Using the capability approach in social work with unaccompanied young adult refugees
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21721668 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Laura Van Raemdonck (0000-0001-8646-3468, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium, corresponding author), Noel Clycq (0000-0003-2123-5098, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium), Rilke Mahieu (0000-0001-7030-8682, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 556-578 |
| Publication date | 2022-03-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Social Work (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1468-0173 • E-ISSN: 1741-296X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/14680173211009744 |
| OpenAlex | W3172801710 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 9 |
| References cited | 31 |
This study reviews two different types of frontline social services for unaccompanied young adult refugees participating in an intensive Social Support Programme implemented in 2016–2019 by a local municipality. More specifically, the study took a phenomenological research approach to review the impact of intensive case management and specialised educational/occupational orientation services on young refugees’ capabilities and agency to reach aspired life goals. The capability approach has been applied as a theoretical framework for identifying opportunities and challenges in this regard. The paper covers a mixed-method design that includes qualitative and quantitative data. The qualitative data are drawn from 42 in-depth interviews with 24 young refugees and one interview and three focus group discussions with 10 service providers. The article also includes a limited amount of longitudinal statistics on the aspirations of 31 young refugees upon entering and exiting the support programme. Findings This article shows theoretical and empirical evidence for utilising the capability approach to review social services for young refugees. Findings suggest that social workers and refugees face intersecting structural and interpersonal tensions that counteract with the expansion of young refugees’ capabilities and agency to reach their aspired life goals. Specific strategies are suggested to diminish described challenges. Applications Social work with unaccompanied young adult refugees should shift its attention from integrating these young individuals into the dominant social order, to prioritising their human development
Capability approach · Focus group · Political science · Public relations · Qualitative property · Qualitative research · Refugee · Social science · Sociology · Computer Science · Employment and Welfare Studies · Homelessness and Social Issues · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology · Social Work
Unaccompanied foreign minors and education
The accommodation and support of unaccompanied refugee minors in Belgium
The Capability Approach as the Ethics of Social Work With Child Refugees
Effective strategies for socio‐educational intervention during the process of transition to adult life of unaccompanied minors from Africa
Listen to marginal voices
Psychosocial and integration needs of unaccompanied children in Greece
Eat, Sleep, School, Repeat
The Capability Approach as a Normative Foundation for Social Work with Socially Disadvantaged Children and Youth
The Multidisciplinary Nature of the Capability Approach
Anti-Oppressive Social Work Theory and Practice
The Resilience of Students with an Immigrant Background
The Relationship Between Post-Migration Stress and Psychological Disorders in Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Longitudinal follow-up of the mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors
School and Community-Based Interventions for Refugee and Asylum Seeking Children
Null
Inequality Reexamined
A Brief Introduction to the Multidimensional Intercultural Training Acculturation Model (Mita) for Middle Eastern Adolescent Refugees
Preparation and transition planning for unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee young people
Two logics of policy intervention in immigrant integration
Reconceptualising refugee education
The social care needs of unaccompanied minors
The social services response to unaccompanied children in England
A case study on a generalist service delivery model for street children in Durban, South Africa
The needs and strengths of unaccompanied asylum‐seeking children and young people in Scotland
Beyond Subordination vs. Resistance
Lifelong learning and the social integration of refugees in the UK
Agency and Silence
Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees
The New Politics of Social Work Practice
Immigrant Youth
Comparison of Four Different Livelihood Programmes for Urban Refugee Women in Durban, South Africa
The Idea of Justice
Social Capital and the Wages of Mexican Migrants
Should Aspirations be a Matter of Policy Concern
| Citations per year | 2.25 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2022 - 2026 (5) |
| Highly cited | No |