Potentialities and limitations of participation by homeless persons in social intervention processes

Abstract

This work analyses the main factors to consider in the practical implementation of user participation in social interventions performed in the context of homelessness, including in particular: the dissemination of procedures; the persistence of user-related stigmas; and the top-down character of interventions. Other significant factors will also have a notable influence, such as the implications of a context of socio-economic difficulties and the characteristics of homeless persons’ profiles. The empirical foundations for this contribution emerge from an analysis of the discourse of technical experts and specialists in the field in public and private entities related with social intervention in the context of homelessness.