Social Pedagogy And Working With Children And Young People

Social pedagogy is an innovative discipline that supports children's upbringing and overall development by focusing on the child as a whole person. It has been described as where education and care meet or as 'education in its broadest sense'. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the theory, principles and practice of social pedagogy and the profession of social pedagogue. With chapters from leading international contributors, it outlines the roots of social pedagogy and its development in Europe, and its role in relation to individuals, groups, communities and societies. Also covered is how it applies in practice to working with children and young people in a variety of settings, including children in care and in need of family support, and its potential future applications. This seminal book on an increasingly important topic will be essential reading for all academics, researchers and practitioners working with children.

Rev. ed. of: Communicating with children and infants. 2nd ed. 1997.

For those working with children, effective communication is a crucial part of building relationships and encouraging children's emotional and intellectual development. This practical guide identifies the child and their relationship with the adult as the basis upon which real communication can be made. Topics covered include non-verbal communication, attentive listening, empathy, the part played by questions, working constructively with conflict and criticism, and communicating in groups. It also draws on the innovative ideas found in social pedagogic theory and practice, such as communicating with your head, hands and heart and how to differentiate between the personal, the professional and the private in your interactions. The book contains exercises, topics for personal reflection or group discussion, and suggestions for observations. This will be an excellent source of advice and ideas for all those in the children's workforce including early years professionals, teachers, social workers, counsellors and practitioners working with children in care, including foster carers.

Social pedagogical work is a field of practice that is indebted to and illuminated by aspects of knowledge from sociology and psychology, but many practitioners feel that social pedagogical theories are too abstract and distant from the challenges faced in practice. In Practical Social Pedagogy Jan Storo shows the reader for the first time how the theories and practices of social pedagogy interlock. The book combines social pedagogy theories, psychology, sociology and social work with a social constructionist perspective to help practitioners guide children and young people to cope better with the challenges they face as they grow up. The author emphasises that the actualities of practice are first disclosed in the meeting between the professional practitioner and the client. The book uses many practical examples to help make the application of social pedagogy more accessible, and is ideal for students on courses covering work with children and young people. This translation has been carried out by Kirsti Spaven and is published with the financial support of NORLA.

Are you looking to understand more about social pedagogy? Wanting to see how you can incorporate these approaches into your practice? Ali Gardner and Lowis Charfe introduce you to this exciting new approach to UK social work practice that has been shaping care services in Europe for decades. It is a holistic approach that requires an absolute commitment to employing your head, heart, and hand in creatively working alongside individuals to support the process of change at an individual, communal, and societal level. The authors outline the key concepts, philosophy, and history of social pedagogy to ground you in the theory Exercises help you to reflect on how to incorporate this new philosophy into your work Practical examples demonstrate how you can apply key principles to your own practice After reading this book you will be able to confidently engage with social work that emphasises people rather than processes at the heart of intervention.

"It is common to refer to the dynamism and vitality of young people as a source of change, creation, and innovation, but they are often also considered a problem that we do not know how to respond to. Young people can make adults feel uncomfortable because they are neither children who can be told what to do nor adults to be treated as equals. From the perspective of adults, their status is socially and culturally ambiguous"--

This reader takes debates about children's services forward by drawing on ideas based in social pedagogy and arguing that the concept of 'space' is crucial to relationships and practices with children and young people. It will stimulate students to question and rethink, and practitioners to innovate and challenge mainstream thinking.

How does residential care in England compare with that of other European countries? What is social pedagogy, and how does it help those working with children in care? How can child care policy and practice be improved throughout the United Kingdom? This book is written against the background of the gross social disadvantage suffered by most looked-after children in England. It compares European policy and approaches – from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany and the Netherlands – to the public care system in England. Drawing on research from all six countries, the authors analyze how different policies and practice can affect young people in residential homes. A particular focus is on the unique approach offered by social pedagogy, a concept that is commonly used in continental Europe. The book compares young people's own experiences and appraisals of living in a residential home, and the extent to which residential care compounds social exclusion. Based upon theoretical and empirical evidence, it offers solutions for current dilemmas concerning looked-after children in the United Kingdom, in terms of lessons learned from policy and practice elsewhere, including training and staffing issues. Working with Children in Care is key reading for students, academics and professionals in health, education and social care who work with children in residential care.