Exploring Homelessness and Pathways to Social Inclusion: A Comparative Study of Contexts and Challenges in Swiss and Croatian Cities

Project Logo
DOI of the original publication
URI
https://irf.fhnw.ch/handle/11654/29867
Project type
angewandte Forschung
Project start
01.05.2019
Project end
31.12.2022
Project status
abgeschlossen
Project contact
Project manager
Contributors
Šikic-Micanovic, Lynette
Anic, Jadranka Rebeka
Description
Abstract
Homelessness is an extreme manifestation of poverty which reduces a person’s productive potential and leads to social exclusion (European Commission 2013: 5). As homelessness has been forecasted to be on the increase throughout Europe (Serme-Morin 2017), FEANTSA, the European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless reports that these alarming trends require immediate action as European countries are facing a homelessness and a housing exclusion “crisis” (FEANTSA et al. 2017). However, very little data is available on homelessness: both on the number of homeless people in Europe and about homeless people’s daily experiences and coping strategies. This makes strategies of inclusion insecure and recommendations for their change unstable. The proposed qualitative study seeks to break new ground in social research on homelessness by delivering a better understanding of the dimensions and impact of exclusion on people who are homeless in cities of Switzerland and Croatia.
Link
Created during FHNW affiliation
Strategic action fields FHNW
School
Hochschule für Soziale Arbeit
Institute
Institut Sozialplanung, Organisationaler Wandel und Stadtentwicklung
Financed by
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds (SNF)
Project partner
Ivo Pilar Zagreb
Contracting authority
SAP reference
Keywords
Homelessness
Poverty
Social Eclusion
Social Inclusion
Engaged Research
Social Work
Ethnography
Subject (DDC)
Publications
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Publication
Hungarian Homeless People in Basel: Homelessness and Social Exclusion from a Lifeworld-oriented Social Work Perspective
(FEANTSA, 20.12.2019) Temesvary, Zsolt [in: European Journal of Homelessness]
Although their exact number is unknown, supposedly dozens of destitute Hungarian homeless people currently live in Basel, Switzerland. Despite their vulnerability and severe social needs, social workers and other experts know little about their living conditions. This paper aims to explore the dimensions of time and space as well as the characteristics of personal and institutional relationships of Hungarian homeless people living in Basel. The study applies Hans Thiersch’s lifeworld-oriented perspective on social work that contributes to the better understanding of the affected homeless peoples` daily struggles. The study is based on semi-structured qualitative interviews carried out with both homeless people and social workers in the institutions of homeless care. The paper concludes that due to the ‘protectionist’ mechanisms of Swiss social policy, unregistered Hungarian homeless people are excluded from most cantonal social and health services. However, their daily routine is strictly structured by the opening hours of the low-threshold services and their human relationships are limited to other homeless people as well as social workers at soup kitchens and day-care services.
01A - Beitrag in wissenschaftlicher Zeitschrift
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Publication
Homelessness Research and Policy in Switzerland - A First Country Report Embedded in the UN and European Framework
(FEANTSA, 2021) Drilling, Matthias; Mühlethaler, Esther; Iyadurai, Gosalya; Dittmann, Jörg [in: European Journal of Homelessness]
Even today there is little knowledge about the extent of homelessness in Switzerland; there is no legally binding definition of homelessness, and statistics that can be used at national level for profiling this form of poverty are scarce. This paper is based on the “First National Report on Homelessness in Switzerland” (Drilling et al., 2020). The report was motivated by the desire to share currently successful social science based research projects by the authors (especially: first national count; comparability study between Switzerland and Croatia; analysis of politics against homelessness in federalist regimes). In this paper we present findings in order to contribute a sound Swiss perspective to the European landscape of homelessness research and to highlight important future challenges.
01A - Beitrag in wissenschaftlicher Zeitschrift
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Egy jobb élet reményében: Magyar hajléktalanok Bázelben
(22.09.2019) Temesvary, Zsolt [in: Párbeszéd Szociális Szakmai Folyóirat]
This paper aims to introduce the living conditions, the migration-related motivations and the fulfilment of previous expectations of Hungarian homeless people living in Basel. The research was based on participatory observations conducted in social institutions as well as on semi-structured qualitative interviews carried out with both homeless people and social workers. The main findings of the study reveal that the Hungarian homeless community is rather heterogeneous considering the member’s age, background and the general circumstances of living. Despite of this heterogeneity, the common language and cultural background create a relatively strong bond among the affected people. Although Basel is not a primary target of economic migration, the tolerance of the authorities and the people, and the favourable living conditions affect a lot of Hungarian and other Eastern-European destitute people to the city. The previous expectations for living a better life and finding a job are regularly not fulfilled and people are often trapped in homelessness and poverty.
01A - Beitrag in wissenschaftlicher Zeitschrift
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Publication
Obdach- und Wohnungslosigkeit: die gravierendste Form der Armut
(Schweizerische Konferenz für Sozialhilfe, 2019) Drilling, Matthias; Dittmann, Jörg [in: Zeitschrift für Sozialhilfe ZESO]
01B - Beitrag in Magazin oder Zeitung
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Publication
Für wen wäre Housing First eine Antwort? Überlegungen anhand der Basler Obdachlosenstudie
(Verein für Gassenarbeit Schwarzer Peter; Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Sozialpsychiatrie, Sektion Deutschschweiz & Stiftung Pro Mente Sana, 2020) Drilling, Matthias; Dittmann, Jörg; Fabian, Carlo; Müller, Esther; Zingarelli, Jacqueline; Daurù, Andreas [in: Housing First - Ein (fast) neues Konzept gegen Obdachlosigkeit]
04 - Beitrag Sammelband oder Konferenzschrift