Student Research Ideas
If you are interested in learning more about homelessness and contributing new knowledge to the field, here are some ideas you may want to consider for an Honour’s or Master’s thesis.Â
- Youth and adults who experience homelessness have many commonalities, but also some key differences. Their pathways into homelessness are often caused by different factors. Conduct a literature review to see what factors are most often attributed to adult homelessness, and which factors are attributed to youth homelessness. How can we use this knowledge to tailor specific programs and interventions aimed at preventing homelessness for youth and for adults? You may find it useful to reread the definition of youth homelessness from this chapter, and the Canadian definition of homelessness from the Introduction chapter.
- The experiences of young people are shaped by factors such as ethnicity, Indigeneity, disability, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Conduct a meta-analysis to see how these different factors are inter-related with harm for youth experiencing homelessness. Based on your findings, identify recommendations tailored to each group. For a more advanced study, consider the ways these different identity markers (or layers of marginality) intersect to create the need for specialized intersectional supports.
- When a person experiences homelessness as a child or young adult, their risk of experiencing it again as an adult is increased. Using the most recent Census: 2021 Census of Population – Data products (statcan.gc.ca), filter the data for your community and conduct a statistical analysis to develop a social and economic portrait. What are the risk factors for childhood poverty in your community? Based on what you know about prevention and early intervention, provide recommendations on how your community could decrease the risk of homelessness for children and youth.
