Love without a home: A portrait of romantic and couple relationships among street-involved young adults in Montreal. - Chaire-réseau de recherche sur la jeunesse du Québec

Notice bibliographique

Blais, M., Côté, P.-B., Manseau, H., Martel, M. et Provencher, M.-A. (2012). Love without a home: A portrait of romantic and couple relationships among street-involved young adults in Montreal. Journal of Youth Studies, 15, 403-420.

Résumé

Few studies have explored love relationships among street-involved young adults. Unstructured interviews were conducted with 42 street-involved young adults, aged between 18 and 32 years (mean age = 23), about their love and sexual life. Themes were identified in the interviews with their corresponding kernels of meaning, and these kernels of meaning were then grouped into conceptual categories on the basis of their conceptual proximity. Five main conceptual categories emerged: (1) past relationships get in the way; (2) a romantic view of love dominates; (3) love is not always the main or the only motivation; (4) romance and the street do not mix well; and (5) hoping for love when the present seems dark. The interviews suggest that although there are many challenges facing the love life of street-involved young adults, love relationships can also contribute positively to the identity of these people by helping them to look at themselves differently and to consider alternatives to life on the street.