On your own within a network? Vulnerable youths' social networks in transition from school to
adult life
Engelsk titel: On your own within a network? Vulnerable youths' social networks in transition from school to
adult life
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Författare:
Bele, Irene Velsvik
;
Kvalsund, Rune
Email: irene.bele@hivolda.no
Språk: Eng
Antal referenser: 80
Dokumenttyp:
Artikel
UI-nummer: 15073176
Sammanfattning
This article is based on longitudinal prospective life-course data (1995-2007) about Special
Educational Need (SEN) students in upper secondary school, addressing changes in these
vulnerable persons’ (N=372) spare time-related social relationships at age 29 compared to five years
earlier. Logistic regression analyses show that experiences of exclusion (being solely in special
class) during upper secondary school have a marked negative effect on being in a small and
potentially isolating social network at age 24 compared with the variables personal diagnostic
characteristics and experienced psychosocial stress in the family. Applying the same explanatory
model to the adaptive situation at age 29 reveals very different results: time distant variables
(special class, personal characteristics at school start) loose effect. Contemporary independent
variables describing a contextually changed life situation produces patterns of social integration,
reducing social marginalization. The results suggest that a shift in the life situation in adulthood
(having work, own family, driver's license) changes network characteristics and agency from being
self-realising and individualistic towards a more collective, altruistic and self-sacrificing action
pattern in social relationships. This shows a pattern of resilience. Theoretic approaches are life-
course theory, theory of frame conditions, network theory, theory of disability and critical realism.