an article by Kate Brown (University of York, England) published in Critical Social Policy Volume 39 Issue 4 (November 2019)
Abstract
As child sexual exploitation (CSE) has risen towards the top of the UK’s political agenda, the concept of vulnerability has become a central frame through which to understand and address the issue.
This article analyses problems with the concept of vulnerability as it is commonly understood in relation to CSE, taking first steps towards developing an empirically-grounded account of the notion which is more sensitive to the lived realities of victimhood for sexually exploited young people.
Drawing on data from participatory qualitative research into life stories of ‘moving on’ from CSE in a large Northern city in England, the article illustrates how vulnerability is shaped through individual factors, situational dynamics and structural forces, connected by human agency through time. It argues that to respond effectively to vulnerability within the field of CSE, we need to move beyond discussion of ‘risk factors’ and denial of agency, towards an understanding of intersectional social divisions, social marginality, ‘critical moments’ and how these shape the investments and actions of vulnerable young people.
Showing posts with label vulnerable. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vulnerable. Show all posts
Monday, 4 November 2019
Friday, 16 March 2018
Capabilities and Choices of Vulnerable, Long-Term Unemployed Individuals
an article by Vanessa Beck (University of Leicester, UK) published in Work, Employment and Society Volume 32 Issue 1 (February 2018)
Abstract
This article discusses the issue of choice as it applies to long-term unemployed and vulnerable individuals.
It argues that the combination of poor employment opportunities, requirements, compulsions and sanctions has not merely reduced available choice for individuals with multiple barriers to re-/join the labour market but has also resulted in curtailed decision-making abilities when it comes to their pathways into employment.
The outcomes can include protective resistance as a response to the extent of regulation, which may undermine engagement in job search and related activities. Despite attempts by benevolent staff in a charity to provide support and enhance capabilities that result in the overcoming of protective resistance, they operate within a broader institutional framework of choice as set by government policy.
The end result is compulsion, not choice.
Abstract
This article discusses the issue of choice as it applies to long-term unemployed and vulnerable individuals.
It argues that the combination of poor employment opportunities, requirements, compulsions and sanctions has not merely reduced available choice for individuals with multiple barriers to re-/join the labour market but has also resulted in curtailed decision-making abilities when it comes to their pathways into employment.
The outcomes can include protective resistance as a response to the extent of regulation, which may undermine engagement in job search and related activities. Despite attempts by benevolent staff in a charity to provide support and enhance capabilities that result in the overcoming of protective resistance, they operate within a broader institutional framework of choice as set by government policy.
The end result is compulsion, not choice.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
