Renewal of the spirit: Exploring the religious and spiritual coping strategies of the homeless.
Item
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Title
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Renewal of the spirit: Exploring the religious and spiritual coping strategies of the homeless.
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Identifier
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AAI3037410
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identifier
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3037410
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Creator
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Kennard, Kimberly Alyson.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Michael J. Smith
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Date
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2002
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Social Work | Sociology, Public and Social Welfare
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Abstract
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In recent years, there has been a renewed interest of the social work profession in spirituality and religion. Religion and spirituality in their different forms can alleviate stress and be significant sources of emotional support for individuals during a crisis, or with common aspects of everyday living. The trauma of homelessness is well documented in the literature as a stressful experience.;How individuals react to the stress of homelessness is contingent upon their personal characteristics, and the resources that are available to them. In particular, minimal information is known about the qualities and characteristics of homeless individuals that use religion or spirituality to cope, and the value of this approach is largely unknown.;This qualitative study investigates the religious and spiritual coping strategies of single homeless adults in public emergency shelters. The study seeks to identify a uniform practice model in social work that integrates religion and spirituality; strives to inform service-providers and policy-makers about the religious and spiritual coping strategies, strengths, adaptability, and resilience of single homeless adults; and explores the organizational approach in the delivery of spiritually-sensitive social work practice.;A mixed methodological approach was used to enhance the research design. Multiple sources of data were collected throughout the course of this study: information, based on open-ended semi-structured interviews with 26 clients and 5 staff, and informal conversations. The findings from this study of spirituality point to the tremendous significance that religious and spiritual coping supports played in the lives of the women in assisting them to survive the aftermath of homelessness in this demanding and harsh locale.;Results also replicate previous conclusions with the aged and terminally ill that religious and spiritual buffers contribute to more positive outcomes. Nonetheless, the salient themes that were identified merit further investigation. Implications of the findings are included for social work education, clinical practice, program planning and development, policy, and future research. Research has found that the religious and spiritual needs of the homeless have not yet been met.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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D.S.W.
