@schoonRiskResilienceLife2003

(2003) - Ingrid Schoon, John Bynner

Journal: Journal of Youth Studies
Link:: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1367626032000068145
DOI:: 10.1080/1367626032000068145
Links::
Tags:: #paper #NCDS #LifeCourse
Cite Key:: [@schoonRiskResilienceLife2003]

Abstract

It is now increasingly recognized that youth research needs to pay at least as much attention to the development of competences, resources, skills, and assets as to the emergence of disadvantage and risk. This paper summarizes recent developments in theory and research on resilience, a construct describing positive adaptation in the face of adversity, and explores possible applications of the theoretical advances and empirical findings to the development of interventions and social policies. A series of guiding principles are discussed along with examples of existing programmes aiming to promote the well being of disadvantaged, high-risk young people in our society.

Notes

“It is now increasingly recognized that youth research needs to pay at least as much attention to the development of competences, resources, skills, and assets as to the emergence of disadvantage and risk” (Schoon and Bynner, 2003, p. 21)

“The foundations of such ‘social exclusion’ processes are laid down early in life through exposure to ‘risk factors’ identified with adverse circumstances at home and at school (Atkinson & Hills, 1998; Bynner, 2001a; Schoon et al., 2002).” (Schoon and Bynner, 2003, p. 21)

“Resilience is not a personality attribute, but describes a dynamic process of positive adaptation in the face of significant adversity or trauma (Rutter, 1990, 1999; Masten et al., 1999; Luthar & Cicchetti, 2000). Positive adaptation is usually defined in terms of manifested competence, or success, in achieving the appropriate developmental tasks at different stages in life (Luthar & Zigler, 1991; Masten & Coatsworth, 1998).” (Schoon and Bynner, 2003, p. 22)

“Fundamental to the idea of risk is the predictability of life chances from earlier circumstances. As expressed through the concept of a ‘risk trajectory’, one risk factor reinforces another, leading to increasingly restricted outcomes in later life (Rutter, 1990). Children from a relatively disadvantaged family background are more likely to accumulate risks associated with that disadvantage throughout life than children born to more privileged families.” (Schoon and Bynner, 2003, p. 23)

“National Child Development Study (NCDS) comprising a follow-up to adult life of all children born between 3 and 9 March 1958, and the comparable 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) based on children born between 5 and 11 April in 1970—we demonstrated that being born into a relatively disadvantaged family increases the probability of accumulating risks associated with that disadvantage (Schoon et al., 2002” (Schoon and Bynner, 2003, p. 23)

“While in NCDS only 10 per cent of young men from the most disadvantaged backgrounds wanted further education beyond minimum school leaving age, 39 per cent of their parents hoped they would continue their education.” (Schoon and Bynner, 2003, p. 25)