Working with Deprived and Depraved Children in the Perspective of Symbolic Interactionism

Maciej Witold Bernasiewicz

Abstract


Introduction: By creating a framework composed of such concepts as the self, definition of the situation, meaning, joint action, making indications, and social labelling, symbolic interactionism (SI) provides us with a useful conceptual apparatus for understanding human behavior and analyzing the process of criminogeneity.

 

Research Aim: Similar to the way that Howard Becker has discussed the social character of deviations using excerpts of interviews that he carried out with marijuana smokers and jazz musicians, I try to show on the basis of interviews with counsellors how we can use methods of rehabilitation drawing from SI to social work and treatment of at-risk and delinquent youth.

Method: These findings were based on data drawn from in-depth interviews (semi-structured) with counsellors from day care treatment centres (sociotherapists).

Results: The article presents four methods of rehabilitation and social work with at-risk and delinquent youth, which were generated from collected data and from the theory of SI.

Conclusion: Probation officers, social workers, counsellors, street workers, sociotherapists are professions that can use the ideas and methods presented in the article in their professional practice.


Keywords


social rehabilitation; social work; children at risk, delinquency; methods of rehabilitation; Symbolic Interactionism

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/lrp.2022.41.1.133-150
Date of publication: 2022-04-19 10:31:43
Date of submission: 2022-01-08 14:24:22


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