Resilience as a Coping Weapon: An Ethnographic Exploration of Women’s Life in the Face of Homelessness

Homelessness constitutes a traumatic experience, a significant burden of mental health needs, and compounded barriers to accessing support services. People experiencing homelessness often report multiple acute and chronic stressors. Despite this, there is a scarcity of literature on the vulnerabilities faced particularly by homeless women. The potential moderating impacts of resilience on the quality of life in homeless women are under-researched. This chapter first aims to present a review that can be used to identify some contradictions in street life. Let’s begin by examining evidence of vulnerability and resilience in research on the everyday lives of homeless working women from around the globe, but the discussion is informed by—and draws on—my long-standing research in Kolkata, West Bengal. And secondly, it discusses the elements that contribute to resilience among homeless women. Situated in the qualitative interpretative tradition, data were collected using in-depth semistructured interviews and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. The findings demonstrated that homelessness for women is frequently preceded by a succession of negative events in their lives, with progressive resilience building in the face of trauma and finding hope for a way out. After becoming homeless, three stages of resilience transition emerged: the trauma of homelessness, surviving through finding connection, and restoration of hope. Social connectedness with family, peers, and community may reduce the negative consequences of stressful life events on homeless women by building resilience. Future interventions will focus on translating the lived experiences of this population into practice recommendations and improved care.