If the supposedly disaffected young provide the subtext to so many of our social anxieties, then the young homeless loom larger here than most: our most vivid reminder of social exclusion, and exemplars too of what the tabloid press like to describe as the feckless, wilful poor.
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<br> This book explores what life is really like for Britain's young homeless: estranged from their families, out of work and making do on the fringes of social security. The result is a vivid portrait of a pressing social problem.
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<br> Based on extended fieldwork study - the author spent twelve months in the company of young people moving between hostel accommodation, rented bed-sit tenancies and episodes of street-sleeping - Better Times Than This is Britain's first full ethnographic study of youth homelessness.
1. Introduction
<br> 2. At the Hostel
<br> 3. In the Bed-sits
<br> 4. On the Streets
<br> 5. Growing Apart?
<br> 6. Coming of Age
<br> 7. Conclusion
<br> Notes
<br> Index