Premium
Marginalized Mothers: Parenting Without a Home
Author(s) -
Cosgrove Lisa,
Flynn Cheryl
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
analyses of social issues and public policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.479
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1530-2415
pISSN - 1529-7489
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-2415.2005.00059.x
Subject(s) - coping (psychology) , psychology , poverty , participatory action research , citizen journalism , intervention (counseling) , curriculum , nursing , medical education , applied psychology , sociology , pedagogy , clinical psychology , medicine , political science , psychiatry , anthropology , law
The authors of this study used participatory and interpretive methods to capture the lived experience, strengths, and needs of homeless mothers. The interview data obtained challenge unfounded stereotypes and provide information about women's coping behaviors and resilience. The findings were developed in collaboration with shelter guests and staff and have important implications for public and university policy and shelter programs. For example, researchers need to become more aware of the limitations of current psychological theories and assessment tools designed to measure “effective coping” in disenfranchised individuals. To accomplish this goal, increased collaboration among researchers, activists, policy makers, and homeless families is recommended (e.g., by instituting roundtable discussions as a standard part of shelter programs). It is also suggested that professional staff who work with women living in poverty avoid using deficit‐oriented, victim‐based models of intervention, and that staff provide women with opportunities to participate in the development of the curriculum for parenting classes.