Exploring dissonance with strengths-based family group conferencing in child protection
Date
2014-12-22
Authors
Montgomery, Wendy Teresa
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Abstract
This study uses selected data from a qualitative study by Ney, Stoltz and Maloney (2013) who explored family experiences of voice and participation in child protection family group conferences in British Columbia, Canada. A family group conference is a decision-making process founded on strengths-based philosophies that encourages collaborative and empowering relationships between child protection workers and client families. Traditionally, relationships between these workers and client families in child protection are situated within an environment founded on problem-based perspectives with child protection workers positioned as experts. This study explores the perspectives of child protection workers and their client families about their experiences with a family group conference, focusing on areas of dissonance between strengths- and problem-based perspectives that are assessed by analyzing interview transcripts. Purposeful extreme case sampling was conducted to select three cases from the primary study that represented both positive and negative family experiences. Inductive and deductive thematic analyses were conducted on interview transcripts of nine participants.
Findings from the thematic analyses as well as between-case, within-case and within-participant comparisons revealed an underlying dissonance in two of the three cases in that the workers endorsed the strengths-based philosophies of family group conferencing as well as – and perhaps unknowingly - the problem-based philosophies inherent in child protection practice. The families from these cases experienced the family group conference in contradiction to its strengths-based philosophies. The results point to possible connections between dissonance in practice, worker worldview and family experience. Recommendations for further research and for child protection workers to be more reflective and aware of worldviews are discussed.
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Keywords
Child Protection, Family Group Conference, Strengths-based Practice, Problem-based Practice, Dissonance, Worldview, Social Work, Worldview Dissonance