Alexandria Digital Research Library

Leaving the bubble : understanding the transition to independent living for Honduran women in government care

Author:
Brown, Kirstin L.
Degree Grantor:
University of California, Santa Barbara. Latin American and Iberian studies
Degree Supervisor:
Kum-Kum Bhavnani
Place of Publication:
[Santa Barbara, Calif.]
Publisher:
University of California, Santa Barbara
Creation Date:
2016
Issued Date:
2016
Topics:
Latin American studies, Women's studies, and Sociology
Keywords:
Honduras
Child Welfare
Foster Care
Ethnography
Orphanage
Genres:
Online resources and Dissertations, Academic
Dissertation:
M.A.--University of California, Santa Barbara, 2016
Description:

The purpose of this study is to understand the experience of living in and transitioning from a group home in Honduras for eighteen and nineteen year old women. From June to August 2015, I gathered data through semi-structured interviews on the lived experiences of eight women from their time in a group home and through to the first year of their transitions. Using a grounded-theory approach I analyzed the discursive themes that emerged in the conversations and explored the connections made by the participants on each theme. Analysis of the women's discussion about their lives in the group home revealed that they found the experience to be highly structured and routine. Apparently small shifts in the daily routine, discipline and education of the home impacted multiple aspects of their lives, and had a significant effect on their day-to-day experience in the home. The participants' discussion of their transition suggested that the social and economic isolation of the group home made the transition to independent living difficult. They had little experience with basic skills like transportation and money management. The women's future goals revealed a strong value for higher education, self-sufficiency, and the ability to support loved ones.

Physical Description:
1 online resource (86 pages)
Format:
Text
Collection(s):
UCSB electronic theses and dissertations
ARK:
ark:/48907/f3fx79h7
ISBN:
9781369147117
Catalog System Number:
990046968060203776
Rights:
Inc.icon only.dark In Copyright
Copyright Holder:
Kirstin Brown
File Description
Access: Public access
Brown_ucsb_0035N_13061.pdf pdf (Portable Document Format)