Social Class and Masculinity among Homeless Men: A Qualitative Examination William M. Liu, Will B. Goode, Sarah Hernandez, & Jovan Haag Introduction –APA (1991) stated in a resolution on homelessness that adequate and permanent shelter is a basic human need and a lack of it can have harmful effects on a person’s physical and mental health. Additionally it was stated that psychologists have the skills to help the homeless population through research and practice. –Via consensual qualitative research (Hill et al., 1997) we studied the ways men experience homelessness, manage social class transitions, and maintain their sense of masculinity. –The findings of this research project may help psychologists expand their sphere of practice to individuals who are in dire situations where resources are limited and need is great.

Method –In short, the research team (independently and in consensus meetings) organized the interview data into domains from themes that emerged out of the 15 participant responses to a 1 hour interview protocol. Next, subcategories were created from the domains to further described the data themes. Domains and Subcategories: –The Homeless Condition a) How it feels to be homeless; b) Before & after views of homelessness; c) Substance use, mental illness, & physical illness, d) Two types of homeless. –Man in Society a) Expectations of men in society; b) Perception of self as a man; c) Other’s perception of men who are homeless. –Social Class Aspirations a) Aspirations for the future; b) Barriers to change

Results –The Homeless Condition Domain: 12 participants (n=15) expressed negative feelings about being homeless. 11 reported a greater empathy for the homeless after having become homeless. 12 discussed (without being directly asked) substance use, mental illness, and/or physical illness as problems in the homeless community. Though not part of the interview protocol, 10 participants stated there being two types of homeless people (those who have chosen the lifestyle and those who have not). –Man in Society Domain: 14 participants described the traditional “breadwinner” role as the expectation of men in society. 9 clearly said that their perception of self as a man had not changed since becoming homeless. 11 participants believed others to be looking at them in a negative way for being homeless. –Social Class Aspirations Domain: 12 participants aspired to change to a higher social class. 13 of the men said that they do experience barriers to social class change (5 labeled “myself” as the primary barrier).

Selected Participant Responses –“There is no good or happy about being homeless. There is no… I mean, you just gotta accept the situation you’re in.” –“I just thought people didn’t want to work and just didn’t want to do nothing for themselves, but there’s other problems that people have that keep them from working.” –“My estimation… that 85 to 95 percent of the people that you will find homeless have… mental health issues…physical problem… or they have a substance abuse problem.” –“I think man’s role in society is to go to work, pay the bills, raise a family, be honest, non-violent, that’s what I want.” –“There’s absolutely no change [in masculinity]. The fact that I’m homeless is 99.9 % because of the decisions that I’ve made in my life… so they have nothing to do at all with how I feel about being a man.” –“Society looks at me like I’m lower… People look at me like I’m spit in a garbage can.” –“I’d like to be middle class… House, car, family. Like I said at this point in my life it’s beyond hope.” –“Nothing’s in my way [from changing], but myself I guess”

Discussion –Though not asked in the protocol and not strong enough to be a theme, 6 participants brought up the need for more counseling and research in the homeless community. –While most men were eager to talk throughout the interview, many participants were reluctant to answer questions relating to their masculinity – often giving ambiguous answers or short answers without elaboration. –Though not always explicitly stated, many men eluded to feeling depressed or described strong personal discontent about their situation and future. Conclusion –Understanding homeless men’s perceptions of their condition, masculinity, and social class can help psychologists better serve this population with more refined counseling services and outreach to this community. This study may also help develop more research questions on social class and masculinity among homeless men.