This study was designed to explore the meaning of disengagement from school as
experienced by those who left school before graduating. Data for the study was gathered
using an unstructured interview format. The research produced authentic narrative
accounts of the meaning of disengagement for the individual participants. A cross case
comparison of these narratives indicated the presence of three common streams of
movement. As children, each of the participants were involved in an escalating
cumulation of problems which over time, increased in scope and intensity. Their
personal vulnerabilities generated through a troubled background, when coupled with the
more complex demands of the secondary system, translated into an increased school
maladjustment. The third movement involved a crystallizing of previous experiences and
attitudes and an engulfment in a spoiled identity. The stories collected indicated that a
comprehensive theory of disengagement must be built on a holistic perspective. Beyond
the events, experiences, and circumstances that contribute to a disengagement process,
questions of individual interpretation and meaning must also be considered. Finally, the
thesis raises questions about the relationship of school practices and dropout experiences.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/8645 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Loncaric, Mladen A |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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