Housing, Health and Wellbeing: A Phenomenological Analysis of Life in Subsidised Housing
Postgraduate Research
Housing, Health and Wellbeing: A Phenomenological Analysis of Life in Subsidised Housing Mondy Jera, Master’s Thesis Proposal Abstract
Housing is a determinant of health. More specifically, poor housing conditions may contribute to poor health. The proposed Master’s thesis involves a qualitative study that aims to explore the meaning of the lived experience of subsidised housing tenants and also how housing circumstances affect the health and wellbeing of the tenants involved in the study. This very broad concept incorporates notions such as emotional health, psychological health, psychosocial health and general wellbeing. The proposed study also aims to examine whether or not the current housing allocation practices support the health and wellbeing of subsidised housing tenants. These implications as well as the themes, meaning and essence of the phenomenon of living in a state house will be explored by qualitative analysis. The proposed study will provide some depth of experience, give voice to a marginalised group in society and paint a rich picture of housing and health that could not be captured from quantitative study data.
Methodology
The analytic framework guiding this study will be phenomenology, because it involves capturing the lived experience of people and how they create meaning in this experience or in the phenomenon under study. Because this proposed study is inductive, there is not one guiding theory or strict set of questions used. Instead, the role of the researcher will be to listen and to be reflective in order to illuminate a story about state housing experiences and its relationship to health and wellbeing.
Method
The data would be collected using in-depth, semi-structured interviews with participants who are currently living in subsidised housing. The data will be analysed qualitatively and then presented in the form of a descriptive narrative, highlighting the essence, categories and themes uncovered from the interviews.
Sampling
The sampling of tenants would involve purposeful sampling, whereby the researcher will find participants who are not only experiencing the phenomenon of living in subsidised housing but are also willing and able to candidly tell their story. The sampling will attempt to include a variety of people who may be living in subsidised housing such as solo mothers, Maori, Pacific Islanders, immigrants or refugees, elderly people and persons with disabilities