Overview of the issues present in ameliorating the effects of homelessness in adult populations using education in addition to social services for rehabilitation and return to society.

1. EFFICACY OF ADULT HOMELESS EDUCATION IN
RETURNING PATRONS TO MAINSTREAM SOCIETY
A PRELIMINARY QUALITATIVE
ANALYSIS

2. When we think of education today, the first thought that
comes to mind is that of children in a classroom receiving
instruction.

3. However, other populations are also included in the
receiving of education, especially adult populations.
While it is also true that education is meant to prepare
us for a task or role in the future, it can also serve the
purpose of bringing us back to a favorable former state
of being. This type of adult education is what is of
particular benefit to the homeless population in
America. (Mercer, 1993)

4. An often ignored class of people, the homeless are
also in dire need to be educated (or re-educated) in
life skills- skills that may have been forgotten or
replaced with other modes of operation to fit the
environment of street life. However, for positive
reintegration into mainstream society to take place,
this type of adult instruction must be provided to this
displaced audience. (Karinshak, 1996)

5. As a research project, it is already generally understood
that education of the homeless has as its main goal to
permanently remove them from the street environment
and into a state of economic self-sufficiency. The
problem lies into exactly what type of education would
be best suited for this situation. One way to attempt to
address this issue is by conducting a qualitative research
study that looks at the education that is provided by
homeless advocacy groups, and education that has been
received by former homeless citizens, and arrive at a
workable solution through the analysis of both.

6. At first glance, educating the homeless appears to
be a low priority in terms of providing meaningful
assistance to this population: “To some people, the
idea of literacy training for homeless adults seems
ancillary. The literacy instructors themselves
concede that for people who have no home, no
income, and no family to lean on, education takes a
back seat to more pressing needs.” (Mercer, 1993)

7. Nevertheless, providing a
meal for the day does not
prepare the participant for
the challenges of
tomorrow. A preliminary
question to be addressed
for this type of study
would then be, “To what
extent does adult education
actually assist the
homeless adult in securing
employment, and how well
received is such education
by the participant?”

8. This is important because the recipient has to
appreciate the value of the instruction they receive in
order for the instruction to be of any benefit to them.
Unfortunately, according to one instructor,
underlying emotional concerns are the first barrier to
accepting the training. “One of the primary concerns
of teaching homeless adults is that many of them
possess a poor concept of themselves. Many of my
former students have commented that living in the
shelter has caused them to feel like they were ‘at the
bottom’ or ‘were as low as they could go.’”
(Karinshak, 1996)

9. From these statements we can deduce that a closer look
into providing instruction that also raises the self-
esteem of the participants will increase the effectiveness
of the education provided. “Results of these studies
have led researchers to promote the theory that if levels
of self-esteem can be determined, it may be possible to
predict, change, or improve the lives of some people.”
(Malcolm, 2004)

10. Due to the subjective nature of this study, namely the
impact of education for homeless adults as interpreted by
former homeless adults and those that provide assistance
to them through education and training, this research can
best be suited through qualitative analysis. The main
research question that should be asked in this case, is
“How has education helped you return to mainstream
society?” For educators of the homeless, the research
question should be “Which type of education has had the
greatest impact on helping your clients return to
mainstream society?”

11. By seeking responses from both the
educator and the participant, a
summation can be formed as a basis for
recommending a particular course of
action to community advocates and
public agencies.

12. A preview into the utility of such research can be seen by
the comments of former homeless mothers who received
educational assistance in the city of Boston through the
“Family Shelter” program. (Rivera, 2003) “They said
they were returning to school to improve their economic
opportunities and to provide a better life for their
children. They also said they were fortunate to be clients
in the Family Shelter's unique popular education program
because it provided them with more than basic literacy
skills.” (Rivera, 2003)

13. Clearly, more intervention would prove beneficial, as
attested to through the observations of other homeless
advocates: “Without positive role models, engaging in
positive social relationships, negotiating work difficulties
or being successful on the job can be a monumental task.”
(Zarrow Families Foundation, 2004)

14. By assessing the effectiveness of various educational
programs provided to the homeless through interviews of
former homeless citizens as well as those that provide
such education, perhaps more can be learned about what
is actually needed and wanted by this population that can
make a true difference in their lives for the better.

15. IDENTIFYING THE RESEARCH
PROBLEM
-Burgeoning homeless population in
America
-Best practices for facilitating reintegration
into society
-Assistance in the form of education
-Type of education to be used in preparing
the homeless for reintegration
-Success or failure of this type of education
through personal bias

16. REVIEWING THE LITERATURE
-Studies conducted to assess the self-esteem of
homeless participants (Malcolm, 2004)
-Few reviews on specific education to train the
homeless to be successful in an employment
environment (Karinshak, 1996)
-Where more than a basic education is provided, as in
the case with homeless women, results proved very
effective and long-lasting (Rivera, 2003)

17. REVIEWING THE LITERATURE (continued)
-Substance abuse accounts for large percentage of homeless
population, therefore addressing the reason why they started
substance abuse is first step in raising personal awareness
(Malcolm, 2004)
-More research needs to be done in field of sociology to tailor the
instruction given to specific groups of homeless (women,
minorities, veterans, etc…) (Lau, 2004)

18. SPECIFYING A PURPOSE
-To determine which educational programs and types of
curriculum would be best suited in helping the greatest
number of homeless to successfully reintegrate themselves
into society on a permanent basis
COLLECTING RESEARCH DATA
-Initial review of prior evaluations conducted
-Interviews with directors of homeless advocacy groups and
shelters
-Interviews with select current homeless subjects

19. COLLECTING RESEARCH DATA (continued)
-Interviews with previously homeless subjects
-Interviews with educators of homeless participants
ANALYZING AND INTERPRETING DATA
-Qualitative analysis of the results by studying the
responses provided by each participant
REPORTING AND EVALUATING RESEARCH
-Formation of conclusions and recommendations
based upon final interpretation of data

20. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Karinshak, C. (1996). Teaching Homeless Adults. Adult
Learning. Proquest Education Journals, 8, 1.
Describes different methodologies for use in
teaching the homeless population to
becoming self-sufficient. Provides sociological
reasons for improving teaching methods.
Malcolm, B. (2004). Evaluating the Effects of Self-Esteem on
Substance Abuse Among Homeless Men. Journal of
Alcohol and Drug Addiction. Proquest Education
Journals, 48, 3.
An in-depth review of the correlations between
substance abuse, low self-esteem and homelessness in
men. Provides data on the effectiveness of different
treatment options.

21. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY (continued)
Mercer, J. (1993). States Use 2-Year Colleges to Teach
Homeless Adults. The Chronicle of Higher
Education. Proquest Education Journals, 39, 44.
An explanation of the benefits of providing literacy
classes for the homeless as exemplified in one state
project.
Rivera, L. (2003). Changing Women: An Ethnographic Study
of Homeless Mothers and Popular Education. Journal
of Sociology and Social Welfare.
Qualitative research study that promotes popular
education of homeless women as the best means of
helping them to attain self-esteem and self-
sufficiency.

22. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY (continued)
Lau, M. (2004, March 1). Summit Sheds Light on Myths,
Maladies of Homelessness. The Daily Californian,
p. N1.
Cursory review, through panel discussions and
interviews with homeless participants, of the scope
of the problem and the impact of budgetary
constraints on providing solutions.
Zarrow Families Foundation. (2004). Tulsa Day Center for the
Homeless. Quarterly Highlighted Agency. Retrieved
from http://zarrow.com/Nonprofits/z_DayCenter.htm
Provides limited demographic information on
homeless population served by this non-profit
agency.