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Popularity, Gender, and Social Inclusion Among Girls in Ethnically Diverse Contexts in Norway
No full textThis article discusses the phenomenon of popularity and its implications for gender construction, social inclusion, and gender equality among girls in two ethnically diverse contexts in Norway. At one field site, girls of immigrant origin were a majority, at the other they were a minority. Based on detailed ethnographic methodology and participant observation over time, this study shows that the crucial dimensions of popularity overlap with “economies of dignity” and vary according to whether the ethnic Norwegians are in a minority or majority position. The dimensions of popularity, which include the importance of attracting the male gaze, are connected to consumption. My results suggest that consumption influences girls’ construction of gender, and may have negative consequences for the inclusion of immigrant girls when in a minority, because they often live in low-income families. The article concludes that the overlap between the dimensions of popularity and the tokens of value of the economies of dignity underlines the importance of how power, through popularity, works among children. One implication of this power is that neither ethnic Norwegian girls nor girls of immigrant origin appear to live in a climate of gender equality
QUEERING CHILD AND YOUTH CARE
No full textBuilding on queer theory, on formative and current discourses of child and youth care (CYC), and on feminist and other ethics of care theorizing, this paper applies queer analytics to CYC by considering how desire, identity, sexuality, theory, and politics may be taken up within CYC
INTRODUCTION TO THE TWO FICE 2020 SPECIAL ISSUES
No full textFICE International is an international organization focused on children and youth who are in need of out-of-home care. One of its major activities is organizing a world congress every three years. In these congresses, professionals from all over the world who are involved with out-of-home care can meet, exchange knowledge, and learn from each other. The most recent FICE congress, held in October 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel, was dedicated to the theme “Better Future Opportunities for Children and Young People in Multicultural Societies”. The editor of this journal has been kind enough to offer this platform for the publication of selected material presented at the congress. FICE-International, and we as guest editors, are most thankful to Prof. Sibylle Artz, editor of the IJCYFS, for this opportunity. The richness and variety of the selected articles, coming from 10 countries, could not be accommodated in a single issue. The editors of the journal have therefore decided to divide the articles into two special issues, to be published one after the other. The first of these issues includes articles in three thematic categories: (a) Evidence-based research on effects of out-of-home care, (b) Historical and sociological perspectives on institutionalized child and youth care, and (c) Normalization — a challenge for foster care programs. Four further categories will provide the framework for the forthcoming second special issue: (d) Emotional and pedagogical considerations, (e) Refugee children and youth, (f) Residential staff, and (g) Care leavers
CREATING NORMALCY: FOSTER CARE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES AND MEDICAL FRAGILITY IN GERMANY
No full textIn the area of foster care concerning children and youth with special needs due to disability or medical fragility, there is a paucity of knowledge and research. In Germany, these groups in foster care who have high special needs are an invisible and neglected population at risk. These children and youth are mostly cared for in residential homes; however, some are living in foster families and benefit from a familial setting. The purpose of the study was to understand how foster parents manage their lives with a child or youth who has special needs, and how they meet the challenges that arise. The qualitative research design used the method of narrative inquiry through in-depth interviews, which were conducted in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt with 19 foster parents from 15 families. Within the framework of grounded theory, the author developed a theoretical structure of the strategies foster parents use for coping. Results showed that foster parents dealt with this new and often unpredictable situation by applying one of three patterns of strategies — action-, resource-, or reflection-oriented — based on their personal experiences and worldview. Understanding these behavioral patterns gives administrative and supportive entities like child welfare systems and agencies a unique and tailored approach to recruit, retain, train, and counsel foster families adequately, and to strengthen their well-being and their ability to perform well for themselves and their children and youth
“STUDENTS FOR CHILDREN”: A VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME-MODEL FOR UNIVERSITIES FOR THE SUPPORT OF CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE
No full textFoster care institutions are badly understaffed and operate on the lowest expected standards in terms of human resources in Hungary. In many cases, child protection personnel working with children in foster care do not have the necessary qualifications, and even those that do are often so overloaded with tasks that they cannot routinely engage in meaningful social interactions with the children. This paper introduces a unique and easily adaptable model of volunteer ,,work in university settings that aims to improve the situation of children in foster care. The Students for Children Volunteer Programme was founded in 2010 in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pécs, Hungary, and is now part of the curriculum there both as an elective course and as a cross-faculty programme. From the outset, the primary goal of this initiative has been to improve the situation of children in foster care through student mentoring by empowering them to manage everyday challenges and develop meaningful perspectives on their futures. Other equally important objectives are to enhance students’ social sensitivity and skills and to shape their thinking through this challenging work. Since its inception, the programme has been operating with unbroken success and, over the years, nearly 400 volunteers have completed the programme. The long-term plan is that through this model a country-wide network of similar volunteer programmes can be developed to improve the situation of children in need. Although aspects of the Students for Children programme still need to be refined, our experience with it shows that it has invaluable social, educational, and psychological effects on both the children and the future law professionals
SYSTEMIC REFLEXIVITY IN RESIDENTIAL CHILD CARE: A PEDAGOGICAL FRAME TO EMPOWER PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE
No full textThis position paper offers a pedagogical frame to empower professional work in residential child care. Jobs in this demanding field are characterized by daily relationships with children of different ages, needs, and cultural backgrounds. There is a need for effective communication and interaction with them, their families, co-workers, other professionals, and care agencies, as well as with the larger community. This complexity brings uncertainty and the necessity of thinking and acting in a sensitive way in order to open possibilities for systemic transformation at the micro, meso, and macro levels. In this framework, we focus on reflexivity as a meta-competence — a set of specific postures, competences, and attitudes that characterize expert professional action. A thorough literature review on reflexivity in social work and child protection is aimed at clarifying the meanings, uses, and features of this concept. We claim that systemic reflexivity can be used as a framework, a methodology, and a set of tools to empower professional work by enhancing emotional, cognitive, and epistemic self-awareness, systemic wisdom, abduction, and active listening. To help workers and teams develop these five competences, a self-directed learning module is currently being designed, based on systemic and narrative perspectives, and transformative learning theory
Colonialism, Early Modern Herbals, and Female Identity in Isabella Whitney\u27s A Sweet Nosegay, or Pleasant Posye
No full textThis paper reviews the link between colonialismand the female body as a “colonizable” space. Using bothJohn Parkinson’s and William Turner’s herbals as examplesof male-dominate knowledge, this paper argues that colonial methods of compiling, documenting, and publishinginformation maintain control and ownership of women’sbodies through imposed limits around women’s ability toutilize the medical knowledge compiled in herbals. Theseideas are contextualized by the poetry of Isabella Whitney,which resists these male-dominated spaces by engagingwith herbal knowledge in a way that highlights a system offemale oppression
Fundamental Rights for All: Toward Equality as a Principle of Fundamental Justice under Section 7 of the Charter
No full textSection 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms has led to some groundbreaking wins for Canadians. However, its life, liberty, and security of the person guarantees are not currently expansive enough to truly protect the interests of marginalized claimants. Furthermore, the equality protections guaranteed by section 15 of the Charter are often insufficient for marginalized claimants due to unsettled jurisprudence. In response to the need for novel claims to alleviate complex systemic problems, this paper advocates for the introduction of equality as a principle of fundamental justice underlying the section 7 test. The equality conceptualized at the heart of this argument is intersectional and therefore inclusive of the various barriers that individuals face when attempting to protect their Charter rights. With this definition in mind, the paper considers four Supreme Court of Canada decisions—PHS, Boudreault, Gosselin, and Carter—to examine recent equality trends beyond section 15 of the Charter and consider the pressing need for equality as a new principle of fundamental justice. Finally, the benefits of the proposed principle are weighed against potential judicial concerns in order to suggest that balance will be necessary to satisfy opposing interests. The overall message here is not that Charter litigation can fix every need, but rather that everyone should have fair opportunities to advocate for their protected rights
Misspent Youth: The (Mis)application of the Youth Criminal Justice Act by the Criminal Code Review Boards of British Columbia and Ontario
No full textThis article examines the treatment of young people, as defined in the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA), by the Criminal Code review boards of British Columbia and Ontario. Section 141(6) of the YCJA requires provincial review boards to give special consideration in making disposition decisions applicable to young people found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder (NCRMD). Through an analysis of decisions made by the two review boards in 2015 and 2016, this article concludes that neither review board is consistently giving effect to this provision. It then considers whether there is a need to provide distinct treatment to young people in this context, concluding that there are compelling reasons for giving special consideration to young people found NCRMD, but also that the requirements of section 141(6), even if given their full effect, are insufficient to account for the unique circumstances of this population