Dreams

Chapter 6 explores how young homeless individuals use dreams and aspirations as symbolic means to cope with disrupted social ties and fragmented life trajectories. These dreams serve as crucial psychological and emotional resources, allowing youth to imagine alternative futures, reclaim hope, and engage in processes of self-reinvention despite harsh realities. The chapter distinguishes between different types of dreams linked to broken social connections. Dreams related to the filiation tie reflect desires for restored family relationships and belonging. Those connected to education and work express aspirations for stable employment, education, and economic security. Dreams associated with the citizenship tie reveal hopes for social recognition, rights, and inclusion within broader societal structures. Additionally, the chapter addresses the phenomenon of drug-induced dreams, examining how substance use both shapes and complicates the experience of dreaming, blurring boundaries between reality and imagination. Together, these reflections underscore the resilience and agency of homeless youth. By highlighting the symbolic importance of dreams, the chapter offers a nuanced understanding of how young people actively respond to marginalization, not simply as passive victims but as agents of hope and transformation. This final chapter completes the book&s;s overarching narrative of moving from disconnection toward reconstruction and possibility.