Pat Cox

CARING ABOUT POVERTY: Alternatives to institutional care for children in poverty

Entry to institutional care is being used as an ineffective and expensive response to child and family poverty in a number of countries. In this paper, the practice of using institutional care for children in poverty is examined, drawing on case studies from three countries–the Republic of Moldova, Bulgaria, and Sri Lanka. Research findings reveal that poverty is a major underlying cause of children being received into institutional care and that such reception into care is a costly, inappropriate, and often harmful response to adverse economic circumstances. We suggest that alternatives to care may be funded from resources currently committed to institutions by developing a policy of gatekeeping. However, alternative strategies must be responsive to local conditions, and all such strategies need to be developed in consultation with children, their families, and communities.

Movements and Migratory Processes: Roles and Responsibilities of Education and Learning

The English philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell wrote: ‘No political theory is adequate, unless it is applicable to children, as well as to men and women’ (Russell 1916/1997, p. 100). In this section, research and theorizing about migration, cultures, languages and difference is applied to the situations of children, young people, women and men within and following migratory processes and to the contributions of education and learning. This introduction opens with a brief summary of the contexts of migration and of culture early in the twenty-first century; these are followed by discussion of the contexts of education and of learning; a summary of the subject matter and key points within each chapter, with some closing remarks.

Introduction: The Importance of Qualitative Research to Social Change — Preliminary Considerations

In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of interest in countries across the world in the undertaking, findings, and application of social research, together with a groundswell of debate and discussion about methodology and methods applied in social research. The ‘paradigm wars’ (Halfpenny, 2001), especially those relying on the relative merits of quantitative and qualitative methodologies and methods for their focus, continue apparently unabated: it is also possible to identify a more pragmatic stance towards this debate. Here pluralism in methods and methodology is seen as the one-size-fits-all approach, referred to by some as triangulation (for example, Flick, 2002). At the same time, this ‘new’ acceptance of qualitative approaches as a valuable contribution to social research brings into question not only the reason for this acknowledgement but also the question of its strength. Flick (2002) identifies social change as an important issue in the rise in practice and interest in qualitative research: Rapid social change and the resulting diversification of life worlds are increasingly confronting social researchers with new social contexts and perspectives ... traditional deductive methodologies ...are failing... thus research is increasingly forced to make use of inductive strategies instead of starting from theories and testing them... knowledge and practice are studied as local knowledge and practice. (Flick, 2002, p. 2)

Complexity Science: Understanding Research Processes and Improving Research Practice

ABSTRACT Reflecting on experiences of coresearching with young people aged 13 to 15 in evaluating a government-funded initiative within their own communities, the author explores both some of the consequences of this endeavor and learnings from reflections on research processes therein. Reflections upon lessons learned are analyzed through applying some key concepts from complexity science to the research. It is argued that complexity science assists in reflection and in reaching more in-depth understandings of research processes. The author outlines how these concepts could be applied in research more generally and concludes that learnings from this experience are relevant to researchers everywhere.

Changing research, research for change: exploring the perspectives of complexity science

In our introduction, we editors write about the indivisible relationship between research and the societies within which research is undertaken. It is our contention that researchers should aim to reflect upon this relationship throughout the research process. It is my contention that this should include reflection on the roles of researchers and our influence on research relationships. My epistemological position draws from that of critical and feminist theorists in viewing research as a means of questioning, challenging, and changing ‘what is’, rather than merely describing it (Habermas, 1973; Harding, 1986; Smith, 1999).

Transnationalism and social work education

Transnational movements, networks, and relationships are everywhere in this “world on the move” (Williams & Graham, 2014, p. i1). Transnational peoples maintain relationships of interdependence and support with families and communities in their places of origin, often returning regularly, while starting new lives and making new connections. Transnationalism is characterized by mobilities and networks, by social integration, and by extended and extensive relationship ties of family, neighborhood, religious faith, or combinations thereof (Valtonen, 2008). While disciplines across the world including sociology, human geography, and cultural anthropology engage with the implications of transnationalism (Baubock & Faist, 2010), social work in England and mainland Europe has not achieved similar levels of engagement. As Cox and Geisen state: “the social world is being transformed by migration and social work is playing catch-up” (2014, p. i162).

Beyond limits and limitations: reflections on learning processes in contexts of migration and young people

Migration is the social issue of this age (Harzig and Hoerder 2009); both migration from and migration to (Cortes 2007; Konseiga 2006). Interest in migration is widespread in political, legal and policy settings (Betts 2009; Loescher et al. 2008); among social scientists, educators, social workers; among health and medical workers (Castles and Miller 2009; Portes and DeWind 2008; Tunstall 2006).

Analysis and critique of ‘Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision: A green paper’: Some implications for refugee children and young people

Adopting a childrens rights perspective, a critique and analysis underpinned by documentary research methodology was undertaken in order to assess the extent to which the governments Green Paper (Department of Health and Social Care and Department of Education, 2017. Transforming children and young peoples mental health provision: a green paper. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision-a-green-paper (accessed 7 December 2017)) addresses the mental health and well-being needs of refugee children and young people in England and Wales, identifying strengths, limitations and challenges for future policy and practice. Findings suggest that there is much of potential benefit to refugee children and young peoples future mental health and well-being. However, a paradigm shift, explicit in implications, scale and time frame, will be required, if the Green Paper is to achieve those changes in attitudes, practice and service delivery which it anticipates. We argue that this Green Papers overarching challenge is that it is premised on Western-centric models in its understanding of the experiences of refugee children and young people, and management of trauma and mental health. It fails to recognize the meanings and significance of culture, and of diversity and difference, and the need to invest in all communities in facilitating engagement and support for children and young peoples mental health issues.

Migration, Work, Social Work and Psycho-Social Theories: Towards Improved Understandings, Knowledge and Practice

Historically, migration has been a way for many to improve their working and earning opportunities, in addition to building different lives for themselves and their families. Despite the widespread economic downturn, while numbers of migrant peoples have decreased, migration has not ceased completely. Inherent difficulties for migrant peoples in finding work appropriate to their levels of qualification; work paying a living wage or salary; work for which workers’ contributions are recognized; are manifold, and ongoing developments in immigration policies exacerbate these complexities still further. Societies across the world, whether sending societies, receiving societies or both are being changed by migration and by the changing availability and nature of work and these changes have implications for social work at present and in the future. This chapter focuses on migration and work in the UK and begins with a brief overview of each of the core subjects: migration, work and social work and then the author introduces psycho-social theories, where intra-psychic, interpersonal, social institutions and macro-societal relationships and issues all are considered. She applies these theories to processes and practices in migration and in work, illustrating their relevance to better understandings of both, arguing for more robust and theoretically grounded responses from the social work profession to the inter-linked issues of migration and work; responses which include critical analysis and practice.

Migration and Families: Critical Perspectives on Social and Cultural Issues

Writing about the consequences of modernity, Bauman, Wasted Lives: The Outcasts of Modernity (2003) notes that raw materials and goods flow freely around the “globalized world”, but movements of peoples, whether individuals, families or groups, are more circumscribed. Migration is constructed positively when required by the demands of capitalism in receiving nations; negatively when it is not required or when refuge is being sought (Bauman, Consuming life. Cambridge 2007; Living on Borrowed Time: Conversations with Citali Rovirosa-Madrazo, 2009). Migration is the major social, political and cultural issue of this century, both for the northern and the southern countries (Abdelmoneum, Policy and Practice: Non-governmental Organisations and the Health Delivery System for Displaced Children in Khartoum, Sudan. 2010; Castles and Miller, The Age of Migration: International Population Movements in the Modern World 4th ed. 2009; Geisen et al. Migration, Mobility and Borders: Issues of Theory and Policy 2004). Families and their evolving forms and roles also are a significant social, cultural and political issue (Durrschmidt et al. Families, Social Capital and Migration in Time and Space 2010; Gillies and Edwards, An historical comparative analysis of family and parenting: A feasibility study across sources and timeframes, 2011), and both “migration” and “families” are influenced by social, legal, political and economic changes; they engender interest and concern across political and social policy divisions and in much public and political discourse. Both families and migration are the subjects of research studies and reports in the northern and in the southern nations. “Forced migration” (Betts, Forced Migration and Global Politics 2009) is this study’s background; refugee and asylum-seeking peoples are “forced migrants”.