make their everyday life a disaster in itself. The disaster of everyday life is created and compounded by homeless people’s precarious lifeworlds. The article, nonetheless, shows that homeless people’s vulnerability to natural hazards remains high as they lack power to control the processes that shape their everyday lives, to prepare for large-scale events, and to be represented in DRR policy. Therefore, the article ultimately argues that disaster policies require greater attention to be paid to the power structures that create persistent precarity and the ways in which this is experienced in everyday life.展开更多
文摘This paper presents a comprehensive exploration of the complex phenomenon of homelessness in California,with a specific focus on the state’s three largest cities-Los Angeles,San Francisco,and San Diego.Against the backdrop of a high cost of living and a housing market strained by insufficient affordable options,the multifaceted nature of social diversity further complicates the landscape,leading to a widespread presence of homelessness that spans both major urban centers and rural regions.Through an in-depth examination of the distinct challenges confronting each city,ranging from housing shortages to intricate social dynamics,this study seeks to illuminate the underlying factors driving homelessness and identify potential avenues for intervention.Moreover,the paper delves into the unique vulnerabilities experienced by certain demographics within the homeless population,including veterans,families with children,and LGBTQ+individuals,highlighting the critical need for targeted solutions tailored to their specific needs.By synthesizing existing research and incorporating firsthand accounts,this research endeavor aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of homelessness in California and inform the development of comprehensive strategies aimed at fostering inclusive,sustainable communities statewide.
文摘During the United States economic recession of 2008-2011, the number of homeless and unstably housed people in the United States increased considerably. Homeless adult women and unaccompanied homeless youth make up the most marginal segments of this population. Because homeless individuals are a hard to reach population, research into these marginal groups has traditionally been a challenge for researchers interested in substance abuse and mental health. Network analysis techniques and research strategies offer means for dealing with traditional challenges such as missing sampling frames, variation in definitions of homelessness and study inclusion criteria, and enumeration/population estimation procedures. This review focuses on the need for, and recent steps toward, solutions to these problems that involve network science strategies for data collection and analysis. Research from a range of fields is reviewed and organized according to a new stress process framework aimed at understanding how homeless status interacts with issues related to substance abuse and mental health. Three types of network innovation are discussed: network scale-up methods, a network ecology approach to social resources, and the integration of network variables into the proposed stress process model of homeless substance abuse and mental health. By employing network methods and integrating these methods into existing models, research on homeless and unstably housed women and unaccompanied young people can address existing research challenges and promote more effective intervention and care programs.
基金Supported by Tehran University of Medical Sciences(Grant No.89/120102)
文摘Objective:To determine the prevalence of HIV infection among homeless men and women and the related risk behaviors in Tehran,Iran.Methods:In 2007-2008,Tehran municipality stacked up 10657 homeless men and women for assessment of HIV and began collaboration with Iranian Research Center for HIV/AIDS(IRCHA)departments to conduct HIV infection prevalence surveys in homeless populations.The results were analyzed for associations with demographic information,family support,status of drug abuse and relation with family and friends.Results:Overall HIV prevalence was 1.7%(95%confidence interval 1.4-1.9).Factors independently associated with HIV infection included history of using drugs[AOR 8.15(4.86-13.67)].older age[AOR1.80(1.08-2.99)for 40-55 yr],occupation[AOR 1.64(1.19-2.24)for unemployed],and no relation with family[AOR 1.82(l.30-2.54)|.Conclusions:This study supports the idea that injection drug use is contributing to the increased spread of HIV among Iranian homeless.Harm reduction programs should be expanded,particularly among homeless injection drug users.
文摘BACKGROUND: Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have often been found in studies on homeless people, due to high rates of traumatic experiences. Most research on homelessness has been conducted in North America and Western Europe. However there are many social and cultural factors which can impact the prevalence and number of PTSD symptoms. AIMS: This study sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of trauma and PTSD symptoms among homeless adults in an Eastern European nation (Poland). METHOD: Randomly chosen residents of shelters were interviewed (N = 200). The respondents were asked about symptoms of PTSD, alcohol abuse/dependence, depression symptoms and perceived social support. RESULTS: The data indicated that 30% of the homeless sample were victims of traumatic events, 22% showed at least one PTSD symptom, and 7% met criteria for a lifetime diagnosis of PTSD. Symptoms of PTSD were the most common among those who had symptoms of alcohol abuse/ dependence and depression. CONCLUSION: The study’s findings support the need to attend to mental disorders such as PTSD when addressing the array of needs of homeless people.
文摘Homeless Bird is a 2000 National Book Award novel for young adults by Gloria Whelan. By employing the fairy tale Cinderella as an archetype, Gloria Whelan successfully blends fantasy with realism, building an image of new Cinderella, who is independent, courageous, and full of rebelling spirits in a patriarchal society, thus presenting young readers a more familiar and more acceptable access to the harsh reality. With the theme of female initiation, Koly＇s initiation journey is allegorical which needs to be read as an extended metaphor to exhibit the power of courage and hope in people who determine to take the fate in their own hands.
文摘I had a loveless childhood. I didn’t have loving parents. I didn’t know how to care about others and I didn’t even really know what love was. I always complained, thinking everyone owed me something, and I blamed life for not giving me what other children had. Not until I came to the Guang’ai Family did I truly discover love, thanks to my teachers and classmates.
文摘No stranger could detect anything unnatural to see the 14-year-old Zhang Lizheng burst into the house with the greeting remark, "Mom, I’m back!" He’s just returned from school. "You’re the last to come back today," says the "Mom" indulgently, taking off the boy’s jacket and hanging it on the clothes rack next to the door. "Wash your hands and dinner is ready." On the round dinner table lie several dishes and six sets of bowls and chopsticks. "You’ll also have your favorite scrambled eggs and tomatoes tonight," smiles the lady in her late 20s, who looks too young to be a mother of four boys.
基金supported by a grant from the University of Auckland through its Faculty Research Development Fund (No.3706764)
文摘Knowledge of how homeless people deal with natural hazards and disasters is sparse and there is a remarkable absence of homeless people in policies and practices for disaster risk reduction(DRR). This article aims at filling this gap by exploring the lives of homeless people in two New Zealand cities that are exposed to natural hazards. It shows that natural hazards are of marginal concern to homeless people in comparison to the everyday hazards that they experience and that make their everyday life a disaster in itself. The disaster of everyday life is created and compounded by homeless people’s precarious lifeworlds. The article, nonetheless, shows that homeless people’s vulnerability to natural hazards remains high as they lack power to control the processes that shape their everyday lives, to prepare for large-scale events, and to be represented in DRR policy. Therefore, the article ultimately argues that disaster policies require greater attention to be paid to the power structures that create persistent precarity and the ways in which this is experienced in everyday life.
