Male Self-Profiles of Extreme Poverty: A Case Study in Sonora (Mexico)

Abstract

The objective of the article is to identify the positions and the elements of significance of the self-profiles configured by a group of men living on the streets based on various aspects of their life trajectories and their experiences in situations of extreme poverty. This case study was carried out in the capital of Sonora (Mexico), where there is a growing stagnation of ex-migrant men living on the streets, who survive through informal jobs and the support of civil associations. The research approach is qualitative and the chosen technique was the life history through semi-structured interviews. The results showed that three profiles of men living in extreme poverty are differentiated, based on three ideological positions related to positivism, humility and negativity. There are significant differences in the profiles, impacting on the breakdown of the classic, but present, social representation of homelessness and allowing the incorporation of new elements in the processes of accompaniment and social intervention. This study is concluded with the rescue of emotional health, based on resilience, and the reconstructed and resignified identity, as one of the emerging axes of the profession in Mexico for work with ex-migrant population that is currently stranded on the north border.