Abstract
This discussion paper sets out to explore ‘doing’ research with a hard-to-reach population from a relational child and youth care perspective. It sets out some of the delimitations in undertaking such research and discusses some of our findings in realtion to the individual and the family contexts.
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Notes
This may sound somewhat strange given the above, but that is how I see myself. In fact, I didn’t see myself as a child & youth care worker until I was introduced as such at a conference out in Calgary in 2001 by Jack Phelan, CYC Program Chair at Grant McEwan College. As Howard Becker suggested all those years ago, I was given a label and accepted it!
I cannot even begin to estimate the amount of studies where I have seen dozens of recommendations that we all knew just could not happen because of constraints and policy.
Unfortunately, as a result of a radio interview in early September 2004, a report was carried in a number of regional and national newspapers that sensationalized interim research findings and presented data out of context. Of course, the authors are powerless over media interpretation of data but we would defend speaking on radio to raise awareness amongst the public, some of whom would not have known how to contact us during the life of this study as they could not read or afford newspapers.
References
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Acknowledgment
Thanks to my research colleague on this study, Gráinne Monaghan, for her good humor and work ethic. Thanks to Bill Ebbitt, Acting Regional Health Promotion Manager, Health Service Executive Midlands and Interim Coordinator of the Midlands Regional Drugs Task Force for his person-centred approach throughout our study.
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McElwee, N.C. “Harry Wynne” Child & Youth Care Practices and Values: A Reflection on a Study of Heroin Misusers in Ireland. Child Youth Care Forum 35, 205–217 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-005-9008-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-005-9008-1