First Advisor
Melissa Thompson
Date of Award
Spring 6-16-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Sociology and University Honors
Department
Sociology
Language
English
Subjects
Medicalization, Homeless, Houseless, Health, Neoliberalism, Social services
DOI
10.15760/honors.1374
Abstract
The medicalization of homelessness distracts from the systemic drivers of poverty and housing insecurity in favor of treating supposed psychological deviance within unhoused individuals. This article describes a mixed-methods content analysis of 35 Oregon homeless service organization websites investigating how the medicalization of homelessness is perpetuated in homeless service organizations' public-facing materials. Narratives that associate homelessness with mental illness and addiction and encourage self-reform among unhoused clients are identified as key drivers of the medicalization of homelessness on organization websites. Moreover, expressions of neoliberal ideology are found to coincide with medicalizing narratives, shedding further light on medicalization's ties to the neoliberal project.
Rights
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Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/40277
Recommended Citation
Sowards, Ella Mae, "Medicalizing Homelessness: Narratives of Individualization and Systemic Critique on Homeless Shelter Websites" (2023). University Honors Theses. Paper 1345.
https://doi.org/10.15760/honors.1374