Understanding Transitions

Understanding Transitions

1. Definitions and meanings of transition

   • The concept of transition has many meaning and applictions when applied to children's lives
     • Newman and Blackburn - any episode where ch are having to cope woth potentially challenging episodes of change
   • Ecological models are useful in helping us understand children's transitions
     • Bronfenbrenner - nested arrangement if concentric structures
       • microsystem - primary carers and close family
       • mesosystem - link between eg school and home
       • exosystem - interrelationship with wider environment eg local community
       • macrosystem - influence of political and cultural beliefs
   • It is useful to distinguish between commonly experienced and less commonly experienced transitions
     • common - passing through stages of development - biological, psychological and socio-cultural
     • experiences of proverty, disability, illness, bereavement, emigrations, adoption, sexuality, fmily break-up and crime
       • ma need support of outside agencies - CAMHS etc

2. different contexts of transition: status, time and space

   • time, space and status are useful concepts for analysing and understanding transitions
   • Age bestows particular rights, entitlements and status on children; however, these socially constructed milestones can differ across both time and place
     • eg school starting age in Uk age 5 but in Europe, 6 and Scandanavia 7
       • bur Sharp argues key attainment much to same regardless of how early and lower achievement may be the result of deficiencies in the home environment
     • using maturity as determinant factor can give rise to equal opportunity violations
     • Christensen - important marker move from primary to seconday
   • Children's experience of transitions interrelates with their social position and identity and may, in turn, leave them vulnerable to discrimination
     • children compete and reproduce social inequalities ie girl wanting to play football
     • ch develop resistance to adult control through innovative use of space
     • transitions can be framed by social structure and ch agency
     • Furedi - parental anxiety and fear of risk - car journey an extension of domestic space
   • Effective support and transition planning can be enhanced by listening to children's accounts and by providing them with a sense of place and psychological travelling time
     • Giddens - PTT - length of time it takes to accept and come to terms with a major life change (move to foster family)
       • hurried change may not leave sufficient PTT
     • Christensen - ch expect adults to be honest about their time commitments

3. The experience of transitions

   • Change and the pace of change can help children with transitions
     • transitions provide opportunities to actively change and reinvent
     • potential gains can also be experienced as losses and vice versa
       • refugee ch - loss of famiiy etc, but move country get free education etc
   • Observing and interpreting behaviour can help practitioners and other adults to understanding children's experiences of loss and provide them with appropriate support including help to express their feelings
     • adults can help by recognising association between loss and behaviour
     • Continuing Bonds Model - relevant across a range of cultures - migrants assimilate to new country whilst maintaining bonds with homeland
   • transitions can involve liminal feelings of ambiguity and of being in-between for some children
     • Van Gennep - liminality - not clearly defined spaces as they are between two familiar states eg dentist waiting room
     • uniform at cubs etc, religious rituals