
Moving to Nowhere
Children's Stories of Homelessness
Mary E. Walsh(Author)
Praeger Publishers Inc
Published on 23. March 1992
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-0-86569-202-2 (ISBN)
Description
The number of homeless families in the United States continues to increase at an alarming rate. There is little doubt that becoming homeless and living in shelters has had significant effects on the lives of the children in these families. While many empirical studies have documented the effects of homelessness on one or another aspect of children's lives, Moving To Nowhere looks at the experience of losing one's home and living in a shelter from the perspective of the child. Children who are homeless tell their own story. They speak of life in a shelter as they have known it. It is through these stories that human service professionals can come to see homelessness as the children themselves see it and can learn what living in a shelter is like.
Children who are homeless tell their own story. They describe how they became homeless, why they think it happened to their family, what their expectations and concerns were as they realized they would be moving to a shelter, and what the shelter was like when they arrived. They speak often of missing their old neighborhoods, their friends, and their extended family. They report their fears, their worries about their family's future, the absence of money and resources, and, for some, the presence of violence or substance abuse in their families. They repeatedly tell of their embarrassment about being homeless; this profoundly colors their relationships to friends, schoolmates, and teachers. And, in each of their stories, these children provide clear and moving examples of how they manage to survive on a day to day basis while they wait for permanent housing. Health care professionals, psychologists, and teachers, as well as students and the general public, will find this work poignant and instructive.
Children who are homeless tell their own story. They describe how they became homeless, why they think it happened to their family, what their expectations and concerns were as they realized they would be moving to a shelter, and what the shelter was like when they arrived. They speak often of missing their old neighborhoods, their friends, and their extended family. They report their fears, their worries about their family's future, the absence of money and resources, and, for some, the presence of violence or substance abuse in their families. They repeatedly tell of their embarrassment about being homeless; this profoundly colors their relationships to friends, schoolmates, and teachers. And, in each of their stories, these children provide clear and moving examples of how they manage to survive on a day to day basis while they wait for permanent housing. Health care professionals, psychologists, and teachers, as well as students and the general public, will find this work poignant and instructive.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
College/higher education
Interest Age: From 7 to 17 years
ISBN-13
978-0-86569-202-2 (9780865692022)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
MARY E. WALSH is Associate Professor and Director of the Doctoral Training Program at Boston College. She is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She is the co-author of Children's Conceptions of Health, Illness, and Bodily Functions, and has contributed to numerous scholarly and professional journal.
Content
Preface Introduction "Nowhere Else To Go": Becoming Homeless "Because We're Poor": Explanations of Homelessness "Living Here's Not Bad But Not Good Enough": Shelter Living "I Had To Leave Some Stuff Behind": Loss and Disappointment "I'm Always Scared": Fears and Uncertainty "I've Seen And I Know What I've Seen": Violence and Substance Abuse "Waiting For Grammy To Call": Family Relationships "I Ain't Telling Them I'm In A Shelter": Friends "It Feels Like I'm Dumb": School "We'll Manage but It Isn't Easy": Coping Conclusion References Index