Participation of Homeless People on the Creation of Social Policies and its Tools

Katerina Glumbikova, Marek Mikulec

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the article is to analyze several perspectives of understanding the participation of homeless people through the lens of individual actors in the field of social services and social assistance to homeless people. THEORETICAL BASE: Citizen participation in the development of social policies and their instruments is the key concept of the contemporary development and planning of public policies. METHODS: The data were obtained as a part of the secondary analysis of data obtained from interviews with 18 communication partners, actors of homeless participation (homeless persons, specialists, social services, municipalities). The data were analyzed using A. Clarke‘s situational analysis approaches. OUTCOMES: The results show that individual actors of participation differ in the understanding of this phenomenon, especially on the axes of the individual versus structural focus and engagement versus enforcement. SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATION: The participation of marginalized groups of people, such as homeless people, should receive special attention from all actors involved.

Keywords
participation, homelessness, social policy instruments

Issue:

5/2019

p. 31 – 45