Social aesthetics and the homeless: Acting on the body and the identity of this extremely marginalized group

Abstract

This article explores the relevance of the psycho-corporal mediation that interventions based on social aesthetics allow when working with the homeless, particularly regarding the specific nature of their identities and bodies. Based on an ethnographic survey conducted in an experimental shelter for extremely marginalized people (named the “Integration Village”), we detail the health, body, and identity issues related to this type of care. The scientific literature and the social aestheticians we interviewed also indicate that the bodily and psychological dimensions of this type of treatment are closely intertwined. After specifying the modalities for the implementation of social aesthetics sessions in the Village, we focus on the perceptions and expectations of homeless patients toward this potential care approach. Finally, we observe the effects of a social aesthetics-based approach on homeless individuals in order to test the hypothesis that socio-aesthetic care is beneficial to them (at different levels and in different ways), both in terms of their relationship with their bodies and their self-esteem.