Rethinking the Meaning of Family for Adolescents and Youth in Zimbabwe's Child Welfare Institutions

This book examines the lives of children and young adults living in residential care systems in Zimbabwe and their unique conceptualization of family. While the importance of family for the development and wellbeing of children can't be overemphasized, the questions of what and who counts as family to orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) are under-researched. Gwenzi brings a social constructionist approach to study OVCs in institutional care as well as living with their families in Zimbabwe, finding that they do not have a single definition of family and that they use diverse characteristics to describe what family means to them. With the data suggesting a need for belonging, continuity of relationships, protection, and trust, this study makes recommendations for policy and practice with youth in alternative care in sub-Saharan Africa.

Provides a sub-Saharan African context and voice for children and young people in vulnerable contexts Explores the understudied area of orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs)'s understanding of family Compares definitions of family amongst OVCs living in residential care, children's homes, and those who have left care

Autorentext
Getrude Dadirai Gwenzi is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Work at the University of Zimbabwe, and Research Associate with the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Her research interests include child welfare, orphans, vulnerable children, care leavers, and families. She has been researching children and young people in state institutions since 2014.

Inhalt

1. Introduction.- 2. A Study on Family Meanings.- 3. Theorising Family Meanings.- 4. Constructing Family During Child-Family Separation.- 5. Family in Southern Africa.- 6. Adolescents' and Youths' Family Meanings in Zimbabwe.- 7. Rethinking the Meaning of Family for Adolescents and Youths in Zimbabwe's Child Welfare Institutions.