Situating Practice within Diversity:

Homelessness and Human Development in Bangladesh

Sub-theme: Interventions in Homelessness

Homelessness: A Global Perspective

International Conference, 9-13 January 2006, New Delhi, India

Shayer Ghafur Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology

Argument
Homogenous representation of homelessness in the public discourse is a constraint for intervention In representation without differentiation Etiology and pathology of homeless people remain unrelated Practice to be situated within diversity of homelessness
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Methodology
Review of published documents and complementing them with media reports Critical Discourse Analysis provides the methodological framework

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Structure
Homelessness in Bangladesh
(prior understanding)

Homogenous Representation of Homelessness Review of practice Implications of Homogenous Representation Conclusions

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Homelessness in Bangladesh
(prior understanding) Diversity and similarity
Roof-Root-Resource lessness Types: Floating homelessness Situated homelessness Potential homelessness

Home for human development

Access to home interferes homeless peoples ability to earn, learn, and live with good health
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Homogenous Representation of Homelessness

Forms of homogenous representation
Slum dwellers (bastee-bashies)

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Missing Diversity
Age: Adult / Child Sex: Male / Female Social Unit: Individual/ household

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Reasons for homogenous representation

Absence of a statutory definition Absence of social distinctions Operational conveniences

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Return Home (Ghore Phera) a review of practice

Return Home is a credit programme It identifies slum dwellers as rootless people willing to return to villages It classified slum dwellers into 4 groups
1. Has homestead land, house and small land
2. Has homestead land and house, but no land 3. Has only homestead land 4. Has nothing
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Implications of Homogenous Representation

Representing slum dwellers as homeless people is selective and segmental
Policy: physical perspective in policy formulation Practice: top-down intervention with sectoral goals Political: disempowerment of homeless people
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Conclusions
Public discourse do not adopt the concept of homelessness to note its differentiation for subsequent intervention Situating practice within diversity is required

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Suggested Framework for Future Practice

Structure Homelessness
(Floating Situated Potential)

Age

Etiology
(Causes)

Pathology
(Manifest Consequences)

Sex

Human Development

Agency

Practice

Social unit

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