Situating Practice within Diversity:Homelessness and Human Development in Bangladesh

Sub-theme: Interventions in Homelessness

Homelessness: A Global PerspectiveInternational Conference, 9-13 January 2006, New Delhi, India

Shayer GhafurBangladesh University of Engineering and Technology

Argument

• Homogenous representation of homelessness in the public discourse is a constraint for intervention

• In representation without differentiation Etiology and pathology of homeless people remain unrelated

• Practice to be situated within diversity of homelessness

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Methodology

• Review of published documents and complementing them with media reports

• ‘Critical Discourse Analysis’ provides the methodological framework

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Structure

• Homelessness in Bangladesh(prior understanding)

• Homogenous Representation of Homelessness

• Review of practice• Implications of Homogenous

Representation• Conclusions

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Homelessness in Bangladesh(prior understanding)

• Diversity and similarityRoof-Root-Resource lessness Types: Floating homelessness

Situated homelessness Potential homelessness

• Home for human developmentAccess to home interferes homeless people’s ability to earn, learn, and live with good health

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Homogenous Representation of Homelessness

Forms of homogenous representationSlum dwellers (bastee-bashies)

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Missing Diversity Age: Adult / Child Sex: Male /

FemaleSocial Unit: Individual/

household

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Reasons for homogenous representation • Absence of a statutory definition• Absence of social distinctions • Operational conveniences

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Return Home (Ghore Phera) -a review of practice

• Return Home is a credit programme

• It identifies slum dwellers as rootless people willing to return to villages

• It classified slum dwellers into 4 groups1. Has homestead land, house and small land2. Has homestead land and house, but no land3. Has only homestead land4. Has nothing

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Implications of Homogenous Representation

Representing slum dwellers as homeless people is selective and segmental • Policy:

‘physical perspective’ in policy formulation • Practice:

‘top-down’ intervention with sectoral goals• Political:

‘disempowerment’ of homeless people10/12

Conclusions

• Public discourse do not adopt the concept of homelessness to note its differentiation for subsequent intervention

• Situating practice within diversity is required

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Suggested Framework for Future PracticeStructure Age

Homelessness(Floating — Situated — Potential)

Etiology Pathology(Causes) (Manifest Consequences)

Sex

Human Development

Agency Practice Social unit

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