Qualitative study of consequences of homelessness in Tehran

Homeless people are one of the most vulnerable and despised urban groups with complex problems. This study investigates the consequences of homelessness in Tehran and in its various dimensions.

The present study was conducted using a qualitative method and the participation of homeless men and key informants. The sampling method is purposeful sampling. Data collection tools are observation techniques and in-depth semi-structured interviews with thematic analysis method.

In the process of analyzing and thematizing the findings, at the individual level, the themes of mental disorders, trauma, death, the formation of negative emotions and feelings, addiction and internalization of homeless culture, at the community level, themes of violence and conflict, drug dealing, theft. Joining criminal groups, gambling, the spread of high-risk diseases at the community level, social exclusion and imprisonment and its consequences, at the neighborhood level, themes of insecurity in urban areas, dissatisfaction among residents. Feelings of social inferiority, neighborhood inferiority, the collapse of Shiraz and neighbor hood identity, and relocation to other neighborhoods and in the family area were weakened and the collapse of the individual-family communication network was extracted.

The results show that the mechanisms governing this issue are such that not only negatively affect the life of the homeless in various dimensions, but also damage at different levels of production. In such a way that we can name the entanglement of social harms related to homelessness in Tehran.