SKUPINE ČIMBENIKA I NJIHOV UTJECAJ NA VAŽNE ŽIVOTNE ODLUKE: BESKUĆNICI U PULI

GROUPS OF FACTORS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON IMPORTANT LIFE DECISIONS: THE HOMELESS IN PULA The socially unfavorable status of the homeless is still not sufficiently supported by risk-reduction measures of homelessness in Croatia, which indicates the need for additional research of aggravating factors and development of prevention measures. Based on a review of current knowledge about the homeless, two opposing approaches are observed: the homelessness as a result of a set of circumstances and the homelessness as one’s own choice. The approach used in this paper is a combination of the above and refers to the review of groups of influencing factors and their role in respondents’ decision-making that preceded the situation of homelessness. The aim of this paper is to set the theoretical basis for investigation of influential factors in the context of decision-making that preceded homelessness and to present the results of exploratory research based on the purposive sampling (users of the »Homeless Shelter of the Red Cross Pula«). The questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used for obtaining self-reported data based on respondents’ recollections of situations in which they made relevant socioeconomic decisions in their lives. The results indicate that the respondents’ homelessness situation was preceded by decision-making with a combination of at least three influential factors from different groups of aggravating influences. The observed regularities are the basis for further research. Key words: homelessness, influences on decision-making, individual factors, strudtural factors