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Social Networks and Homelessness Among Women Heads of Household
Author(s) -
Toohey Siobhan M.,
Shinn Marybeth,
Weitzman Beth C.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1023/b:ajcp.0000014315.82860.d2
Subject(s) - health psychology , psychology , social network (sociolinguistics) , public health , gerontology , demography , sociology , medicine , political science , nursing , law , social media
To examine possible bidirectional relationships between homelessness and deficient social networks, we compared the networks of 251 mothers before, and approximately 5 years after, their families entered shelters with networks of 291 consistently housed poor mothers. At Time 1, more women on the verge of homelessness than housed women reported that they had mothers, grandmothers, friends, and relatives but fewer believed these network members were housing resources. At Time 2, after homeless women were rehoused, these network differences between consistently housed and formerly homeless women had largely disappeared. Contrary to prior research findings, formerly homeless mothers did not report smaller networks, more children or fewer partners. However, formerly homeless women did report fewer positive functions. Because of city policies, homeless mothers were frequently rehoused far from network members.