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Young people’s search for agency: Making sense of their experiences and taking control.
- Source :
- Qualitative Social Work; Sep2015, Vol. 14 Issue 5, p616-633, 18p
- Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- This article draws on the findings of the qualitative phase of a New Zealand longitudinal study on vulnerable young people’s transitions to adulthood. The young people were aged between 12 and 17 years at the time of the first interview. The paper focuses on one key finding, how youth enact agency through their relationships with significant others: families, social workers, teachers and care workers. These youth had experienced sustained exposure to harm including abuse, violence, addictions, disengagement from school and mental health issues. The qualitative interviews focused on young people’s experiences with services (child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health and education support services) their key transitions, and the strategies they used to locate support and resources. The thematic analysis of the interviews indicated that a search for agency was a central motif in young people’s experiences. This was reflected in three thematic clusters: making sense of the world, having a voice and acting on the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- ALTERNATIVE education
ATTITUDE (Psychology)
CHILD welfare
COMMUNICATION
EXPERIENCE
FOSTER children
GROUP identity
INTERPERSONAL relations in adolescence
INTERPERSONAL relations in children
INTERVIEWING
JUVENILE offenders
LONGITUDINAL method
MENTAL health services
RESEARCH funding
PSYCHOLOGICAL resilience
SOCIAL case work
SOCIAL services
SURVEYS
QUALITATIVE research
PROFESSIONAL practice
FAMILY relations
CLIENT relations
THEMATIC analysis
DATA analysis software
MEDICAL coding
PSYCHOLOGICAL vulnerability
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14733250
- Volume :
- 14
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Qualitative Social Work
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 109264681
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325014565149