Link to Paper
Abstract:
This study examines roles of information technologies for social inclusion among homeless women in Los Angeles. Ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with the women reveal that they employed technologically mediated practices to mitigate their social marginalization at the intersections of homelessness, gender, and class. Digital tools such as mobile phones and social media provided them possible means to enhance psychological wellbeing and seek healthcare assistance and housing/employment opportunities. They also harnessed technological resources to construct a positive self-image, reframing their stigmatized identities, and further challenge the status quo by joining social change efforts. The study's theoretical and empirical contributions are discussed.
