Open Access“In that day when we met for the frst time”: barriers and and resources of successful transition of foster-children to adulthood
Author(s) -
Лариса Леонидовна Шпаковская,
Жанна Чернова,
Эльвира Шамильевна Гарифулина
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
inter/interakciâ. intervʹû. interpretaciâ
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2687-0401
pISSN - 2307-2075
DOI - 10.19181/inter.2019.19.2
Subject(s) - construct (python library) , context (archaeology) , transition (genetics) , set (abstract data type) , interpersonal communication , face (sociological concept) , politics , perception , psychology , developmental psychology , social psychology , sociology , social science , political science , history , computer science , biochemistry , chemistry , archaeology , neuroscience , law , gene , programming language
The article aims at the analysis of children’s perception of the changes in their lives due to the loss of a biological family and moving to a foster family. We analyze how children experience and subjectively perceive their foster family life experience. On the base of children biographies we build typical life trajectories, which are shaped in institutional, interpersonal and individual level. Social and political context of the foster children autobiographies are set by the reform of deinstitutionalization of child welfare system implemented in Russia in the 2010s. The methodological framework used is the new sociology of childhood, which sees childhood as a socio-historical construct, insists on studying the subjective world of children and taking them as everyday experts. As an empirical material we analyse 253 autobiographies written by foster children and sent to a diary context “Our Stories” (Elena and Gennagy Timchenko Foundation, 2015–2017). The article presents typical biographical trajectories of foster children as stages of transition to adulthood, as well as barriers that they face in this process and resources that are made available to them by the family. The general conclusion of the article is the fact that the biographical trajectories of the transition, which are accessible for foster children are complex, diverse, and individualized. Biographies are presented by their authors not only as a result of external factors, but also as a result of their own actions, as well as the eorts of their foster parents to overcome social stigmatization.