Exploring ethos? Discourses of 'charity' in the provision of emergency services for homeless people

P. Cloke; S. Johnsen; J. May

doi:10.1068/a36189

Exploring ethos? Discourses of 'charity' in the provision of emergency services for homeless people

P. Cloke, S. Johnsen, J. May

Centre for Housing Policy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This paper examines the ethos of organisations providing emergency services for homeless people in Britain. Drawing on extensive surveys of nonstatutory organisations we present a discourse analysis of statements of 'mission', 'values', and 'ethics', arguing that, although care needs to be exercised in translating organisational ethos into likely practices of care, these overarching messages of ethos are significant waymarkers in the moral landscapes of caring for homeless people. Using Coles's rethinking of the politics of generosity, we interrogate ethos in terms of three ideal types -- Christian caritas, secular humanism, and postsecular charity -- concluding that the principal fault-line in current services divides organisations which expect particular behavioural outcomes from homeless people (including Christian 'conversion' and more secular assumptions of self-responsibility), and those which provide care regardless of individual response.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	385-402
Number of pages	17
Journal	Environment and Planning A
Volume	37
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1068/a36189
Publication status	Published - 2005

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10.1068/a36189

http://dx.doi.org/10.1068/a36189

Cite this

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title = "Exploring ethos? Discourses of 'charity' in the provision of emergency services for homeless people",

abstract = "This paper examines the ethos of organisations providing emergency services for homeless people in Britain. Drawing on extensive surveys of nonstatutory organisations we present a discourse analysis of statements of 'mission', 'values', and 'ethics', arguing that, although care needs to be exercised in translating organisational ethos into likely practices of care, these overarching messages of ethos are significant waymarkers in the moral landscapes of caring for homeless people. Using Coles's rethinking of the politics of generosity, we interrogate ethos in terms of three ideal types -- Christian caritas, secular humanism, and postsecular charity -- concluding that the principal fault-line in current services divides organisations which expect particular behavioural outcomes from homeless people (including Christian 'conversion' and more secular assumptions of self-responsibility), and those which provide care regardless of individual response.",

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