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Shards of the old looking glass: restoring the significance of identity in promoting positive outcomes for looked-after children.
- Source :
- Child & Family Social Work; May2011, Vol. 16 Issue 2, p210-218, 9p
- Publication Year :
- 2011
-
Abstract
- There is a driving force within current UK child welfare policies which promotes a strengths led approach to both assessment and care planning for children in need. Social policy emphasizes the importance of tangible outcomes such as education achievement, which have been enshrined in statute. However, other developmental outcomes, such as identity, are subordinated. Notwithstanding the relevance of these more concrete indicators, this paper suggests that this focus has left a gap at theoretical, strategic and operational levels relating to more psychosocial aspects of human growth and development, such as identity. This paper seeks to redress that gap by considering identity as both a process and an outcome. Following a review of the literature on identity development, it presents an analysis of semi-structured interviews with 13 young people and their social workers. The findings show how young people's identity is shaped by their relationships, can be a protective mechanism, and deferred or put on standby. In the concluding discussion the implications for social work practice are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- CUSTODY of children
RESIDENTIAL mobility
ACADEMIC achievement
ATTACHMENT behavior
ATTITUDE (Psychology)
CHILD development
DENIAL (Psychology)
FOSTER children
GROUP identity
INTERVIEWING
LONGITUDINAL method
RESEARCH methodology
CASE studies
MEDICAL needs assessment
HEALTH outcome assessment
PSYCHOLOGICAL resilience
SELF-perception
SOCIAL workers
SOCIALIZATION
SOCIAL stigma
TIME
UNCERTAINTY
QUALITATIVE research
GOVERNMENT policy
HOME environment
THEMATIC analysis
TREATMENT effectiveness
PSYCHOLOGY
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 13567500
- Volume :
- 16
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Child & Family Social Work
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 59445350
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2206.2010.00733.x