Primary Sources: How 'Social Networks' Affect Homeless Youths' Inclination to Get Help Finding Jobs

This research helps us better understand how the people in a homeless youth's social network can help improve their chances of success.

“Social Networks as the Context for Understanding Employment Services Utilization Among Homeless Youth.” Anamika Barman-Adhikari and Eric Rice. Journal of Evaluation and Program Planning, Vol . 45. (August 2014)

What it’s about: Researchers from California State University and the University of Southern California wanted to know how much homeless youths’ friends and acquaintances influence their use of employment services, such as training, tutoring and placement programs.

Researchers Barman-Adhikari and Rice surveyed 138 homeless Los Angeles youth ages 15 to 21 using an online questionnaire and face-to-face interviews. In the interviews, youth described 10 people they had interacted with in the past 30 days. They discussed which of the 10 people could be counted on to lend them money, give them food, or provide a place to stay, and which they could count on for emotional support.

http://ncfy.acf.hhs.gov/news/2014/07/primary-sources-how-social-networks-affect-homeless-youths-inclination-get-help-finding