Instances of Maltese homelessness : a homeless shelter in Malta

Abstract

This essay studies Dar Suret il-Bniedem, a homeless shelter in Malta. Chapter One will introduce this institution, and will include a reflexive critique of my fieldwork methods and a discussion of related issues. The second chapter will approach the issue of homelessness from several standpoints, and emphasises the importance of understanding the social context in defining and describing homelessness. The essay will follow with a discussion of identity and power relations within the institution, which will constitute the third chapter of this essay. The fourth chapter will describe the homeless shelter as being simultaneously an agent of normalisation and a discursive space. It will also attempt to understand the way the residents of the institution react to the normalisation process. A final chapter will present the conclusions to this essay.