'Homeless in their own home': the case of home-deprived single mothers. (9th November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Benyamin, Shlomit
• Is Part Of: International journal of law, policy and the family. Volume 36:Number 1(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-11-09
• Subjects: Domestic relations -- Periodicals; 346.015
• DOI: 10.1093/lawfam/ebac022
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1360-9939

Abstract

Abstract: Institutional statistics and academic research in Israel tend to present a partial description of the gender characteristics of the problem of Israeli homelessness. They often focus on the manifest aspect of the phenomenon, which essentially characterizes homelessness as men living on the streets. By doing so, they ignore its hidden aspect, especially its feminine characteristics. Based on 10 interviews that I conducted with Jewish and Arab women, who are home-deprived single mothers, the article reveals how these women, who have some kind of roof over their heads, have living arrangements that are characterized by a lack of stability and security. The women engage in a number of strategies, which include, for example: living with family and friends, constantly moving from one apartment to another, refusing to evacuate, and squatting in empty apartments, which make them invisible homeless, hidden from the public eye. The analysis of the women's coping strategies reveals that the women are not passive objects of the hegemonic discourse, but rather active members of society. The women engage in resistance and redefine the boundaries of the social problem of homelessness, in order to meet their parental obligations and ensure that their children will have a roof over their heads. Keywords: hidden homelessness; women; feminism; social problem, resistance, Israel