Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Introduction: youth homelessness, gender, and the significance of survival sex
Introduction
What is survival sex?
Reconceptualising survival sex
Defining homelessness
Applying a gendered lens to homelessness
Conceptualising the home in relation to homelessness
Constructing gendered subjectivities
The research project
The significance of experience: a narrative approach
Chapter map
References
Chapter 2. Young homeless women and the neoliberal subject
Introduction
Neoliberalism
The neoliberal subject
Contemporary conditions of youth homelessness
Discourse, power, and intersectionality
Youth transitions—locating young people in post-industrial capitalist society
Individualisation
Homelessness, individualisation, and class
Young women ‘at risk’
Postfeminism
Postfeminism as anti-feminism
Postfeminism as a conceptual shift within feminism
Postfeminist critical analysis
Conclusion
References
Chapter 3. Social capital, performativity, and gendered subjectivities in the homeless sphere
Introduction
Gender, homelessness, and subjectivity
Social capital theory
Capital
The field
Habitus
Embodiment
Symbolic violence and romantic love
Performativity
Feminine capital
Vicarious physical capital
Conclusion
References
Chapter 4. Survival sex, stigma, and managing material conditions
‘A butterfly’—Hayley’s story
Introduction
Gender, homelessness, and stigma—‘Just a piece of meat’ (Hayley)
Stigma and social capital—‘I was a junkie, slut, alcoholic person, or something’ (Nicki)
Survival sex and vulnerability—‘He didn’t want me there once he found out that I had a boyfriend’ (Alice)
Stigma and subjectivities—‘I’ve got standards and I’m a nice person’ (Jessie)
Material support—‘It was just ’cause I’d seen the pretty side of things’ (Sarah)
Conclusion
References
Chapter 5. Survival sex and gender-based violence
‘My yo-yo life’—Jessie’s story
Introduction
Violence and homelessness—‘I’ve put myself in situations that I could’ve stayed away from’ (Jessie)
Feminine capital and physical protection—‘I didn’t want to be by myself because I was scared’ (Hayley)
Vicarious physical capital—‘I know people were scared of him’ (Hayley)
Violence in intimate relationships—‘I don’t know what I was doing wrong’ (Jessie)
Intimate relationships and the depletion of capital—‘No one wanted me at their place with him around’ (Nikita)
Intimate relationships and romantic discourse—‘I say that "I love you" and everything’s OK again’ (Hayley)
Conclusion
References
Chapter 6. Intimate relationships, social exclusion, and belonging
‘The little black duck: at the end of day it does have a life’—Nikita’s story
Introduction
Homelessness and social exclusion—‘The word homeless does actually kill’ (Lexi)
Social exclusion and performativity—‘You become inconsistent and everyone looks at you badly ’cause your performance is bad’ (Elle)
Seeking stability and belonging from survival sex—‘I’ve got something, I’ve got a life. I’ve got a boyfriend. Look at me’ (Hayley)
The pressures of homelessness on intimate relationships—‘There’s not really much happiness and joy’ (Nikita)
Maintaining subjectivity stability through adversity—‘I think going through so much has made us so much stronger’ (Bianca)
Intimate relationships in homeless spaces—‘In a normal society you’d be in your own home’ (Hayley)
Conclusion
References
Chapter 7. Constructing authentic selves
‘Searching for your identity’—Lexi’s story
Introduction
Making the right choice, authenticity, and subject positions—‘When you know what you want, you will achieve it’ (Lexi)
Postfeminism and choice—‘I don’t really think about it as feminism, I just think, tough chick’ (Angela)
The choice to be single: necessity—‘Two people, it’s harder than one’ (Elle)
The choice to be single: resistance—‘When the time is for me, then I’ll be settling down’ (Lexi)
The choice to leave an abusive intimate relationship: refusing to be a victim—‘I got a backbone and I said "no more"’ (Sarah)
The choice to leave an abusive intimate relationship: becoming a mother—‘Past the brink of had enough’ (Angela)
The choice to leave an abusive intimate relationship: the importance of capital—‘They’d made me see things that I couldn’t see when I was in it’ (Nikita)
Choosing intimate relationships—‘I don’t think it’s really homelessness that defines my relationship’ (Alice)
Conclusion
References
Chapter 8. Conclusion: diversifying homelessness
Introduction
Destabilising discourses: making structures visible
Youth transitions
Individualisation
Postfeminism
Subjectivity construction
Managing material conditions
Managing violence
Managing social exclusion
Narratives of choice
Final words
References
Appendix: more stories
Alice—The shift from having my family as a family to having Chris as a family
Amina—Through high aspiration comes firm resolve
Amy—My life
Angela—The ‘how to’ and ‘how not to’ live life in Melbourne
Bianca—Life as a house
Elle—The puzzle
Nicki—Crap life
Paige—How can you put a title on something like that?
Pauline—My life
Sarah—Simple life
Index
