About this seminar:
Drawing upon the latest instalment of the ‘Hard Edges’ research series assessing the prevalence and nature of overlaps between homelessness, substance use and criminal offending, this seminar provides a gendered analysis of ‘severe and multiple disadvantage’ (SMD). It provides an overview of key findings from a qualitative study of the experiences of women affected by SMD which included detailed area-based case studies in all four UK jurisdictions. The study cast light on the horrifying prominence of violence in the life histories of these women and impacts of associated trauma. It also revealed how the combination of SMD experiences heightens barriers to health and social care services. Furthermore, it highlighted the extreme lengths that many women go to in order to conceal or downplay their circumstances, tendency for their needs to go unnoticed until they are in a crisis situation, and frequency with which they are ‘shunted’ between services. The seminar argues that whilst intensive effort has been invested by stakeholders to break down the barriers that women (and men) experiencing SMD face in recent years, progress has usually hinged on the goodwill of committed individuals at the local level rather than being symptomatic of broader systems change. It concludes with a call to action, emphasising the urgent imperative for stakeholders across relevant sectors to share both responsibility and risk in responding to the needs of women affected by SMD.
About the speaker:
Professor Sarah Johnsen is the Director of the Centre for Homelessness and Inclusion Health at the University of Edinburgh. Much of Professor Johnsen's research focuses on homelessness, health inequalities, substance abuse, and related forms of 'street culture', as well as the practice and ethics of research involving vulnerable people. This seminar will draw from Professor Johnsen's recent research on women's experiences of 'severe and multiple disadvantage'.
About the venue:
You can find information about venue accessibility via the Access Guide provided through AccessAble. This includes accessibility information about the room (11.18) and building (40 George Square).
