Social care of homeless people and digital citizenship

Authors

Keywords:

Homelessness, Social care, Social resources, Digital citizenship, Internet, Gender, Participatory action research

Abstract

The increase in homelessness has sparked growing concerns about enhancing their care. Any initiative should be built upon participatory diagnosis, in collaboration with existing networks experienced in addressing homelessness, and grounded in their actual needs as reported by homeless individuals and the technical staff working with them. Following this approach, the "cordobasinhogar" project aims to transform access to information about resources for homeless individuals into a digital environment, with a special focus on female homelessness. Arising from Participatory Action Research, the project was developed after exploring how homeless individuals in Córdoba, Spain, value and utilize available resources, and their access to digital citizenship.

Cordobasinhogar.es provides a website with geolocated information about the needs of people experiencing homelessness. In collaboration with the City Council of Córdoba, structured interviews were conducted with 215 adults (23.3% women). The data challenges the most common stereotype associated with homeless individuals, suggesting that they lack access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), and reveals the use of the most commonly employed social resources, with variations based on gender and ETHOS typology. The use of mobile devices and internet access is common for activities such as listening to music, using WhatsApp, checking YouTube, social media, news, job searches, and topics related to housing, social resources, and health, among others.

This study emphasizes the importance of involving the community in improving care for homeless individuals and demonstrates how digital technology can contribute to staying "connected," providing easily accessible information about available resources.

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Author Biographies

Carmen Cruz, Departament of Education, University of Cordoba

Carmen Cruz. Contracted Doctor Professor in the Department of Education at the University of Cordoba (Spain). Faculty of Education and Psychology. Avda. San Alberto Magno, s/n. 14071. Cordoba. carmen.cruz@uco.es. Research lines: study of digital literacy, situations of extreme vulnerability, homelessness, in studies with a gender perspective, and in proposals for social transformation and innovation.

Amalia Reina, Departament of Psychology, University of Cordoba

Amalia Reina. Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cordoba (Spain). Faculty of Education and Psychology. Avda. San Alberto Magno, s/n. 14071. Cordoba. amalia.reina@uco.es. Research interests: scenarios of extreme vulnerability, studies with a gender perspective, digital citizenship, and proposals for social innovation and digital literacy.

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Published

2024-07-31

How to Cite

Cruz, C., & Reina, A. (2024). Social care of homeless people and digital citizenship . Prisma Social Journal, (46), 229–256. Retrieved from https://revistaprismasocial.es/ps/article/view/5300

Issue

No. 46 (2024): Digital Technology and socio-educational development in municipal contexts

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Sección abierta

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