THE SPECTRUM OF VISIBILITY: YOUTH EXPERIENCES OF MARGINALIZATION AND HOMELESSNESS

Abstract

In this paper, we present some of the results of a youth participatory action research (Y-PAR) project that involved youth aged 16 to 20 who reported being marginalized in their community, primarily due to a lack of stable or consistent housing. Participants met in weekly group meetings to explore the influences of structural violence on their lives. The participants used arts-based methods to express their experiences of inclusion and exclusion, the influences of structural violence in their lives, and how they see those factors contributing to their ability to influence their own visibility in their communities. Themes in their visual arts projects highlighted aspects of visibility of marginalized youth. Youth participants described visibility as both a positive and negative attribute, depending on the youth’s need for resources or support. We include examples of the participants’ arts projects to demonstrate these themes and descriptions.

Keywords

• structural violence
• homelessness
• youth
• arts-based research
• youth participatory action research