Social support and social network ties among the homeless in a downtown Atlanta park

This study applies a typology of social support with 3 categories of social networks to investigate social ties and their benefits for homeless people. Data were derived from a 2‐year long series of participant observations of homeless or precariously housed people who came regularly to a downtown A...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of community psychology 2011-04, Vol.39 (3), p.274-291
Main Authors: Reitzes, Donald C., Crimmins, Timothy J., Yarbrough, Johanna, Parker, Josie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Georgia
Homeless People
Parks
Participant Observation
Social Networks
Social Services
Social support
Social Support Groups
Studies
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Summary:This study applies a typology of social support with 3 categories of social networks to investigate social ties and their benefits for homeless people. Data were derived from a 2‐year long series of participant observations of homeless or precariously housed people who came regularly to a downtown Atlanta public park. The findings are as follows: (a) the homeless men and women who regularly visited the park obtained four types of support: tangible, advice, belonging, and esteem support from non‐kin, family, and formal social services; and (b) the homeless combined support provided by different social networks in attempts to address their substantial needs. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
ISSN:0090-4392
1520-6629
DOI:10.1002/jcop.20431