Help them follow the proper path”
A qualitative study of the normative context of interventions for absence from school
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12272002 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jonas Højgaard Frydenlund (0000-0003-2125-6833, University of Agder, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 494-511 |
| Publication date | 2023-03-02 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Studies in Sociology of Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0962-0214 • E-ISSN: 1747-5066 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/09620214.2023.2185902 |
| OpenAlex | W4322767508 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 17 |
The idea that we ought to help young people with underlying issues, rather than simply pressure them back to school has gained traction in the literature on absence from school. However, this discussion has not considered how help and control are intertwined. The following is a Foucault inspired qualitative study of absence interventions in a school in Denmark aiming to critically explore this. Using positioning theory conjoined with Butler’s notions of recognisability and support networks, I show that these interventions form a normative context: regular attendance is the proper path towards a good life. Within this context, young people were seen as having a choice, despite school being compulsory. When the young people and parents attempt to negotiate this choice, they end up escalating the pressure instead. In order for help not to escalate into increased pressure, I argue that we need more flexibility regarding the politics of compulsory school
Attendance · Capability approach · Context (archaeology · Economics · Flexibility (engineering · Intervention (counseling · Negotiation · Normative · Political science · Psychological intervention · Social science · Sociology · Diverse Education Studies and Reforms · Law · Parental Involvement in Education · Psychology · Social Psychology · Youth Substance Use and School Attendance
Pisa 2015 Results (Volume II)
Absent from School
The impact of interventions to prevent truancy
Truancy Interventions
Bullies as Guardians of the Moral Order or an Ethic of Truths
School factors associated with school refusal- and truancy-related reasons for school non-attendance
Beyond the school refusal/truancy binary
Truancy as systemic discrimination
Discipline and Punish
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |