The denizen rebel. Pathways of the hidden homeless in the shadow of the welfare state

PhD student: Sophie Samyn
Summary: The research wants to capture trajectories of homelessness among migrants in Ghent through ethnographic methods, i.e. observations and informal interviews. We will examine how they experience their homelessness and how they relate to different services and voluntary organisations in the city. Some of these homeless individuals face particular challenges because the access to basic social rights is dependent on their residency status. However, the right to housing is a human right that should be realized for all people. The goal of the doctoral project is: (1) To capture trajectories of migrants homelessness in Ghent (2) Gain insight into the efforts and responses of (local) social policy and social work in dealing with homelessness in people's lives (3) Co-creating knowledge with the homeless as allies in social work's pursuit of social justice.
PhD in Social Work
Promoter(s): Griet Roets, Koen Hermans
Period of time: 2020 - 2024