Navigating transition: How adolescent males journey through family homelessness to manhood

This phenomenological study focuses on African American adolescent males and how they navigate transition in and out of family homelessness. In doing so, this project sought to analyze how young males cope with stress while navigating adolescence and discovering their identity as a man. Data was obtained via one-to-one, semi-structured interviews among eight adolescent males. Half of these young people are currently experiencing family homelessness while the other half has previously experienced family homelessness. Subjects met with the researcher for the one-to-one interviews during a three-month timespan. Subjects were asked to recount their story of experiencing family homelessness and reflect on how they cope with stress. Subjects were also asked to reflect upon societal norms surrounding masculinity and how those norms tell them how they should cope with stress as men. The subjects in this study indicated that family homelessness causes the most stress in the form of compromised behavioral autonomy and insulted dignity. The findings indicated that adolescent males are prone to seek out avoidance methods of coping such as distraction and disengagement. The findings also indicated that, as young males reflect upon manhood, that they envision being men that are different from the men that may have had a role in them encountering family homelessness. In conclusion, the findings also showed how the context of the subjects shaped the chances for possible resilience.