28 OCTOBER 2009
NO 1506
Finding a voice
The difficulties in putting the concept of family into words either by young residents or by staff writing the case records should challenge us to think of more words which might allow young people in care to find a clearer voice. One feels challenged to argue that the fact that we do not have easily available words to describe family relations in practice is very much a reflection of the general theoretical approaches to family life. Children's descriptions, and especially those which report cruel or neglectful relations, have not been heard very much in a theoretical sense. Children's accounts should play an equal part in research approaches.
Assuming that we need words to be able to handle family issues such as those mentioned by the children in the study, I am challenging researchers and practitioners to develop some new words. The words which I would like to see emerging for use should be such that:
In the Finnish debate, Jokinen (1996) introduced the powerful concept of tired mother to mirror the common state of motherhood as experienced by women, and Granfelt (1998) introduced the term broken motherhood to describe the motherhood of homeless women whose children had been taken into care. Both of them touch some secret and silent parts of parenthood without being judgemental. We would need more words of that type, so that both research and practice can explore family relations which do not fit into the concepts and words available so far. The young people in residential care and the adults working with them should be encouraged to develop this new vocabulary as they are the ones who best understand the situation of children in care.
Conclusion
The findings of this study are not unique or new. My point is, however,
that the kind of remarks made by children and young people in
residential care should be taken seriously by the researchers and
practitioners within family and childhood studies. These remarks belong
to the present practices of family life. For the children and young
people involved, these descriptions make an essential part of their life
story and their self-understanding. How can you make sense of something
you do not have any easy words for?
TARJA PÖSÖ
Pösö, T. (2007). Families: Difficult to speak about?
Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care, 6, 1. pp. 19-20.
REFERENCES
Granfelt, R. (1988). Kertomuksia naistenkodittomuudests (Stories about women's homelessness). Helsinki. SKS.
Jokinen, E. (1996). Vasynyt aiti (Tired mother). Tampere. Gaudeamus.
