Psychological research on homelessness in Western Europe: A review from 1970 to 2001

The rapidly growing, but still small, research literature on homelessness in Europe has often been provided by non-academics, using qualitative methods, and has been published in sources that are not widely available. This article summarizes definitions employed, observed prevalence, the socio-demographic characteristics, and the physical and mental health status of the homeless in Western Europe. Research pertaining to the causes of homelessness and the societal response to the problem are also reviewed, and the ethical and methodological questions raised by European researchers are debated. A critical analysis of the largely descriptive European research is provided, and some noteworthy exceptions are described. We also discuss a number of promising theoretical models, including those that focus on learned helplessness, social strain, and social stress

Donnees sociales 1990

SIGLEAvailable at INIST (FR), Document Supply Service, under shelf-number : RP 11009 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc

Adapting quantitative survey procedures: The price for assessing vulnerability? Lessons from a large-scale survey on aging and migration in Switzerland

This chapter aims at understanding the issues of capturing vulnerable populations in large-scale quantitative surveys. A dilemma in survey construction arises when a target vulnerable population to be analyzed cannot be reached using standard survey designs. Indeed, adapting standard procedures may improve access to the targeted vulnerable population; however, these changes may lead to inaccurate comparisons with other population samples. To address this issue, this chapter deals with the data collection process of the large-scale survey on aging Vivre/Leben/Vivere: Old Age Democratization? Progress and Inequalities in Switzerland (VLV). It highlights the need to adjust standard procedures of a quantitative survey to access elderly migrants and the impact of doing so. Results show the need for a constant dialogue between the scientific requirements and realities of fieldwork to avoid an under-representation in surveys. Finally, providing resources to assess vulnerability is not only a methodological engagement; this is also a major social issue about giving a voice to the voiceless

Representation of Vulnerability and the Elderly : A Total Survey Error Perspective on the VLV Survey

This chapter focuses on the "Vivre-Leben-Vivere" (VLV) research and explains how the team in charge has dealt with the issue of representing old people in Switzerland and the vulnerable persons within this population. For this purpose, we draw inspiration from the "total survey error" perspective and discuss the procedures that were used to collect the information, but also the quality of the information itself. We present some of VLV's methodological choices, such as the contact procedures that were designed to "capture" the most vulnerable individuals, especially in a context where refusal rates for participation in surveys are increasing. We also consider the missing values in responses to some "complex" topics. Results show that participation rates are highly related to the effort that was made in order to recruit the individuals. This is critical for the VLV project, where people can show different degrees of vulnerability related to age, health, and/or poverty. In this sense, efforts such as repeated calls, home visits, and the proxy procedure were successful both in a general perspective and more specifically for a fair inclusion of vulnerable persons in the survey. At the same time, the non-response rates show to what extent it is difficult to explain the personal decision not to respond to a survey or to a question. We can find some traces of "interviewer effects" in the analysis of item non-responses, which we have done by using a logistic regression for one of the psychological tests included in VLV. Some aspects relate to interviewer and respondent characteristics, but others relate to the interview context, all highlighting the complex social interactions at stake