Care Leavers' Experiences of Transition and Turning Points: Findings from a Biographical Narrative Study
This paper reports on the findings of a PhD research project that set out to explore how young people leaving out of home care experienced and made sense of their transition to adulthood. Using the Biographical Narrative Interpretative Method, in-depth accounts were collected and analysed for eight...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Social Work & Society
2014-06-01
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| Series: | Social Work and Society |
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| Online Access: | http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1459 |
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| author | John Pinkerton Carmel Rooney |
| author_facet | John Pinkerton Carmel Rooney |
| author_sort | John Pinkerton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper reports on the findings of a PhD research project that set out to explore how young people leaving out of home care experienced and made sense of their transition to adulthood. Using the Biographical Narrative Interpretative Method, in-depth accounts were collected and analysed for eight care leavers. The data suggest that in addition to care leavers living their lives as a series of biographical events, their 'care career', they also experience changes in the way they make sense of their lives which form a 'subjective pathway'. Influenced by the literature on resilience, the research had anticipated that 'turning point' events would play a significant role in the young people's subjective pathways. But the findings show a more gradual, phased shifting of subjectivity. It is suggested that legislation, policy, services and care practices need to facilitate this more drawn out 'subjective pathway'. Attachment, resilience and humanistic social psychology are proposed as useful theoretical underpinnings for that work.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4b7c45cea22c4eacb253d32769b17b4e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1613-8953 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2014-06-01 |
| publisher | Social Work & Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Work and Society |
| spelling | doaj-art-4b7c45cea22c4eacb253d32769b17b4e2025-08-20T03:09:44ZengSocial Work & SocietySocial Work and Society1613-89532014-06-01121Care Leavers' Experiences of Transition and Turning Points: Findings from a Biographical Narrative StudyJohn PinkertonCarmel RooneyThis paper reports on the findings of a PhD research project that set out to explore how young people leaving out of home care experienced and made sense of their transition to adulthood. Using the Biographical Narrative Interpretative Method, in-depth accounts were collected and analysed for eight care leavers. The data suggest that in addition to care leavers living their lives as a series of biographical events, their 'care career', they also experience changes in the way they make sense of their lives which form a 'subjective pathway'. Influenced by the literature on resilience, the research had anticipated that 'turning point' events would play a significant role in the young people's subjective pathways. But the findings show a more gradual, phased shifting of subjectivity. It is suggested that legislation, policy, services and care practices need to facilitate this more drawn out 'subjective pathway'. Attachment, resilience and humanistic social psychology are proposed as useful theoretical underpinnings for that work. http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1459Youth TransitionLeaving CareAttachmentResilienceBiographical Narrative Interpretative Method |
| spellingShingle | John Pinkerton Carmel Rooney Care Leavers' Experiences of Transition and Turning Points: Findings from a Biographical Narrative Study Social Work and Society Youth Transition Leaving Care Attachment Resilience Biographical Narrative Interpretative Method |
| title | Care Leavers' Experiences of Transition and Turning Points: Findings from a Biographical Narrative Study |
| title_full | Care Leavers' Experiences of Transition and Turning Points: Findings from a Biographical Narrative Study |
| title_fullStr | Care Leavers' Experiences of Transition and Turning Points: Findings from a Biographical Narrative Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Care Leavers' Experiences of Transition and Turning Points: Findings from a Biographical Narrative Study |
| title_short | Care Leavers' Experiences of Transition and Turning Points: Findings from a Biographical Narrative Study |
| title_sort | care leavers experiences of transition and turning points findings from a biographical narrative study |
| topic | Youth Transition Leaving Care Attachment Resilience Biographical Narrative Interpretative Method |
| url | http://132.195.130.183/index.php/sws/article/view/1459 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT johnpinkerton careleaversexperiencesoftransitionandturningpointsfindingsfromabiographicalnarrativestudy AT carmelrooney careleaversexperiencesoftransitionandturningpointsfindingsfromabiographicalnarrativestudy |