The Quality And Developmental Pathways In Sibling Relationships: A Qualitative Study Of Norwegian Children Admitted To Child Welfare Service Care

Siblings are key actors in the social network of young people in care. This paper explores young people's perceptions of changes in the quality of sibling relationships and the pathways relationships follow during the transition from the biological family into care. A thematic analysis of interviews with young Norwegian people (n = 25) in care showed that, in the biological family, sibling relationships are characterized by alliances, parentification, conflicts or nonexistence. After admission to child welfare services care, sibling relationships developed along multiple pathways. Their sibling relationships reshaped into either close and supportive, conflictual or completely broken relationships. Sibling relationships were dynamic, complex, with the pathway, and its impact on well-being, being unique to each young person. Sibling relationship quality in the biological home did not predict relationship quality after admission to child welfare services. The implications for social worker practice are discussed.publishedVersio

Another Look at Interlanguage Talk: Taking Task to Task

It is the purpose of this paper to examine the effect of task type on the input and interaction in nonnative speaker-nonnative speaker (NNS-NNS) dyads. The study which we report analyzes the speech generated by dyads of Japanese and Mandarin Chinese speakers enrolled in English as a second language (ESL) classes at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Two types of pedagogic tasks, namely problem-solving tasks (PS) and debates (D), and two examples of each, are the focus of this study

Syntacticization of Topic in Japanese and Mandarin Students' English: A Test of Rutherford's Model

Rutherford (1983) drafted a two-part model to account for the syntacticization of Topic in the English of Japanese and Mandarin learners. For Japanese, he charted the acquisition of English existential constructions with there out of earlier topicalized locative expressions. He characterized Mandarin learners development in terms of the evolution of Subjects from earlier existentials and Topic-Comment constructions. Implicit in Rutherford’s model are assumptions concerning (1) the role of transfer in second language acquisition; (2) typological distinctions between English, Japanese, and Mandarin based on the roles of Topic and Subject; and (3) the naturalness of the developmental shift from Topic Prominence to Subject Prominence. This theoretical background was reviewed to provide rationale for Rutherford’s claims and motivation for the hypotheses tested in the present study. Written compositions of 105 Japanese (J) and 105 Mandarin (M) learners, whose proficiency ranged from TOEFL 450-599, were examined. Analysis of variance was used to determine the effect of the independent variables of first language and proficiency on the dependent variable of syntacticization of Topic. In general Rutherford's model was not supported by statistically significant results, although the data revealed trends in the predicted direction for most measures. The study did, however, provide statistical support for differences between language groups in the production of passives (J > M), Subject-verb agreement (J > M), PRO-drop (M > J), and serial verbs (M > J); proficiency did not have a significant main effect in all of these cases though. The results could be explained, in part by typological differences between Japanese and Mandarin. However, it was noted that the research questions might be addressed more satisfactorily by conducting further studies with learners at lower levels of proficiency, and by examining oral production data, in addition to written data. Rutherford (1983) drafted a two-part model to account for the syntacticization of Topic in the English of Japanese and Mandarin learners. For Japanese, he charted the acquisition of English existential constructions with there out of earlier topicalized locative expressions. He characterized Mandarin learners development in terms of the evolution of Subjects from earlier existentials and Topic-Comment constructions. Implicit in Rutherford’s model are assumptions concerning (1) the role of transfer in second language acquisition; (2) typological distinctions between English, Japanese, and Mandarin based on the roles of Topic and Subject; and (3) the naturalness of the developmental shift from Topic Prominence to Subject Prominence. This theoretical background was reviewed to provide rationale for Rutherford’s claims and motivation for the hypotheses tested in the present study. Written compositions of 105 Japanese (J) and 105 Mandarin (M) learners, whose proficiency ranged from TOEFL 450-599, were examined. Analysis of variance was used to determine the effect of the independent variables of first language and proficiency on the dependent variable of syntacticization of Topic. In general Rutherford's model was not supported by statistically significant results, although the data revealed trends in the predicted direction for most measures. The study did, however, provide statistical support for differences between language groups in the production of passives (J > M), Subject-verb agreement (J > M), PRO-drop (M > J), and serial verbs (M > J); proficiency did not have a significant main effect in all of these cases though. The results could be explained, in part by typological differences between Japanese and Mandarin. However, it was noted that the research questions might be addressed more satisfactorily by conducting further studies with learners at lower levels of proficiency, and by examining oral production data, in addition to written data

Pedagogy, prejudice, and pleasure: extramural instruction in English literature, 1885-1910

This thesis considers the teaching of English literature within extramural organisations for adults in England between 1885 and 1910. This challenges the assumption that the beginnings of English as a tertiary-level academic subject can be traced back only as far as the foundation of the Oxford English School at the end of the nineteenth century; in fact extramural English courses had been flourishing for decades before this, and these reached their zenith in the final years before it was introduced at Oxbridge. Oxford created an Honours School of English in 1894, and the Cambridge English Tripos was established in 1917; in ideological terms, such developments were of course crucial, yet it has too often been the case that the extramural literary teaching being conducted contemporaneously has been sidelined in studies of the period. My first chapter will consider the development of English in various institutional and non-institutional environments before 1885, including Edinburgh University, Dissenting Academies, and Mechanics’ Institutes. Thereafter I will explore the campaign, led by University Extension lecturer John Churton Collins, to incorporate English literature as an honours degree at Oxford. Focusing on the period between 1885 and 1891, this second chapter will assess the veracity of some of Collins’s most vehement claims regarding the apparently low critical and pedagogical standards in existence at the time, which he felt could only be improved if Oxford would agree to institutionalise the subject, and thereby raise the standard of teaching more generally. Collins’s campaign enjoyed more success when he drew attention to the scholarly teaching available within the University Extension Movement; my third chapter is underpinned by research and analysis of previously unexplored material at the archives of London University, such as syllabuses, examination papers, and lecturers’ reports. I examine the way in which English literature, the most popular subject among Extension students, was actually being taught outside the universities while still excluded from Oxbridge. Thereafter my penultimate chapter focuses on an extramural reading group formed by Cambridge Extension lecturer Richard G. Moulton. This section considers Moulton’s formulation of an innovative mode of literary interpretation, tailored specifically to suit the abilities of extramural students, and which also lent itself particularly to the study of novels. Uncollected T. P.’s Weekly articles written by Arnold Bennett highlight the emphasis that he placed on pleasure, rather than scholarship. My final chapter considers Bennett’s self-imposed demarcation from the more serious extramural pedagogues of literature, such as Collins and Moulton, and his extraordinary impact on Edwardian reading habits. A brief coda will compare the findings of the 1921 “Newbolt Report” with my own assessment of fin-de-siècle extramural education

Young, unaccompanied refugees’ expectations of social workers and social worker roles

Background: Young people who have travelled to another country, unaccompanied and with refugee status, are a both resilient and vulnerable group with specific needs. Supporting them is often challenging for social workers, and providing this support is mediated by the expectations that these young people have of social workers and social worker roles. Aim: In this study, we explore how young unaccompanied refugees (YURs) perceive the roles of social workers in the national context of Norway, where concerns about the quality of social work for this group have been highlighted. Method: Using the theoretical lens of role theory, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 Afghan boys between 16 and 23 years of age, living under the protection of the Child Welfare Services (CWS) in two municipalities in Norway. The interviews explored the boys’ positive and negative experiences of the social worker. A thematic analysis was conducted, in which the coding framework was informed by the premise that actual experience informs our expectations of other individuals’ behaviour and roles. Findings: YURs’ expectations are more than instrumental, and more than a task they expect the social worker to perform. They also expect the task to be performed in a person-centred, therapeutic alliance (e.g. with humour and trust), and that the social worker exhibits particular personal characteristics or competences, besides being culturally competent and sensitive. Conclusion: We find that YURs’ descriptions of the social worker’s roles of being a caregiver and practical helper are similar to what other young people in contact with the CWS expect. However, YURs expect an additional role, which is specific to this field of social work, namely that of an integration helper. However, the expectations that each individual young person has of social workers are individual, in flux and contextual, and not consistent over time. Therefore, we recommend prioritizing learning more about the young person’s individual expectations of the social worker roles, as well as a useful weighting of these roles for each individual young refugee.publishedVersio

Facilitating understanding of ex-prison service users needs : the utility of Q method as a means of representing service user voices in service development

Novel approaches are needed if the voices of prisoners as service users are to be heard in service development and organisational learning. In this chapter we introduce Q methodology and suggest how this research method can be applied in order to reveal the views of service users in contact with the criminal justice system. We illustrate this by describing the development of a set of Q statements used to elicit the perspectives of ex-prisoners’ experiences of service provisions in an UK mentorship organisation. We discuss how Q methodology can be applied to capture ex-prison service users’ views in research, in therapy or in dialogues between service user and mentor, as well as in including service users’ voices in service development.publishedVersio

Mentoring in practice : Rebuilding dialogue with mentees stories

The voluntary and community sector (VCS) is a key player in the support of prisoners and ex-prisoners in the English and Welsh criminal justice system. Organisational learning and innovation is urgently required in this sector to adapt to the current political and economic environment. The chapter describes exploratory efforts to introduce participatory methods drawn from Change Laboratory Methods and Clinics of Activity within a local VCS organisation that would help (re)build dialogue between stakeholders with the aim of promoting organisational learning and innovation. The intervention comprised an ethnographic phase of observing the staff, interviews with 19 key stakeholders, and a final developmental workshop with the staff. The analysis of these data by the researcher (first author) provided insight into the experience of mentors working in the voluntary sector as well as providing a trigger for dialogue in a subsequent workshop that used these data to establish dialogue between staff. These served as dialogical artefacts, introducing micro-dramas in the form of selected user stories. These dialogical artefacts triggered diverse reactions and analyses by the various participants, highlighting different elements than those anticipated by the researcher. We discuss the different readings of our research data by the researcher and staff members, presenting these two contrasting perspectives, and the implications this has for workplace development methods.publishedVersio

Reflecting on researcher practice relationships in prison research : A contact hypothesis lens

Interactions between researchers and professionals need to be carefully managed in the criminal justice context. This chapter explores the utility of the theoretical lens of the contact hypothesis as a means to understand and improve these relations. The COLAB consortium is used as a case study of a typical partnership between professionals in practice and researchers in academia to illustrate this. We use the reflections of four of its members from both professional and researcher European institutions to explore how the conditions of contact proposed by the contact hypothesis may have impacted on the experiences of participants. Strategies through which these relations can be optimised in the interest of prison research, but also the care and management of people in contact with the criminal justice system, are proposed.publishedVersio

Seeing the person before the teeth: A realist evaluation of a dental anxiety service in Norway

Patients with a trauma history, whether sexual abuse or torture, or dental phobia, tend to avoid dental services due to severe dental anxiety. Subsequently, they experience poor oral health, lower quality of life, and poorer general health. In Norway, a specific service (torture, abuse, and dental anxiety [TADA]) targets these patients’ dental anxiety through cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) prior to dental restoration. By exploring patients’ experiences with TADA services using a realist evaluation approach, this paper aims to increase our understanding of how this type of service addresses patients’ dental anxiety in terms of its mechanisms and contextual factors. Interviews with TADA patients (n = 15) were analysed through a template analysis driven by context-mechanism-outcome heuristics. The analysis revealed that patients value a dental practitioner who provides a calm and holistic approach, positive judgements and predictability elements that lean towards a person-centred care approach. Provided this, patients felt understood and cared for, their shame was reduced, self-esteem emerged, and control was gained, which led to alleviation of dental anxiety. Therefore, our findings suggest that combining CBT with a person-centred care approach helps alleviate patients’ dental anxiety. This provides insights into how dental services could be executed for these patients.publishedVersio

More than just a dental practitioner: A realist evaluation of a dental anxiety service in Norway

Patients with dental phobia or a history of trauma tend to avoid dental services, which may, over time, lead to poor oral health. In Norway, a specific service targets these patients by providing exposure therapy to treat their fear of attendance and subsequently enable oral restoration. Dental practitioners deliver the exposure therapy, which requires a role change that deviates from their traditional practice. This paper explores how – and under what circumstances – dental practitioners manage this new role of alleviating dental anxiety for patients with a history of trauma or dental phobia. Using a realist evaluation approach, this paper develops theory describing which contexts promote mechanisms that allow practitioners to alleviate dental anxiety for patients with trauma or dental phobia. A multi-method approach, comprising service documents (n = 13) and stakeholder interviews (n = 12), was applied. The data were then analysed through a content analysis and context-mechanism-outcome heuristic tool. Our findings reveal that dental practitioners must adopt roles that enable trust, a safe space, and gradual desensitisation of the patient to their fear triggers. Adopting these roles requires time and resources to develop practitioners' skills – enabling them to adopt an appropriate communication style and exposure pace for each patient.publishedVersio