Title

Writing on the margins from the center: Homeless youth and cultural politics

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Cultural Studies - Critical Methodologies

ISSN

1532-7086

Volume

10

Issue

1

DOI

10.1177/1532708609351149

First Page

19

Last Page

27

Publication Date

2-1-2010

Abstract

Research with homeless youth requires negotiating with Institutional Review Boards (IRB), school districts, and social service agencies. Youth that are homeless live a life different from the researcher, thus issues of trust and caring need to be considered before asking a vulnerable young person to share his or her story. The authors share insight learned from a qualitative study of the educational barriers of homeless youth that highlight these issues. The overarching finding is that homeless youth are invisible and silenced in a social service system overwhelmed with red tape and bureaucratic procedures. The authors suggest that program developers, researchers, and policymakers give voice to homeless youth by listening to the stories they tell and then enacting policies that build on their recommendations.

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