Homeless men: occupational injustice from experiences of family and work roles

Abstract

Introduction: The process of becoming homeless is not a chance phenomenon; rather, it begins before it occurs. It is linked to a series of factors ranging from childhood experiences to family, work, and contextual circumstances that, together, condition its development. Through various cultural, social, and institutional mechanisms, homeless people experience exclusion and processes that are centered on the perspective of occupational injustice. Objective: From this perspective, our objective is to understand the experiences and challenges faced by homeless people in the exercise of meaningful family and work roles, from a perspective of interpreted occupational injustice. Method: Using a qualitative perspective and a phenomenological design, interviews were conducted with homeless men in Concepción, Chile. This research meets ethical criteria of quality and rigor and was approved by the ethics committee of (anonymous). Results: The findings reveal stories that share common elements of occupational injustice beginning in childhood, such as violence, abandonment, and emotional disconnection, among others, together with accounts that highlight family and work roles as sources of nostalgia and pain while living on the street. Nevertheless, the interviewed men recognize learning experiences and motivations for possible change in their life projects with regard to the exercise of family and work roles. Conclusion: Occupational injustice must be addressed through historical knowledge of the people who experience it, and understanding work and family roles is key to understanding the life histories of homeless people.