Reflections on Peer Researching the School Based Experiences of Young People with Lived and Living Experiences (PWLLE) of Youth Homelessness Using Participatory Action Research

This participatory research investigates the school-based experiences of homeless youth, addressing the question: how might schools intervene in homelessness? Theories of representation, structure, and agency are presented alongside youths' narratives of stigmatisation, punishment, substance use, exclusion etc. within the education system. This thesis highlights how sociological theories might help educators, youth and others move beyond harmful perceptions of homelessness where youth are misunderstood as perpetrators of deviance rather than victims of unjust structures. Researchers increasingly desire collaboration with people with lived/living experience of studied topics, yet publications by PWLLE on research practices are few. The second question this thesis addresses is: what is it like to do participatory research as a scholar with lived experience of youth homelessness? This thesis argues that neoliberal structures contribute to homeless students' punishment and neglect in schools and also creates research as a competitive and marketized space sometimes at odds with ethical engagement.