Using narrative inquiry to understand street soccer players' experiences of trauma, social exclusion, and homelessness

Abstract

Narrative inquiry is an increasingly utilized approach to understand the effects of complex and developmental trauma exposure. In this chapter, we foreground a research project using narrative inquiry to understand the life histories and realities of individuals who have experienced trauma, social exclusion, and/or homelessness, along with their engagement in Street Soccer and Homeless World Cup programming. Our research involved multiple in-depth interviews with 16 Street Soccer players and 13 significant others (e.g., family, friends, coaches). In this chapter, we share our methodological considerations of protecting the participants and ourselves as researchers, while considering how we communicated rich and important trauma narratives with the wider audience. Finally, we detail the evidence-based, trauma-informed practices we used throughout this research project, along with critical reflections and recommendations based on the key principles identified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).