Title: STIGMATIZATION AND CRIMINALIZATION OF THE HOMELESSNESS: SOME PERSPECTIVES IN THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA
Abstract:Homelessness is a phenomenon present in all countries of the world. In almost all major cities, in certain parts, i.e. inhabited or abandoned places, homeless people can be found begging or sleeping o...Homelessness is a phenomenon present in all countries of the world. In almost all major cities, in certain parts, i.e. inhabited or abandoned places, homeless people can be found begging or sleeping on the street, on a bench, under bridges, in makeshift houses with substandard housing conditions. Such images are numerous and show the ugly side both of the highly developed countries and of the poor and underdeveloped countries of the Global South. The topic is often debated and researched in the public-political sphere, as well as in the academic or civil sector, and encompasses many issues: human rights and discrimination of the homeless, social protection and social prevention policies, housing policy and other structural factors related to poverty and unemployment in the countries, health and mental condition of the homeless, humanism and solidarity versus marginalization and social exclusion of this vulnerable category. In this paper, the process of stigmatization and criminalization of homeless people will be specially elaborated. Additionally, certain phenomenological and etiological aspects will be analysed, as well as certain conditions in Macedonia related to the registration and social protection policies related to homelessness as a social problem. Keywords: homeless people, stigmatization, pathway to homelessness, social exclusionRead More