Child protection as a culture of negotiation
Date
2009-08-25T22:54:00Z
Authors
Patten, Nathan
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Abstract
Child protection is a reactive, non-linear, social process carried out in a context of
unpredictability, uncertainty and complexity. One way professionals respond to this
context is by negotiating almost every aspect of the work, negotiating both with people
and through practice problems. This negotiation process has a cultural basis. I contend
that: 1) skillful negotiation is culturally embedded in the activities and practices of child
protection teams and individual workers; 2) child protection practice in this team is the
skillful negotiation of practice problems while maintaining a balance between helping
and enforcement activities that protect children; and 3) workers’ negotiation is not only
activity-based but also a cultural way of thinking and being in the midst of this complex
environment. I use the idea of a cultural repertoire as a framework for how professionals
think and act and use ethnographic observation and participant interviews to explore its
use in every-day practice.
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Keywords
ethnography, small group culture, microsociology, child protection practice