“…The heterogeneous dyad of mother and father was perceived as an ideal, promoting healthy development of a child, as explained by a Mexican professional: ‘The maternity–paternity function is affection, drawing limits, helping the child to integrate into the society, not allowing the possibility of a child to end up excluded in an institution’. As elsewhere, the ‘breakdown’ of the so‐called traditional nuclear family was perceived as the cause of social ills (Steel & Kidd ) and unconventional family forms perceived as producing a ‘parenting deficit’. The Mexican professional continued explaining: The families that we attend are really dysfunctional in that they couldn't—because of several circumstances—fulfil the principal functions; taking care of their children, having a relation as a couple.…”
Section: Accentuating the ‘Big Things’ — Family Displays From A Profementioning
confidence: 90%
“…While a focus on family practices may overestimate the agency and choices that people have with respect to how relating practices are institutionalized (Heaphy ), analysing processes of displays and responses divulges how definitions and acceptance of family are moulded by positions of power and hegemonic ideas. Hegemonic discourse presents family as normal and natural, constituted by the patriarchal nuclear family (Steel & Kidd ) with the norms and practices of well‐resourced, middle class families (Gillies ; Brown ; Heaphy ). Thus, such families are predisposed to ‘successful’ displays, while working class families are prone to be judged as ‘failing’ and thus more often monitored by state agencies (Heaphy ).…”
Section: Displaying Families In Social Workmentioning
In this article, we explore how ‘family’ is conceptualized and negotiated in a Mexican and a Chilean child protection institution. We draw on empirical material from two qualitative studies, employing a multi‐method approach. By using a theoretical framework from family sociology, we explore how ‘family’ is done and displayed by families of children in residential care despite socio‐economic, structural and institutional constraints. These displays consist mainly of ‘little things’ of a mundane character, such as homemade food, sweets, gifts, clothing and family photos, and more intangible displays as family narratives, affection and parental responsibility. The empirical material reveals how professionals commonly disregard these displays in favour of ‘big things’ such as housing, employment, nuclear family structure, therapy and parental school attendance. The professionals' recommendations and decisions in child custody cases can be interpreted as recognitions or rejections of family displays, as the acceptable limits of unconventionality are legally, socially and culturally drawn.
“…The heterogeneous dyad of mother and father was perceived as an ideal, promoting healthy development of a child, as explained by a Mexican professional: ‘The maternity–paternity function is affection, drawing limits, helping the child to integrate into the society, not allowing the possibility of a child to end up excluded in an institution’. As elsewhere, the ‘breakdown’ of the so‐called traditional nuclear family was perceived as the cause of social ills (Steel & Kidd ) and unconventional family forms perceived as producing a ‘parenting deficit’. The Mexican professional continued explaining: The families that we attend are really dysfunctional in that they couldn't—because of several circumstances—fulfil the principal functions; taking care of their children, having a relation as a couple.…”
Section: Accentuating the ‘Big Things’ — Family Displays From A Profementioning
confidence: 90%
“…While a focus on family practices may overestimate the agency and choices that people have with respect to how relating practices are institutionalized (Heaphy ), analysing processes of displays and responses divulges how definitions and acceptance of family are moulded by positions of power and hegemonic ideas. Hegemonic discourse presents family as normal and natural, constituted by the patriarchal nuclear family (Steel & Kidd ) with the norms and practices of well‐resourced, middle class families (Gillies ; Brown ; Heaphy ). Thus, such families are predisposed to ‘successful’ displays, while working class families are prone to be judged as ‘failing’ and thus more often monitored by state agencies (Heaphy ).…”
Section: Displaying Families In Social Workmentioning
In this article, we explore how ‘family’ is conceptualized and negotiated in a Mexican and a Chilean child protection institution. We draw on empirical material from two qualitative studies, employing a multi‐method approach. By using a theoretical framework from family sociology, we explore how ‘family’ is done and displayed by families of children in residential care despite socio‐economic, structural and institutional constraints. These displays consist mainly of ‘little things’ of a mundane character, such as homemade food, sweets, gifts, clothing and family photos, and more intangible displays as family narratives, affection and parental responsibility. The empirical material reveals how professionals commonly disregard these displays in favour of ‘big things’ such as housing, employment, nuclear family structure, therapy and parental school attendance. The professionals' recommendations and decisions in child custody cases can be interpreted as recognitions or rejections of family displays, as the acceptable limits of unconventionality are legally, socially and culturally drawn.
“…In sociology in contrast, it has been argued that ideational changes, such as the spread of individualism and thus the greater emphasis on self-realization, together with changing aspirations for paid work, are the main driving forces behind the postponement of family formation (both marriage and childbearing) and the increasing fragility of couple relationships in modern societies (Bengtson et al 2005;Steel et al 2012). In this respect, the Second Demographic Transition (SDT) theory is of particular importance ( Van de Kaa 1994;Lesthaeghe 2010).…”
Section: Making Sense Of the Interplay Between Family Complexity And mentioning
“…The Good Childhood Inquiry (2009) stated the "Life begins in the family, and from a child's point of view a loving family is the key to a good start in life" (p. 13) Feeling loved, feeling safe and a sense of belonging are central features to children's views about their world, whether it be with family, friends or other social groups (Layard and Dunn, 2009;Morgan, 2005). Children's identity is drawn from who they are in relation to those around them, where they come from and who loves them (Steel and Kidd, 2001).For example, between the age of three and six years of age, children have strong ideas about their gender and career aspirations (Archer, 1984, p. 2). This is constructed within the context of families, friendship groups and early educational influences.…”
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
