The Contribution of the Emotional Intelligence on Social Services for the Homeless People

• Author: Gabriela Duret, Nicu Duret
• Pages: 600-609

European Integration - Realities and Perspectives. Proceedings 2015

600

The Contribution of the Emotional Intelligence on Social Services for the

Homeless People

Gabriela Duret1, Nicu Duret2

Abstract: Insuring th e access to an adequate housing is frequently a pre-condition for the exercise of many

other basic rights that any individual must gain. Lacking the access to civilized living conditions probably

signifies the most serious manifestation of social exclusion . Lacking a home is synonymous to the extreme

poverty, in fact, representing more than a life contingency but the extreme frame of a deficit of means and

opportunities. The term ”homeless” defines a human condition which is hard to believe that someone would

have problems in understanding it. However, almost everybody who uses this term uses a d ifferent definition

to define it. These definitions b ecome mere ”instruments” which justify the action or the lack of it depending

on who uses it. The condition of an adult homeless person presupposes a series of attributes which define it.

Therefore, the state of isolation, marginalization, alienation and social exclusion have extreme outcomes

within the frame of emotional, relational and social integration. In this respect, there must be built and

improved new programmes and social services for the benefit of the homeless persons. As a result of the

work experience with these homeless persons I identified some stages of th e adaptation to the street life. It is

self-evident that the psycho-social degradation is a process and not a gradual evolution. The intervention of

the specialists through the specialized services is vital for the improvement of the qu ality of li fe for th ese

beneficiaries of welfare work. The present research develops a strategy related to the social services in Braila

offered as a method of social reinsertion of the street life, especially those from the municipality of Braila.

Keywords: welfare work; social services; homeless persons; social reinsertion

1. Introduction

Insuring the access to an adequate housing is frequently a pre-condition for the exercise of many

other basic rights that any individual must gain.

In other words, insuring the access to a decent home signifies the basis of the attainment of an

impartial society in which every individual may play an active role. In this respect, one may say that

the access to housing embodies the main factor of the social inclusion. “The homeless adult is that

person who does not own a house and lives in the street (in the parks, markets or on the flight of

stairs), who finds him/herself in a crisis situation at the mental, communicative, health, social,

juridical level caused by the absence of a shelter or by the impossibility of mustering the efforts so

1 Assistant professor, Ph D, “Danubius” University of Galati, Romania, Address: Galati, 3 Galati Boulevard, 800654 Galati,

Romania. Tel.: +40.372.361.102, fax: +40.372.361.290, Corresponding author: gabriela.duret@univ-danubius.ro.

2 Senior Lecturer, PhD, “Danubius” University of Galati, Romania, Address: Galati, 3 Galati Boulevard, 800654 Galati,

Romania. Tel.: +40.372.361.102, fax: +40.372.361.290, E-mail: nicuduret@univ-danubius.ro.