Analysis Of With No Direction Home By Marni Finkelstein

The ethnography in â€Å"With No Direction Home† by Marni Finkelstein was quite astounding. The group Finkelstein studied were street kids no older than the age of 20. Finkelstein did not interview kids over 20 because he said kids under the age of 21 rely on their families for social and financial support. He studied kids under 20 because those groups are most vulnerable to the lack of familial support and wanted to determine whether it will affect their self behaviour. These interviews and observations were constructed in the East Village of New York. The kids interviewed were from all over the place like New Jersey, Northeastern states, Southwest, Midwest, Southwest..etc. This study took place in the year 2005. Finkelstein tried to answer†¦show more content†¦It was through her participant observation technique she was able to do ethnographic interviews. It was through her initial observation of the street kids and informal conversations with key informants that sh e was able to make the interview questions. Finkelstein met street kids and homeless adults throughout her research. An important individual she met was Scratch. As a 25 year old he was too old to fit the criteria for an interview. Scratch gave a lot of information about the street kids of New York since he has been in the street scene for over 10 years. Scratch helped her recruit her first informants and he also told her what kids were over twenty since he recognizes them. Some of the major findings during this fieldwork was why kids left their homes in the first place. The two main reasons were: searching for a secure environment than home and looking for an adventure/excitement. Some of the concepts I read about in the textbook were runaways, separation and family organization. To describe street kids Finkelstein used the key point â€Å"runaways†. Finkelstein later explained that runaways are not a bad thing. Most kids ran away for various reasons mainly for their benefits. They did not like their home environment for various reasons like being abused, not getting enough care or just seeking an adventure out of their comfort zone. This study helped me understand what separation truly was. These street kids have not seen their parents forShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Marni Finkelstein s With No Direction Home 1394 Words   |  6 PagesThe book â€Å"With No Direction Home: Homeless Youth on the Road and in the Streets† written by Marni Finkelstein refers to the homeless youth. This book describes the lifestyle of the teenagers with no home and explains with detail about what consist in their everyday lives in the streets of New York City. The p urpose of this book is to explain to people who these kids are and to see life in their point of view. It explains the difference between street kids and the kids that live on the street. WeRead MoreEthnographic Methods Utilized By Finkelstein In With No Direction Home 1657 Words   |  7 PagesWith No Direction Home: Homeless Youth on the Road and in the Streets is an ethnography which describes the lives of youths living on the streets of New York City. The author attempts to conduct her own research in order to dispute the false impressions that many previous researches have formed about the youths living on the street. The ethnographic method she uses aids her study of the â€Å"street kids† in acknowledging the facts behind their choice of lifestyle and their experiences while on the street