John Pinkerton
Biographic Data
| ID | 4369732 |
|---|---|
| NAME | John Pinkerton |
| GIVEN NAMES | John |
| FAMILY NAME | Pinkerton |
| SIGNATURE | PINKERTON J |
| AFFILIATIONS | Queen's University Belfast |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2276-818X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 30 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 119 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 29 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 2 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1982 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
Recognising Foster Family Practices as a Form of Extended Care for Emerging Adults Transitioning out of Long-Term Fostering
For care-experienced youth, emerging adulthood is period of normative social and emotional experimentation, but disconnected from the supportive adult relationships available to their peers, particularly from family. To address this, formal child welfare services are increasingly interested in finding ways of avoiding rigid age-determined withdrawal of support by adopting various forms of extended care. This paper identifies continuous relationsh…
The Heart of the Matter’
Grandparent childcare is an international phenomenon, especially within families with children under 3 years old. China is no exception, as shown by a number of quantitative studies. Less clear is our understanding of the actual childcare arrangements involved and how these are negotiated and sustained through the intergenerational interactions between grandparents and parents. As a contribution to answering those questions, this qualitative stud…
Care Leaving and Social Capital
Theorizing continues to be a challenge within the burgeoning field of care leaving. This article considers whether ‘social capital’ contributes to explaining the care‐leaving experience. Various views of what constitutes social capital are explored, and a three‐category typology is presented. Social capital theory is explored through the application of descriptive themes from a study undertaken across four African countries. The study adopted a r…
Social Work and the political conflict in Northern Ireland
This paper explores ways in which a concept of space can enable a fuller understanding of the impact of political conflict on social work within Northern Ireland. It begins with an overview of the origins and process of the conflict which has lasted for over forty years, and a complex social work role, impacted by sectarianism and other forms of social divisions. It then moves beyond that analysis to consider how the concept of space can further …
Youth in Transition
While there is a substantial body of leaving care research, the theorization of care leaving has been more limited. Only a few studies have incorporated a life course perspective, mainly in Global North contexts where life course perspectives may differ significantly from those in the Global South, including Africa. Drawing on findings from a feasibility research study, this paper contributes to the emerging international literature on theorizing…
Raising the profile of care leavers with mental health and/or intellectual disabilities
I got into a very dark place”
Purpose This paper aims to report on the findings of a qualitative study that explored the views and experiences of young people leaving care during the first phase of the Covid-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was adopted involving semi-structured interviews with 24 care leavers 18–25 years old from across the region. Interviews were conducted remotely online or by telephone and explored young p…
Exploring history in the social ecology of care leaving
This paper aims to promote thinking about care leave leaving from a historical perspective. It suggests that Bronfenbrenner's social ecological modelling of human development provides a promising conceptual framework for doing that. It not only provides a micro to macro layered systemic perspective but also draws attention to the ‘chronosystem’, covering both biographical and historical changes. The potential use of the historical dimension to Br…
Raising African Voices in the Global Dialogue on Care-Leaving and Emerging Adulthood
Globalization of knowledge and scholarship raises the challenges of dialogue between Global North and South. Northern knowledge and voice remain privileged, while writing from the South often goes unread. This is true also in emerging adulthood and care-leaving scholarship. The special issue of Emerging Adulthood titled “Care-Leaving in Africa” is the first collection of essays on care-leaving by African scholars. It presents both care-leaving an…
Meeting the Challenge?
Home on a care order
Compared to children in other placements, there is much less known about the characteristics and needs of children in the UK who are returned to their birth parents with a care order still in place. That is in spite of evidence to suggest they face more difficulties than young people in other placements. Based on a 2009 census of looked after children in Northern Ireland, just under 10% ( n = 193) were found to be living at home under a care orde…
Young People Transitioning from Out-of-home Care
Young people transitioning from out-of-home care are globally a vulnerable group who have generally not received the ongoing and holistic support that they require to transition successfully into a
Poverty and Inequality
Two points to be clear on from the get-go of this review. First, I want to state my unreserved support for ‘Critical and Radical Debates in Social Work’, of which ‘Poverty and Inequality’ is a part, as a very timely and innovative publishing project. Second, my review is unapologetically situated in a particular professional and political experience and it is from that vantage point I find myself, on balance, disappointed with this set of papers.…
Social Work and Social Development
This is a strategic book and an important book. It makes an intervention in the long-running debate about the role and tasks of social work as a global profession. It does this in a conscious fashion, as the introduction by the editors James Midgley and Amy Conley makes clear: Although there has been a growing awareness and interest in the relevance of social development ideas to professional social work ... many still believe that (it) is primar…
Social work education and political conflict
This paper reports on the evaluation of a European PEACE III sponsored teaching and learning project that was designed to enable social work students to better understand the needs of victims and survivors of the conflict in Northern Ireland. The paper begins with an introduction to policy, practice and educational contexts before reviewing the literature on social work, conflict and trauma. It also summarises key, innovative pedagogical approach…
The contribution of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to understanding and promoting the interests of young people making the transition from care to adulthood
Constructing a global understanding of the social ecology of leaving out of home care
Social Work in South Africa Today
Additional informationNotes on contributorsJohn Pinkerton John Pinkerton is Professor of Child and Family Social Work at Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. He has researched and published in the areas of young people leaving state care, family support and the application of research to policy and practice. He spent a five-month sabbatical with the Children's Institute, University of Cape Town in 2006. Correspondence to Professor John …
The policy context of leaving care services
Family support, social capital, resilience and adolescent coping
All too often young people are excluded in practice from the general policy and professional consensus that partnership and participation should underpin work with children, young people and their families. If working with troubled and troublesome young people is to be based on family support, it will require not only the clear statement of that policy but also demonstration that it can be applied in practice. Achieving that involves setting out …
Developing a global approach to the theory and practice of young people leaving state care
This paper argues that globalization, although needing to be recognized as a highly complex phenomenon and a contested concept, should become part of the debate about improving the life chances of young people leaving care. Understanding globalization is essential to developing the effective strategies of engagement and resistance needed to address the social exclusion of these young people. Consideration is given to the considerable difficulties…
Children's participation in the policy process
Prompted by Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, there is a growing number of examples of children and young people being involved in the policy process. To date this had not been matched by evaluation of the practice. This situation needs to change to ensure that existing experience provides learning for more widespread and more effective involvement. Using the development of the Irish National Children's Strategy for illu…
Evaluating Family Support
Evaluating family support
From parity to subsidiarity? children's policy in Northern Ireland under New Labour
In this paper the devolution agenda of New Labour is related to the progress being made in the peace process and its implications for children's policy considered through focusing on child welfare. With illustrations from policy, legislation and practice, the traditional social policy commitment to ‘parity’ is shown to have always involved negotiation and accommodation between the realities of the region and Westminster's objectives. It is sugges…
Family support, social capital, resilience and adolescent coping
All too often young people are excluded in practice from the general policy and professional consensus that partnership and participation should underpin work with children, young people and their families. If working with troubled and troublesome young people is to be based on family support, it will require not only the clear statement of that policy but also demonstration that it can be applied in practice. Achieving that involves setting out …
Constructing a global understanding of the social ecology of leaving out of home care
Young people leaving care in England, Northern Ireland, and Ireland
This paper explores the transitions of young people, aged 16-18, leaving state care in England, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. It is based substantially upon the findings from collaborative research which developed in stages between 1991 and 1999 - and is still ongoing. Four substantive areas are discussed. First, the legal framework of the three jurisdictions: the Children Act 1989, the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 and …
Developing a global approach to the theory and practice of young people leaving state care
This paper argues that globalization, although needing to be recognized as a highly complex phenomenon and a contested concept, should become part of the debate about improving the life chances of young people leaving care. Understanding globalization is essential to developing the effective strategies of engagement and resistance needed to address the social exclusion of these young people. Consideration is given to the considerable difficulties…
Social Work and Social Justice in Northern Ireland
TEST 02 - Elsevier's Scopus, the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature. Search and access research from the science, technology, medicine, social sciences and arts and humanities fields.
Young People Transitioning from Out-of-home Care
Young people transitioning from out-of-home care are globally a vulnerable group who have generally not received the ongoing and holistic support that they require to transition successfully into a
The contribution of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to understanding and promoting the interests of young people making the transition from care to adulthood
Social work education and political conflict
This paper reports on the evaluation of a European PEACE III sponsored teaching and learning project that was designed to enable social work students to better understand the needs of victims and survivors of the conflict in Northern Ireland. The paper begins with an introduction to policy, practice and educational contexts before reviewing the literature on social work, conflict and trauma. It also summarises key, innovative pedagogical approach…
Raising the profile of care leavers with mental health and/or intellectual disabilities
The policy context of leaving care services
Home on a care order
Compared to children in other placements, there is much less known about the characteristics and needs of children in the UK who are returned to their birth parents with a care order still in place. That is in spite of evidence to suggest they face more difficulties than young people in other placements. Based on a 2009 census of looked after children in Northern Ireland, just under 10% ( n = 193) were found to be living at home under a care orde…
Responding to the needs of young people leaving state care
I got into a very dark place”
Purpose This paper aims to report on the findings of a qualitative study that explored the views and experiences of young people leaving care during the first phase of the Covid-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was adopted involving semi-structured interviews with 24 care leavers 18–25 years old from across the region. Interviews were conducted remotely online or by telephone and explored young p…
Exploring history in the social ecology of care leaving
This paper aims to promote thinking about care leave leaving from a historical perspective. It suggests that Bronfenbrenner's social ecological modelling of human development provides a promising conceptual framework for doing that. It not only provides a micro to macro layered systemic perspective but also draws attention to the ‘chronosystem’, covering both biographical and historical changes. The potential use of the historical dimension to Br…
Associations between pelvic anatomy, height and year of birth of men and women in Belfast
Standardized radiological pelvimetry was used to examine 242 male and 314 female adults attending the out-patient departments of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Seven indices of pelvic size and shape were measured from X-rays on each individual together with social and biological factors including age, height and year of birth. The aims were to quantify any differences in pelvic anatomy between the sexes and to measure correlations between …
Responding to the needs of young people leaving state care
Meeting the Challenge
Part 1 Recognizing the challenge: the Northern Ireland context policy and practice legislation research aims and objectives outline of the book. Part 2 Youth policy and leaving care: needs and services young people in Northern Ireland process as care career outcomes and the transition to adulthood. Part 3 Methodology: postal survey follow-up interviews general comments. Part 4 Leaving care population: personal characteristics care careers experie…
Young people leaving care in England, Northern Ireland, and Ireland
This paper explores the transitions of young people, aged 16-18, leaving state care in England, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. It is based substantially upon the findings from collaborative research which developed in stages between 1991 and 1999 - and is still ongoing. Four substantive areas are discussed. First, the legal framework of the three jurisdictions: the Children Act 1989, the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 and …
Ireland's National Children's Strategy—an inside outsider's view
Social Work and Social Justice in Northern Ireland
TEST 02 - Elsevier's Scopus, the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature. Search and access research from the science, technology, medicine, social sciences and arts and humanities fields.
Evaluating Family Support
Evaluating family support
From parity to subsidiarity? children's policy in Northern Ireland under New Labour
In this paper the devolution agenda of New Labour is related to the progress being made in the peace process and its implications for children's policy considered through focusing on child welfare. With illustrations from policy, legislation and practice, the traditional social policy commitment to ‘parity’ is shown to have always involved negotiation and accommodation between the realities of the region and Westminster's objectives. It is sugges…
Children's participation in the policy process
Prompted by Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, there is a growing number of examples of children and young people being involved in the policy process. To date this had not been matched by evaluation of the practice. This situation needs to change to ensure that existing experience provides learning for more widespread and more effective involvement. Using the development of the Irish National Children's Strategy for illu…
Developing a global approach to the theory and practice of young people leaving state care
This paper argues that globalization, although needing to be recognized as a highly complex phenomenon and a contested concept, should become part of the debate about improving the life chances of young people leaving care. Understanding globalization is essential to developing the effective strategies of engagement and resistance needed to address the social exclusion of these young people. Consideration is given to the considerable difficulties…
Family support, social capital, resilience and adolescent coping
All too often young people are excluded in practice from the general policy and professional consensus that partnership and participation should underpin work with children, young people and their families. If working with troubled and troublesome young people is to be based on family support, it will require not only the clear statement of that policy but also demonstration that it can be applied in practice. Achieving that involves setting out …
Social Work in South Africa Today
Additional informationNotes on contributorsJohn Pinkerton John Pinkerton is Professor of Child and Family Social Work at Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. He has researched and published in the areas of young people leaving state care, family support and the application of research to policy and practice. He spent a five-month sabbatical with the Children's Institute, University of Cape Town in 2006. Correspondence to Professor John …
The policy context of leaving care services
The contribution of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to understanding and promoting the interests of young people making the transition from care to adulthood
Constructing a global understanding of the social ecology of leaving out of home care
Social work education and political conflict
This paper reports on the evaluation of a European PEACE III sponsored teaching and learning project that was designed to enable social work students to better understand the needs of victims and survivors of the conflict in Northern Ireland. The paper begins with an introduction to policy, practice and educational contexts before reviewing the literature on social work, conflict and trauma. It also summarises key, innovative pedagogical approach…
Social Work and Social Development
This is a strategic book and an important book. It makes an intervention in the long-running debate about the role and tasks of social work as a global profession. It does this in a conscious fashion, as the introduction by the editors James Midgley and Amy Conley makes clear: Although there has been a growing awareness and interest in the relevance of social development ideas to professional social work ... many still believe that (it) is primar…
Young People Transitioning from Out-of-home Care
Young people transitioning from out-of-home care are globally a vulnerable group who have generally not received the ongoing and holistic support that they require to transition successfully into a
Poverty and Inequality
Two points to be clear on from the get-go of this review. First, I want to state my unreserved support for ‘Critical and Radical Debates in Social Work’, of which ‘Poverty and Inequality’ is a part, as a very timely and innovative publishing project. Second, my review is unapologetically situated in a particular professional and political experience and it is from that vantage point I find myself, on balance, disappointed with this set of papers.…
Home on a care order
Compared to children in other placements, there is much less known about the characteristics and needs of children in the UK who are returned to their birth parents with a care order still in place. That is in spite of evidence to suggest they face more difficulties than young people in other placements. Based on a 2009 census of looked after children in Northern Ireland, just under 10% ( n = 193) were found to be living at home under a care orde…
Meeting the Challenge?
Raising African Voices in the Global Dialogue on Care-Leaving and Emerging Adulthood
Globalization of knowledge and scholarship raises the challenges of dialogue between Global North and South. Northern knowledge and voice remain privileged, while writing from the South often goes unread. This is true also in emerging adulthood and care-leaving scholarship. The special issue of Emerging Adulthood titled “Care-Leaving in Africa” is the first collection of essays on care-leaving by African scholars. It presents both care-leaving an…
I got into a very dark place”
Purpose This paper aims to report on the findings of a qualitative study that explored the views and experiences of young people leaving care during the first phase of the Covid-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was adopted involving semi-structured interviews with 24 care leavers 18–25 years old from across the region. Interviews were conducted remotely online or by telephone and explored young p…
Exploring history in the social ecology of care leaving
This paper aims to promote thinking about care leave leaving from a historical perspective. It suggests that Bronfenbrenner's social ecological modelling of human development provides a promising conceptual framework for doing that. It not only provides a micro to macro layered systemic perspective but also draws attention to the ‘chronosystem’, covering both biographical and historical changes. The potential use of the historical dimension to Br…
Sociology (23 works) · Political science (22 works) · Law (16 works) · Child Welfare and Adoption (12 works) · Law (12 works) · Psychology (12 works) · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving (10 works) · Medicine (9 works) · Public relations (9 works) · Social science (9 works)