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Empowering Homeless Youth: An Evaluation of a Participatory Action Research Based Program

Dashora, Pushpanjali
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1267458035

Abstract Details

2010, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Human Development and Family Science.
A large number of the nation’s youth live on the streets, with estimates of up to 2.8 million. Homeless youth face numerous challenges including substance abuse and mental and physical health problems. Homelessness is embedded in a social system. Regardless of this, interventions for homeless youth have focused on individual characteristics associated with homelessness. The current study proposes to develop and evaluate an intervention for homeless youth, namely the Fogo process. Fifteen youth (between the ages of 18-24 years) were recruited from the streets and homeless service agencies in the Columbus area. Questionnaires were administered and a life history interview was conducted with youth. Information from interviews was used to develop a video. Three groups of two to four youth per group participated in approximately five sessions of video making. During the final video-making session, questionnaires were administered and a focus group interview was conducted with youth. The video was shown to five policy makers and a focus group interview was conducted afterwards. The purpose of showing the video to policy makers was to provide homeless youths’ voices to policy makers. The findings of this study suggest that a variety of factors in homeless youths’ ecological environment influence the onset and maintenance of homelessness. In addition, this study found that youth experience homelessness not only as a material loss but also as a loss of self. Further, the study details the strategies youth utilize in order to persevere under adversity. Finally, this study found the significance of the video in influencing policy makers’ perceptions about homelessness. This finding supports a bottom-up approach rather than a top-down approach to policy making.
Natasha Slesnick (Advisor)
Stephen Petrill (Committee Member)
Adrian Rodgers (Committee Member)
141 p.
Developmental Psychology; Ecology; Education; Families and Family Life; Mental Health; Personal Relationships; Social Research
Homeless youth; ecological systems theory; mixed method approach; participatory video; grounded theory; policy makers

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Dashora, P. (2010). Empowering Homeless Youth: An Evaluation of a Participatory Action Research Based Program [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1267458035

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Dashora, Pushpanjali. Empowering Homeless Youth: An Evaluation of a Participatory Action Research Based Program. 2010. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1267458035.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Dashora, Pushpanjali. "Empowering Homeless Youth: An Evaluation of a Participatory Action Research Based Program." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1267458035

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1267458035
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.