Stay In The Diagnostic Institute, A Juvenile Correctional Facility, Through The Eyes Of Its Clients
Author(s):
Martin Šťastný (presenting / submitting)
Conference:
ECER 2016
Network:
Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)
Format:
Poster

Session Information

ERG SES E 01, PechaKucha Poster Session

Poster Session

Time:
2016-08-22
15:30-17:00
Room:
OB-E1.17 (ALE 1)
Chair:
Janinka Greenwood

Contribution

The Poster is focused on how adults, placed in the diagnostic institute (a juvenile correctional facility), perceive the environment of the Institute. It explains the importance of friendly relationships in order for the successful secondary socialization of adolescents and their subsequent participation in the society. The poster also deals with the possibilities of interaction among young adolescents and their influence on each other.  The aim of the paper is to identify factors, that are important to group dynamics in this specific social environment. Main research question of this poster is: „How the clients interpret their lives in psychosocial environment of the diagnostic institute?"

Diagnostic institute is a specific institution of the educational system. This specifity comes from the fact that it´s a coordinating organization using the services of specialists in the field of special education, psychology and social services. Adolescents and their further educational perspectives are evaluated by the team of experts. After 8 weeks are adolescents assigned to the appropriate institution (children's home, educational institute,..) or returned to the family (§ 5 of the Law no. 109/2002 Collection of Laws of the Czech republic).

Vágnerová (2000) sees adolescence as a transitional period during which has the individual the time and opportunity to achieve the prerequisites to become an adult in all required areas of contemporary society. From the ontogenetic point of view should be the fundamental objective achieving sexual maturity, physical and mental development and a social learning in the broadest sense. Also individual will learn the social norms and morale. During this period is a person in the phase when is gradually extricating itself from the influence of parents and moves between ´what he wants´ and what is required by the parents or school. These two areas can be mutually supportive and complementary to or may arise conflicts.

Macek (2003) points out that adolescents are pleased to when are seen, heard and valued by their peers. This leads to strengthening their own position and a sense of significance. Whether consciously or not, they share the same experiences, problems, uncertainties and ambiguity. Vágnerová (2000) adds that the emotional and social support of friends helps an individual to overcome uncertainties in the process of becoming independent. Group identity is also an important factor for the development of individual identity.

Corsaro argues that adolescents do not learn the knowledge and skills of an adult individually, but precisely as a members of the peer group. This phenomenon Corsaro calls „interpretive reproduction“. The interpretive perspective sees socialization as a reproductive process in the sense that children do not simply internalize the external adult culture. „Rather children become a part of adult culture, that is, contribute to its reproduction, through their negotiations with adults and their creative production of a series of peer cultures with other children“ (Corsaro, 2011, s. 64).  

Macek (2003) also argues that for most adolescents is peer group a source of social prestige and a feeling of social security. Behavior of peers may not always be in conformity with the norms of society and adolescents may - in order to adapt to group norms - give up their previously espoused beliefs and behaviors and may - under a pressure of a peer group - commit various forms of antisocial behavior.

According to Krejčová (2011) peers have great influence on the adolescent behavior and provide them the necessary feedback. Such influence on the development of risk behavior may be double-edged. Can act both as an incentive and therefore encourage risky behavior or conversely as a „brake“. This influence could also cause that the development of risky behavior will be avoided.

Method

Realized survey has been carried out in a qualitative paradigm and a specific research design was chosen ethnography. Ethnography is designed to explore symbolic meanings of life and organization of social groups and individuals within them. It is widely used to study the lives of people within different institutions and tries to understand their culture and subcultures of different groups of actors (Švaříček & Šeďová, et al., 2007). A social group that we examine in this paper, is a group of clients of the diagnostic institute. Using ethnographic design is appropriate in this case since it allows to describe and analyze in detail the relationships in the group. Ethnography also provides a valuable opportunity to reveal the implicit knowledge of actors related to the culture of the group (Kapoor, 2010). In the study has been used several data collection methods: observation, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The basic method is observation of behavior and interaction among clients of the Institute during ordinary days. It was an unstructured observation in order to capture potentially significant data. All records were subsequently analyzed by coding procedures until first categories and subcategories emerged. Entry into the terrain was realized in the role of „observer as participant“ (interviewer participate in group events) (Disman, 2000). During data collection was used method called „thick description“, when is conducted a detailed description of the observed events in order to determine what meanings individuals attribute to their behavior; what purpose they observe and what are the relationships among the examined subjects (Bryman, 2011). After rewriting were the interviews encoded using open coding. As an additional method of data collection was used the questionnaire for clients of the institute. The questionnaire is based on My Class Inventory questionnaire (Mares & Hedgehog, 2012). Used items were adapted to the specific conditions of the diagnostic institute.

Expected Outcomes

The time factor Very important factor is the two month period of placement in the institution and related continuous fluctuation of adolescents in the institution. Thus a lot of situations must be made at higher speeds, with greater dynamism and rapid development. Otherwise it will not happen at all or in the unsatisfactory extent. Influence of peers on each other Influence on the behavior and opinions of adolescents amongst themselves occurs mainly through the internalization and subsequent interpretation of the rules and attitudes of employees of the Institute from longer placed and older subjects. These individuals can then educationally influence at the newcomers. Adolescents better accept what they say their peers. They can become exemplary leaders for them, because employees of the Institute embodies the institution which temporarily curtailed the full breadth of their freedom. Romantic relationships Relations in the institute have different dynamics, they run faster and are also regulated by the rules of the Institute and thus become more like a substitute for real relationships "outside". The exception is not a substitute for compensation, which some will substitute its constitutional another suitor; eg. in a situation where their partner with families like. A subtitute for compensation is not an exception, Because some will subtitute Their institutional suitor; e.g In the situation, when is their partner in his family, at school.. Relationships in the institute are faster, and even though their actors presents herself seriously, are superficial. Through these relationships could occur disengagement from the harmful environment from which many adolescents comes from. Therefore even imperfect and unfulfilled relationships between the walls may institute through the based on that work, act as a kind of "social wake-up call" and activate adolescents to change their behavior.

References

Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2011). Business research methods (3. vyd.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Corsaro, W. (2011). The sociolog y of childhood (3. vyd.). Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge. Disman, M. (2000). Jak se vyrábí sociologická znalost: příručka pro uživatele (3. vyd.). Praha: Karolinum. Hendl, J. (1997). Úvod do kvalitativního výzkumu. Praha: Karolinum. Hendl, J. (2005). Kvalitativní výzkum: základní metody a aplikace. Praha: Portál. Hronová, M. (2006). Sociologická sonda o. s. ROSA v rámci projektu Prevence kriminality Magistrátu hl. m. Prahy: „To si dovolit nesmíš!“. Dostupné z: http://www.rosa-os.cz/fileadmin/rosa/statisticka_sonda_to_si_dovolit_nesmis.pdf. Ježek, S., & Lacinová, L. (2008). Fifteen-year-olds in Brno: a slice of longitudinal self-reports. Brno: Masarykova univerzita. Kapoor, G. (2010). Case Study vs. Ethnography. Dostupné z: http://koffeehut.com/2009/11/11/ case-study-vs-ethnography Krejčová, L. (2011). Psychologické aspekty vzdělávání dospívajících. Praha: Grada. Macek, P. (2003). Adolescence (2. vyd.). Praha: Portál. Mareš, J., & Ježek, S. (2012). Klima školní třídy: dotazník pro žáky. Praha: Národní ústav pro vzdělávání. Matoušek, O., & Kroftová, A. (2003). Mládež a delikvence. Možné příčiny, struktura, programy prevence kriminality mládeže. Praha: Portál. Miovský, M., & Bártík, P. (2010). Primární prevence rizikového chování ve školství. Praha: Sdružení SCAN. Průcha, J., Walterová, E., & Mareš, J. (2009). Pedagogický slovník (6., aktualiz. a rozš. vyd.). Praha: Portál. Říčan, P. (2004). Cesta životem (2. vyd., přeprac.). Praha: Portál. Švaříček, R., & Šeďová, K., a kol. (2007). Kvalitativní výzkum v pedagogických vědách. Praha: Portál. Vašutová, M., & Panáček, M. (2013). Mezi dětstvím a dospělostí: vybrané kapitoly z psychologie adolescence. Ostrava: Filozofická fakulta Ostravské univerzity v Ostravě. Vágnerová, M. (2000). Vývojová psychologie: dětství, dospělost, stáří. Praha: Portál. Zákon 109/2002 Sb., o výkonu ústavní výchovy nebo ochranné výchovy ve školských zařízeních a o preventivně výchovné péči ve školských zařízeních a o změně dalších zákonů (2002). Praha: MŠMT. Dostupné z: http://aplikace.msmt.cz/PDF/sb048-02.pdf.

Author Information

Martin Šťastný (presenting / submitting)
Masaryk University
Department of Educational Sciences
Petrov

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