Welfare regimes, social values and homelessness: Comparing responses to marginalised groups in six European countries

Fitzpatrick, S. and Stephens, M. (2014) Welfare regimes, social values and homelessness: Comparing responses to marginalised groups in six European countries. Housing Studies, 29(2), pp. 215-234. (doi: 10.1080/02673037.2014.848265)

Abstract

This paper examines the exposure to homelessness of socially marginalised groups to understand better the applicability of, and limits to, welfare regime analysis. A vignette methodology is deployed in six European countries to interrogate and compare responses to marginalised groups at high risk of homelessness, including people with substance misuse problems, ex-offenders, young people excluded from the family home, migrants and women fleeing domestic violence. Evidence suggests that a range of values embedded in national political cultures—including familialism, social cohesion, individuality, personal responsibility and personal liberty, as well as egalitarianism—impact on models of intervention and outcomes for specific marginalised groups in ways which cannot be straightforwardly predicted from conventional welfare regime analysis.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Stephens, Professor Mark
• Authors: Fitzpatrick, S., and Stephens, M.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
• Journal Name: Housing Studies
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• ISSN: 0267-3037
• ISSN (Online): 0267-3037
• Published Online: 30 October 2013