Hajléktalan nők : Életutak és nemi identitás

Abstract

In my dissertation I demonstrate the way of life of homeless women and the research of their relation to gender identity. Firstly, the reason for choosing this topic is that not many research have been conducted in this subject, secondly, that I have been working in homeless care system as a social worker for six years. I did my research in 2017- 2018 in Szeged and in Budapest among homeless women, who live in night shelters or at public places. I have conducted a qualitative research, all together I have made interviews with thirty-two homeless women. The framework to my research is given by the way of life of homeless women, my endeavour was to unfold their most important life events. My research questions are divided into two groups. The first group is about how female identity of homeless women is shaped by their traumas, crises and whether they try to acquire and live according to gender roles. I am interested in the question whether this depends on the time and circumstances of them becoming homeless and on the fact that they quasi run their own households or use the provided services of care system in the nights. My second main research question is how the interviewees experience their femininity, in which situations they consider it an advantage or a disadvantage, to what extent they can live up to their wishes as women, and whether they identify themselves as homeless people who happen to be women or women, who are homeless. Regarding way of life, I have examined childhood, love relationships before and after becoming homeless, the question of motherhood, and also the relation to relatives, peers and acquaintances. Researching gender identity is especially important because women are underrepresented among the population of homeless people. In the subject of gender identity, I examined how the respondents experience homelessness as women, what definitions they provide for “good woman/hot woman”, and how they consider their opportunities to fulfil this demand. Furthermore, I also surveyed their name usage in the same topic as most of them use their married name. In connection with physical appearance, I have explored the role of hygiene, and their relation to female tasks (cooking, washing, cleaning). Moreover, the topics of hairstyle, clothing, teeth, and wearing accessories and make-up are also related to this subject. I have unfolded the relation of homeless women to sexuality, depilation, menstruation, and also their habits of drug use and their sources of income.