Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 8-16-2018 10:00 AM Storied Realities: A Case Study of Homelessness, Housing Policy, and Gender in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory Alexandra E. Nelson The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Baruah, Bipasha The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Anthropology A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Master of Arts © Alexandra E. Nelson 2018 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Nelson, Alexandra E., "Storied Realities: A Case Study of Homelessness, Housing Policy, and Gender in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory" (2018). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 5653. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/5653 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Abstract Homelessness, as an inherently gendered phenomenon, places women who experience it in a doubly marginal position: not only are people experiencing homelessness often rendered “silent”, but the form women’s homelessness takes is often “hidden”. This thesis explores the intersecting topics of homelessness, housing policy, and gender in Whitehorse, Yukon, highlighting the role of lived experience, narrative, and sharing stories in creating more effective and inclusive public policy. Through both critical feminist analysis and dialogic storytelling, this thesis considers the potential utility of narrative and ethnographic method in creating policy, the visibility of women who experience homelessness in broader political and social discourse, and “Canada’s North” as a setting for innovative approaches to policymaking.