No description available.

MPM / Department of Public and Development Administration / See the attached abstract below

This study examined the impact of homelessness and the ability of homeless students to remain in their school of origin on the academic achievement of fourth through eighth grade students in Brevard County, Florida. To determine effects of homelessness, homeless students were compared to non-homeless students who qualified for free lunch utilizing developmental scale scores and learning gains from 2011 FCAT Reading and Mathematics. To determine effects of remaining in school of origin, homeless students who changed schools were compared to homeless students who did not change schools utilizing the same assessment data. Independent t-tests and chi-square tests of association were used with .05 significance levels. Findings showed that homeless and non-homeless students had no significant differences in reading scores, and homeless students had significantly higher mathematics scores. However, significantly fewer homeless students made an annual learning gain in reading and math learning gains were statistically equal. Remaining in school of origin also had no significant impact on reading and math developmental scale scores, but a significantly lower percentage of homeless students who changed schools made annual learning gains in reading and mathematics. These results led the researcher to develop a theory called the Weighted Saddle Effect, caused by homeless mobility, to describe the difficulty homeless students had in making annual learning gains commensurate with their developmental scale scores. Recommendations for policy included school districts ensuring transportation to school of origin was available for all homeless students as mandated by the McKinney-Vento Act

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T14:32:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pedro Pereira dos Santos.pdf: 1060793 bytes, checksum: 994155418d1ec253d01509f94f7538c4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-12-11 / Fundação Ford / The present research has the purpose of identify and analyze the representation of the social educators about the homeless children and teenager. According to this objective, we try to reflect with the educator about the many tagging looks, socially built for the students of the popular classes; specially for those who are homeless. We hope that the reflection about the stereotypes helps the educative practice of the educator to be able to promote the children and the teenager as subjects with rights, in the sense that they are conditioned by social-historical and cultural facts, however being capable of going further these conditions. In order to it, the investigation in the Fundação da Criança e da Família Cidadã FUNCI has been conducted in Fortaleza CE, having one of its projects as the locus of the research: the Ponte de Encontro. Here, nine educators have taken part of a research about quality that has been developed by the technic of Grupo Focal, utilized for the capture of the data, which has been analyzed by Análise de Conteúdo. For this paper, the Moscovici s Theory of the Social Representations (1995, 2001, 2003, 2005) has been adopted. However, the mental universe (thoughts) of a social subject brings great influences of others theoretical sourceswhich must be recognized and valorized in their trajectory. We quote some of them, then: Makarenko (1986), Freire (1987, 1992, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2006), Costa (1989, 1991, 1999), Rizzini (1997, 2003) Graciani (2001), Lucchini (2003) e Oliveira (2004). Recently, we have dialogued with Brito (1998), Feldmann (1984, 1999), Sacristán (1999, 2002), Fazenda (2001, 2003, 2004, 2006) and Japiassú (2006). All these authors and others who are not mentioned in this abstract, but are in the paper, have contributed in the net of ideas which constitute the mental universe of the researcher. My involvement with this theme begins in 1999, when I acted as a street educator in Fortaleza CE. This work is created to be a small contribution to the social educators and to those who wish to know this work and to get over the social representations that consider children and teenagers as victims and social aggressors / A presente pesquisa tem como propósito identificar e analisar as representações dos educadores sociais sobre a criança e o adolescente em situação de rua. Em conformidade com tal objetivo, pretende-se contribuir com o educador no sentido de refletir com ele sobre os diversos olhares rotulantes, construídos socialmente acerca dos educandos das classes populares, em especial, daqueles que se encontram em situação de rua. Espera-se que a reflexão em torno dos estereótipos contribua para que a prática educativa do educador seja capaz de promover a criança e o adolescente como sujeitos de direitos, imanentes e transcendentes, no sentido de que são condicionados pelos fatores sócio-histórico e cultural, todavia são também capazes de ir além de tais condicionamentos. Para tanto, realizou-se a investigação na Fundação da Criança e da Família Cidadã-FUNCI-em Fortaleza-CE, tendo como lócus de pesquisa um de seus projetos: o Ponte de Encontro. Deste, nove educadores participaram da pesquisa qualitativa que se desenvolveu por meio da técnica de Grupo Focal, utilizada para a captura dos dados, que foram interpretados pela Análise de Conteúdo. Para a efetivação deste trabalho dissertativo, adotou-se a Teoria das Representações Sociais de Moscovici (1995, 2001, 2003,2005). Todavia, o universo mental (pensamento) de um sujeito social traz fortes influências de outras fontes teóricas que devem ser reconhecidas e valorizadas na sua trajetória. Citam-se, então, algumas delas: Makarenko (1986), Freire (1987, 1992, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2006), Costa (1989, 1991, 1999), Rizzini (1997, 2003), Graciani (2001), Lucchini (2003) e Oliveira (2004). Recentemente dialogou-se também com Brito (1998), Feldmann (1984, 1999), Sacristán (1999, 2002), Fazenda (2001, 2003, 2004, 2006) e Japiassú (2006). Todos esses autores e outros não citados neste resumo, mas presentes neste trabalho, contribuíram na tessitura de idéias que, entrelaçadas, constituem o universo mental do pesquisador. O meu envolvimento com o tema data de 1999, período em que atuei como educador de rua em Fortaleza-CE. Este trabalho surge como uma pequena contribuição aos educadores sociais e àqueles desejosos de conhecer um pouco o trabalho a fim de superar as representações sociais que consideram as crianças e adolescentes como vítimas e agressores sociais

There has been a lot of research highlighting the plight of street children throughout the world in the past few years. A review of the literature on street children reveals that the problem is worse in developing countries. The number of street children can be expected to increase in South Africa as a result of rapid urbanisation and development. This will certainly pose a problem for the government and other organisations concerned with the welfare of street children. In order to combat the proliferation of the number of children in the streets, concerned parties need to know more about street children before intervention and effective policies can be designed. This study was initiated to serve that purpose: to provide information on how street children perceive themselves. The information gathered and results of the study can be used by service providers to design effective intervention programmes. Twenty street children from the Pietermaritzburg central business district and the comparison group of twenty children from a "place of safety" in Pietermaritzburg were interviewed and assessed. Children from the "place of safety" were chosen as a comparison group because their familial histories have many factors which are common to street children as well. Assessment ofthe two groups of children entailed measuring the children's self-concepts by using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Human Figure Drawings were used to identify signs and levels of emotional distress using the Koppitz Emotional Indicators procedure. Furthermore, an unstructured interview was conducted with each child. The data was analysed quantitatively using statistical sub-programs of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The following statistical tests were computed: means to measure central tendency, independent t-tests to determine the statistical significance of the difference between the two groups' self-concept scores and emotional indicators. Quatro Pro and Harvard Graphics software packages were used to analyse the data qualitatively and present it graphically . Statistical analyses of the results reveal no significant differences between the self-concept of street children and that of the comparison group of placed children. Both groups' scores on the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale are within the average range. This means that street and placed children's perceptions of themselves, as measured by the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, are similar to those of other children in the general population. Signs and levels of emotional distress as measured by Koppitz' list of Emotional Indicators are within the non-pathological range for both groups. This indicates that street and placed children's levels of emotional distress are similar to those found in other children in the normal population. It is therefore concluded that despite being exposed to hazardous situations and having lived in deprived and abusive situations, street children do not display significant levels of measured emotional distress. Street children are found not to be as disturbed as previously assumed by journalists and fiction writers who tend to romanticise or politicise their plight. Placed children, who also share some of the predicaments that street children have endured in terms of turbulent childhoods, do not seem to show deficits in their self-concepts and emotional functioning either. Recommendations on how to plan intervention programmes for street children are also offered. Moreover, the standardisation of the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale on local populations is recommended. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sci.)-University of Natal, Pietermartizburg, 1996

Sabemos que muitas das crianças abrigadas em instituições para abandonados, infelizmente, não serão beneficiadas pelos Programas de Colocação em Lar Substituto (guarda, tutela e adoção). Desse modo, passam a viver na instituição até que completem a maioridade quando, inevitavelmente, terão que ser desligadas. Este estudo vem focalizar, portanto, a experiência de adolescentes abandonados e institucionalizados frente ao desligamento institucional, em função da maioridade. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa de base fenomenológica onde buscamos trabalhar com depoimentos de jovens que estão vivenciando o processo de desligamento. A partir da perspectiva destes, estabelecemos uma discussão/reflexão em torno do significado/representação do desligamento na vida dos adolescentes e do papel dos educadores no conjunto das práticas institucionais, encaminhando-nos para possíveis alternativas que viabilizem processos de desligamentos mais satisfatórios tanto para os adolescentes quanto para a equipe de profissionais que com eles trabalham / We are aware that the substitute home placement programs (Keepers, guardianshipo or adoption) will not, unfortunately, benefit many of the children living in abandoned/child institutions. For that reason, they remain at the institution until they are legally of age (majority), when they will be, inevitable, dismissed. The present study focuses, therefore, on the experience of abandoned and institutionalized adolescents in face of being disconnected from the institution due to becoming legally adults. This will be a qualitative research, based on the phenomenology approach, analyzing depositions of teen-agers who are experiencing the disconnection process. Considering their perspective, we establish a discussion/reflection on the meaning/representation the adolescents have of the institutional disconnection and on the role played by the educators in the complex of institutional practices. We point to possible alternatives which will enable more satisfactory disconnection processes for the adolescents as well as for the professionals that work with them

No description available.

Detta är en kvalitativ studie om hur socialsekreterare arbetar med barnperspektivet i mötet med hemlösa barn. Genom fyra semi-strukturerade intervjuer med anställda på socialtjänstens boendeenhet undersöks hur handläggaren beskriver att hen arbetar med barnperspektivet utifrån delvis Barnkonventionen men även hur handläggaren tillgodoser barns rättigheter och medborgarskap. Det insamlade materialet kommer analyseras med hjälp av Theory of citizenship (Lister 2008) men även barndomssociologiska begrepp human being och human becoming samt agency (Qvortrup 1990; Lee 2001). Som ett komplement används Annika Staafs (2011) definition av rättssäkerhet för att utöka förståelsen för barns medborgarskap och rättssäkerhet. Resultatet visar på bristande arbete med barns rättigheter samt att organisationens struktur har betydelse för vilka möjligheter handläggaren har att tillgodose barns rättigheter och säkra barns medborgarskap. I den avslutande diskussionen tas upp att socialsekreterarnas arbetsmiljö leder till att barn inte får komma till tals i den utsträckning som anses vara nödvändigt samt att en väg framåt i arbetet med barns rättigheter vore att Barnkonventionen blir svensk lag. Detta skulle medföra att Konventionen om barns rättigheter får en starkare ställning i Sverige. / This is a qualitative study of how social workers work with the children's perspective in the meeting with homeless children. This will be investigated through four semi-structured interviews with employees at the social housing unit. The purpose of the study is to investigate how the practitioner describes how they work with the child perspective based partly on the Children's Convention, but also investigate how the prosecutor caters for children's rights and citizenship. The collected material will be analysed using Theory of citizenship (Lister 2008), but also childhood sociological concepts human being and human becoming as well as agency (Qvortrup 1990; Lee 2001). As a complement, Annika Staaf's (2011) definition of legal certainty is used to expand the understanding of children's citizenship and legal certainty. The result shows the lack of work with children's rights, and the structure of the organization is important for the ability of the prosecutor to meet children's rights and secure children's citizenship. In the final discussion it is stated that the social security staff's working environment means that children can not be heard in so far as is considered necessary, and that a way forward in the work on children's rights would be that the Children's Convention becomes Swedish law. This would mean that the Convention on the Rights of the Child gained a stronger position in Sweden.

The aim of this investigation was threefold : to determine origins and perceptions of the street child problem nationally and internationally ; to explore the way in which children experience life in the streets ; and to devise strategies to enable these children to develop optimally. Literature indicates that the street child phenomenon is a global issue that presents many challenges. It is a socio-educational problem precipitated by multi-factorial events in the home, community and by children's personality attributes. Street children experience rejection, suffering, shame and anxiety. Deprivation of an environment conducive to positive development leads to maladjustment, anti-social behaviour and marginalisation. The empirical research was undertaken by means of semi-structured interviews conducted among fourteen children of the Khayalethu shelter and by administering questionnaires in the community of Port Shepstone. The findings culminate in recommendations for suitable assistance programmes and strategies to handle the problem in South Africa. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.(Socio-Education)

The aim of this investigation was threefold : to determine origins and perceptions of the street child problem nationally and internationally ; to explore the way in which children experience life in the streets ; and to devise strategies to enable these children to develop optimally. Literature indicates that the street child phenomenon is a global issue that presents many challenges. It is a socio-educational problem precipitated by multi-factorial events in the home, community and by children's personality attributes. Street children experience rejection, suffering, shame and anxiety. Deprivation of an environment conducive to positive development leads to maladjustment, anti-social behaviour and marginalisation. The empirical research was undertaken by means of semi-structured interviews conducted among fourteen children of the Khayalethu shelter and by administering questionnaires in the community of Port Shepstone. The findings culminate in recommendations for suitable assistance programmes and strategies to handle the problem in South Africa. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.(Socio-Education)