‘Near and Far': Social Distancing in Domiciled Characterisations of Homeless People

Darrin Hodgetts (), Ottilie Stolte (), Alan Radley (), Chez Leggatt-Cook (), Shiloh Groot () and Kerry Chamberlain ()
Additional contact information
Darrin Hodgetts: Department of Psychology, University of Waikato, Private Bag 31 05, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand
Ottilie Stolte: Department of Psychology, University of Waikato, Private Bag 31 05, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand
Alan Radley: Department of Social Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK.
Chez Leggatt-Cook: The School of Psychology, Massey University Albany, North Shore Mail Centre, Auckland, 0745, New Zealand
Shiloh Groot: Department of Psychology, University of Waikato, Private Bag 31 05, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand
Kerry Chamberlain: The School of Psychology, Massey University Albany, North Shore Mail Centre, Auckland, 0745, New Zealand

Urban Studies, 2011, vol. 48, issue 8, 1739-1753

Abstract: For domiciled individuals, homeless people provide a disturbing reminder that all is not right with the world. Reactions to seeing homeless people frequently encompass repulsion, discomfort, sympathy and sometimes futility. This paper considers domiciled constructions of homeless people drawn from interviews with 16 participants recruited in the central business district of a New Zealand city. It documents how, when trying to make sense of this complex social problem, domiciled people draw on shared characterisations of homeless people. The concept of ‘social distance’ is used to interrogate the shifting and sometimes incongruous reactions evident in participant accounts. ‘Social distancing’ is conceptualised as a dynamic communal practice existing in interactions between human beings and reflected in the ways that domiciled people talk about their experiences with homeless individuals.

Date: 2011
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://usj.sagepub.com/content/48/8/1739.abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:48:y:2011:i:8:p:1739-1753

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Urban Studies from Urban Studies Journal Limited
Bibliographic data for series maintained by SAGE Publications ().