Homelessness, Pathways to Exclusion and Opportunity

The Department offers a number of MA, MSc and MRes programmes across Criminology, Criminal Justice, Social Sciences, International Development and Public Administration and research such as the report drawn up for the Cyrenians is one of a number of ways that the programmes feed into the community. Students on postgraduate programmes benefit from the knowledge and expertise that the dynamic research and teaching offers, drawing from staff experience in issues of crime, society, victimisation and community and the challenges these issues bring to society.

During this research project, the Cyrenians received funding from the Webb Memorial Trust and in turn funded Northumbria £18,960 for the research. Interviews with 82 homeless people showed that there were two pathways into homelessness and exclusion. The ‘lifelong’ pathway such as an unhappy childhood and the ‘life events’ pathway involving people who had a stable background with educational qualifications and experience of long term employment, but who had became excluded following an adverse life events. The report concluded that homelessness could be reduced if there were improved services for young people in care, for those with addiction difficulties, for people facing eviction from their housing and for those leaving prison.

Jamie currently teaches into postgraduate programmes, covering modules such as Researching Society, Research, Ethics and Practice, Researching Crime and Tackling Crime and he is a postgraduate dissertation supervisor.

Mary’s research interests centre on the regulation and criminalisation of sex and sexualities, with a specific focus on the sex industry. Mary teaches postgraduate students on Issues of Crime and Social Control and is a dissertation tutor and also volunteers for various sex work outreach projects.

The report was launched at a meeting of approximately 70 interested professionals at the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers during September 2011. At the same day, the findings were discussed on Radio Newcastle’s Drive programme, in a news feature that included interviews with Jamie Harding and Stephen Bell, Chief Executive of the Cyrenians. The research was discussed on Tyne Tees television’s news bulletin.

A summary of the research is available on the website of the Cyrenians at   http://www.thecyrenians.org/
 
If you are interested in our Social Sciences postgraduate programmes please visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/courses