LUFT
barnperspektiv på utvecklingsarbetet BUSS
Humanities and religionHUMANIORA OCH RELIGIONSVETENSKAPBarnperspektivKvalitativ studieHermeneutikSymbolisk interaktionismKunskapssociologiUtvecklingsarbetet BUSSKommunala insatserSärskilda behov
In 2002 the Norrköping municipality decided to establish a number of supportive teams and one teaching group with the purpose of developing alternative supporting efforts for children with social problems. This development work came to be called BUSS. BUSS today consists of four local teams, team Ett, team Norra, team Torpet and the Mathson School.The teams? focus, beyond the commission from Norrköping municipality, is to reduce the number of children being placed outside their own homes, get them to function in school, develop their self-confidence and social competence. Also their task is to support parents and take up a functional spare time for the children. In our study we start with a child?s perspective and focus on three different dimensions: the child?s view of its own existence within the development work, the parents? view of the supporting efforts, and finally whether the children and parents feel that the teams and municipality manage to achieve their goals. The study is qualitative and has its foundation in interviews and written inquiries with a total of 17 children and parents. The purpose of this study is to try to ascertain what children and parents mean when they tell us about the development work of BUSS.To help us we have found inspiration from the hermeneutic theory where interpretation is the main research method. We highlight what the informant tells us using symbolic interactionism and knowledge sociology, two theories which emphasize human interaction and language.The study indicates that children and parents find the help and support received to be sufficient. The children describe support received in different spheres, such as school and spare time. The parents emphasize that it is important they also receive help and support. The parents question that the focus is on the school?s compulsory subjects. It appears that the teams do not achieve their goals at present, but the parents are of the opinion that the help and support received has its foundation in the teams? goals. Furthermore it appears that the staff have a significant role in the children?s socialization, as they are seen as adult role models. The value of continuity in the children?s development is emphasized, and changes in staff are perceived as having a negative effect. The time limit on the supporting effort and reduced time for the children in the school environment is also called into question.