THE LIFESTYLE OF “SEDENTARY” HOMELESS CHILDREN: THEIR HOUSES, FAMILIES AND LIVES

Authors

  • Elaine Pedreira Rabinovich

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7322/jhgd.38128

Keywords:

Homeless children, developmenta~ context, child lifestyle, homeless family, homeless “houses”.

Abstract

This study aims to describe some conditions of lhe lifestyle of children from a sedentary grouping of 20 homeless families living under a viaduct in lhe city of Sao Paulo, in arder to understand lhe mediating mechanisms between this lifestyle and some aspects of child development. This lifestyle is intermediary between “children of street”, since they have families and “houses”, and “squatters”, as they may have to keep moving from one urban space to another. Several methodological resources were used to accomplish this
task, including direct observation of space arrangements of the houses, observation of children’s activies indoors and outdoors, and child anamnesis. Some characterisffcs of ~he developmenta~ context of these children were: context favour~ng not only mother-child attachment but other mul~ciple and simul~aneous rela~onships; strong influence of peer relationships; autonomy perceived as dangerous by mothers but children being “on the street”; collective personal space or “a sense of self” that incorporates other people
(TRONICK, 1992); polychronic ~me (HALL, 1983); lack or diff~culty in the ma~ntenance of san~tary cares favoüring morbidity; early differentiation between “wel~” and “poorly”
developed children due to lack of social support to parents; delayed or absent schooling; lack of socia~ stabilization reflected on the child as behavioura~ instability, feelings of
unrooting and of. having no future.

Author Biography

  • Elaine Pedreira Rabinovich
    Psicóloga Clínica, Mestre em Psicologia Experimental / USP e pesquisadora do Centro de Estudos do Crescimento e do Desenvolvimento do Ser Humano - CDH, Faculdade de Saúde Pública/USP.

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Published

1994-06-19

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (1994)

Section

Original Research

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