ERIC Number: EJ1088992
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2168-3603
EISSN: N/A
Relational Dynamics within a Southeast Asian Social Service Agency
Smith, Andrew
International Journal of School & Educational Psychology, v1 n4 p278-286 2013
There is a growing literature that describes the benefits and challenges of collaboration among schools, counsellors, and the families of students. This literature, however, is largely drawn from Western cultural settings and from situations where the different collaborators exist as essentially separate entities. This article seeks to add to and broaden that literature by reporting on a social service agency in Southeast Asia that works with often highly traumatized children and young people. A qualitative, life history approach is used to report on the experiences and perceptions of counsellors, teachers, and foster-care parents, who are all employed by the agency and who contribute their differing roles to the care and development of the young people. The insights of the groups are presented, and the findings are discussed in the context of existing literature, with particular attention to issues of positioning and power. Attention is drawn to the role of agency senior leadership and to the importance of professional development that attends to broad issues of relational dynamics, not just specifics of service provision.
Descriptors: Social Services, Social Agencies, Group Dynamics, Qualitative Research, Biographies, Foster Care, Parent Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes, Counselor Attitudes, Interprofessional Relationship, Focus Groups, Phenomenology, School Community Relationship, Foreign Countries, Interviews
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Cambodia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A