This project aimed to explore the educational experiences of ‘looked after children’ in one local authority in England. Young people, in the care of the state, have consistently lower educational achievements than their peers who live with their birth families. This situation is not unique to the UK context; it is replicated across Europe and North America. Aiming for an ethnographic study, the project generated much needed qualitative data in order to consider the educational experiences of children in care in Devon. To date much research in this area has focussed on statistical analysis of measured outcomes, and contributory factors which show a bleak picture of underachievement and poor adult outcomes. The design allowed for a more rounded picture of the full educational experience, not just in terms of achievement, but a view of wider educational experiences, giving an in-depth insight into the value that a looked after child places on ‘education’ in its widest sense. The results of this study add to the small body of research in this area which takes a more sociological view. The researcher worked with young people and older alumni of care, with participants’ ages ranging across five decades: 11 to 59, allowing an element of temporality to be considered in a relatively short term project. Experiences were gathered by means of qualitative interviews, focussed on the present with the young people, and using a life history lens when working with adults. The findings were analysed in such a way as to identify educational themes across generations, for those young people who are in the care of the local authority. The study found that for young people in local authority care education is perceived as occurring across their life experiences, a much wider definition than that which happens within formal ‘school’ environments. This broader view of education encompassed life skills, social skills, sporting skills and digital skills. Participants storied themselves as achievers within this wider view of education. The study showed that young people in care could be reflexive in their learning, they storied themselves as agentic, and exhibited a habitus which helped them to learn who they were, and to recognise their achievements. The study adds to current understanding about the way children in care learn. A visual model of ‘Conditions for Learning’ has been developed, based around the three theoretical constructs: reflexivity, agency, and habitus. This model has the potential to be applied to larger groups and other young people, to explore the conditions which support their learning. These findings provide important insights which could inform decision-making within both the care and education professions.

Adults who were reared in foster care are at greater risk for attachment disturbances than those not raised in foster care, due in part to the negative impact of parental separation. It is important to study the attachment behaviors of foster-reared mothers because large numbers of their children enter foster care. This study was conducted to understand the childhood attachment experiences of foster-reared adults. The research questions addressed the ways in which mothers raised in a foster-care environment perceived and described their experiences of forming relationships as children with their foster mothers, as well as of forming relationships with their own children. This study used a qualitative methodological approach guided by phenomenological inquiry. In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 participants. Phenomenological analysis was used to code, analyze, and interpret the interview data. Results were organized into 2 major themes: mother-like attributes and intense fear of loss. Additionally, 4 subthemes emerged: unconditional love of the foster mother for her foster child, continued contact with the foster mother, fear of losing the ability to protect a firstborn child, and fear of the permanent loss of custody of a firstborn child. Further, the research findings revealed 3 important lived experiences that were less related to the research questions: affectionless psychopathy, maternal deprivation, and preoccupied or dismissive parenting styles. The social implications of the study include increased awareness of intergenerational patterns related to foster care and of the need for positive change to assist at-risk foster reared parents.

The thesis analyses phenomenon of catholic upbringing in the foster family. The foster family is spouses who, successfully growing or having grown their children, accept to foster from 6 to 12 children who have lost parents’ care. The main feature of foster family as foster care institution is created family environment which is necessary for the child’s cohesive and versatile development. The cohesive development of foster children is disturbed by loss that is caused by unwanted pregnancy, deprivation, violence, finally by lost of parents (together family and home). The consequences of that lost appear as destroyed relations with surroundings, oneself and life. The coping with consequences of loss requires strong measures, which are given by Catholic upbringing, which in its essence is orientated to reconstruction and perfection of relations. So, there are discussed the peculiarities of the foster family as a structure that is close to the family environment, presented the characteristics of social pedagogical work with non-parental children of this structure, reviewed theoretical foundations of children’s upbringing in the foster family, identified problems of Catholic upbringing in the foster family, emphasized the role of the foster family as a poly-functional social community, upbringing children in a Catholic way in the theses. / Disertacijoje nagrinėjamas katalikiško auklėjimo šeimynose reiškinys. Lietuvoje sukurtos šeimynos – tai sutuoktiniai, į savo šeimą priėmę nuo 6 iki 12 tėvų globos netekusių vaikų. Skiriamasis šeimynos, kaip globos institucijos, bruožas – šeiminė aplinka, būtina visapusiškam ir harmoningam vaiko vystymuisi. Šeimynoje augančių vaikų harmoningas vystymasis būna sutrikdytas netekties: nepageidaujamo nėštumo; deprivacijos, smurto, asocialios aplinkos gimus; galiausiai - tėvų (šeimos, namų) praradimo tėvams atėmus tėvystės teises ar, rečiau, mirties, ligos, emigracijos atvejais. Netekties pasekmės - pažeisti santykiai su aplinka (jaučiamas nesaugumas, nepasitikėjimas kitais, negebėjimas prisirišti ir palaikyti nuoširdžius santykius su kitu asmeniu, negebėjimas pritapti), savimi (pasireiškia žema saviverte, nepasitikėjimu savimi, bejėgiškumo, nevykėlio jausmais, negebėjimu suprasti savo emocijų, autoagresija), gyvenimu (pesimizmas, suicidinės mintys). Šių pasekmių įveikai reikalingos stiprios priemonės, kurias, teikia katalikiškas auklėjimas, savo esme orientuotas į santykių atkūrimą. Taigi, disertacijoje aptariami šeimynos kaip šeimos aplinkoje tėvų globos netekusius vaikus globojančios bendrijos struktūros ypatumai, pateikiama šios struktūros socialinio pedagoginio darbo su bešeimiais vaikais charakteristika, apžvelgiami vaikų auklėjimo šeimynoje teoriniai pagrindai, nustatomas katalikiško auklėjimo šeimynoje problemiškumas, pabrėžiamas šeimynos kaip įvairialypės ir polifunkcinės... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Disertacijoje nagrinėjamas katalikiško auklėjimo šeimynose reiškinys. Lietuvoje sukurtos šeimynos – tai sutuoktiniai, į savo šeimą priėmę nuo 6 iki 12 tėvų globos netekusių vaikų. Skiriamasis šeimynos, kaip globos institucijos, bruožas – šeiminė aplinka, būtina visapusiškam ir harmoningam vaiko vystymuisi. Šeimynoje augančių vaikų harmoningas vystymasis būna sutrikdytas netekties: nepageidaujamo nėštumo; deprivacijos, smurto, asocialios aplinkos gimus; galiausiai - tėvų (šeimos, namų) praradimo tėvams atėmus tėvystės teises ar, rečiau, mirties, ligos, emigracijos atvejais. Netekties pasekmės - pažeisti santykiai su aplinka (jaučiamas nesaugumas, nepasitikėjimas kitais, negebėjimas prisirišti ir palaikyti nuoširdžius santykius su kitu asmeniu, negebėjimas pritapti), savimi (pasireiškia žema saviverte, nepasitikėjimu savimi, bejėgiškumo, nevykėlio jausmais, negebėjimu suprasti savo emocijų, autoagresija), gyvenimu (pesimizmas, suicidinės mintys). Šių pasekmių įveikai reikalingos stiprios priemonės, kurias, teikia katalikiškas auklėjimas, savo esme orientuotas į santykių atkūrimą. Taigi, disertacijoje aptariami šeimynos kaip šeimos aplinkoje tėvų globos netekusius vaikus globojančios bendrijos struktūros ypatumai, pateikiama šios struktūros socialinio pedagoginio darbo su bešeimiais vaikais charakteristika, apžvelgiami vaikų auklėjimo šeimynoje teoriniai pagrindai, nustatomas katalikiško auklėjimo šeimynoje problemiškumas, pabrėžiamas šeimynos kaip įvairialypės ir polifunkcinės... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The thesis analyses phenomenon of catholic upbringing in the foster family. The foster family is spouses who, successfully growing or having grown their children, accept to foster from 6 to 12 children who have lost parents’ care. The main feature of foster family as foster care institution is created family environment which is necessary for the child’s cohesive and versatile development. The cohesive development of foster children is disturbed by loss that is caused by unwanted pregnancy, deprivation, violence, finally by lost of parents (together family and home). The consequences of that lost appear as destroyed relations with surroundings, oneself and life. The coping with consequences of loss requires strong measures, which are given by Catholic upbringing, which in its essence is orientated to reconstruction and perfection of relations. So, there are discussed the peculiarities of the foster family as a structure that is close to the family environment, presented the characteristics of social pedagogical work with non-parental children of this structure, reviewed theoretical foundations of children’s upbringing in the foster family, identified problems of Catholic upbringing in the foster family, emphasized the role of the foster family as a poly-functional social community, upbringing children in a Catholic way in the theses.

No description available.