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High Conflicts as Wicked Problems from the Perspective of Family Counsellor and Child Welfare Services in Norway
Author(s) -
Heggdalsvik Inger Kristin,
Lorås Lennart,
Samsonsen Vibeke
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.297
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1467-8438
pISSN - 0814-723X
DOI - 10.1002/anzf.1494
Subject(s) - thematic analysis , norwegian , perspective (graphical) , project commissioning , reflexivity , welfare , focus group , sociology , public relations , psychology , publishing , qualitative research , political science , social science , computer science , law , linguistics , philosophy , artificial intelligence , anthropology
This article explores professionals’ understanding and experiences of parental high conflicts in Norwegian family counsellor and child welfare services. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, examining four focus group interviews with a total of 24 professionals. We used tame and wicked problems as a theoretical frame of reference in order to discuss how high conflict cases can be understood. The analysis shows that the complexity and experiences of high conflicts challenge professionals in their assessments and development of solutions. Our conclusion is that the nature of the complexity, unpredictability, and instability of high conflicts fits within the framework of wicked problems.