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Advocating against the grain: examining the importance of local contexts on advocacy behavior among homeless service organizations
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Wood, Zachary D.. Advocating against the grain: examining the importance of local contexts on advocacy behavior among homeless service organizations. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-2vmf-a321

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TitleAdvocating against the grain: examining the importance of local contexts on advocacy behavior among homeless service organizations
NameWood, Zachary D. (author); Minnite, Lorraine C. (chair); Chevrier, Marie I. (internal member); Adams, Carolyn T. (outside member); Rutgers University; Camden Graduate School
Date Created2019
Other Date2019-05 (degree)
SubjectNonprofit, Public Affairs, Social advocacy, Homelessness -- Texas -- Houston, Homelessness -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
Extent1 online resource (v, 167 pages)
DescriptionHomelessness is a wicked problem, due at least in part to the disenfranchised nature of the population. This population lacks a voice in the democratic process, and subsequently has little leverage to change the perceptions and conditions they face. Many of our most wicked problems require advocacy that can link the voices and needs of the community to public policy efforts and the public sector at large. Human service nonprofits have direct relationships with the homeless as well as essential links to these local communities and the public sector, and may be an ideal vehicle as advocates while simultaneously addressing homelessness.
Advocacy is viewed as an integral part of the function of human service nonprofit organizations. Yet the advocacy road for these organizations is fraught with complexities, often leading to adulterated or nonexistent advocacy activities. Extant literature points to an especially challenging advocacy arena for homeless service organizations to engage in. There are a multitude of barriers: whether due to confusion over the legality of certain behavior, fears of political or funder backlash, or more simply a lack of financial or professional capacity. Given these barriers, it seems that we should see very little engagement in policy advocacy behavior by homeless service organizations, yet there are examples of organizations that break through these barriers to advocate on behalf of their clients in some extensive ways.
The research on nonprofit advocacy behavior, particularly in human service organizations, is imprecise and non-predictive. This dissertation looks to highlight and adjudicate the gaps in this budding literature, by examining homeless service organizations in-depth, through a case study of homeless service organizations in Philadelphia and Houston, to better ascertain how local context can explain whether, when and how these service provider organizations will break through the barriers to advocacy. The author also examines the types of advocacy activities homeless service organizations employ, and more importantly, how they make those decisions. The analysis allows for a more refined definition of “advocacy” in the field of human service nonprofits, and also aids in the development of a more nuanced typology of nonprofit advocacy behavior.
NotePh.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
NoteIncludes vita
Genretheses, ETD doctoral
Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-2vmf-a321
LanguageEnglish
CollectionCamden Graduate School Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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