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No Home Away from Home: A Qualitative Study of Care Leavers' Perceptions and Experiences of 'Home'

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  • Kristin Natalier
  • Guy Johnson

Abstract

This paper explores the cultural and biographical specificity of home by examining the connections between young people's experiences of out-of-home care and their definitions of home. The paper draws on 77 in-depth interviews with young people who had lived away from their families in the Australian out-of-home care system. The paper applies a psycho-social conceptualisation of 'home' to argue that home was a crucial symbol through which these young people imagined a less challenging future and claimed identities of 'being normal'. The majority remembered their time in out-of-home care as a time of instability and insecurity in terms of both housing and relationships; they did not feel at home in these contexts. These histories informed young people's experiences and imagining of home and their sense of identity within and after out-of-home care, as they defined home as fundamentally different from out-of-home care. Their definitions incorporated shelter, emotional well-being, control, routine, caring relationships and stability.

Suggested Citation

  • Kristin Natalier & Guy Johnson, 2015. "No Home Away from Home: A Qualitative Study of Care Leavers' Perceptions and Experiences of 'Home'," Housing Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 123-138, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:chosxx:v:30:y:2015:i:1:p:123-138
    DOI: 10.1080/02673037.2014.943698
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    Cited by:

    1. Haune, Monica & Christiansen, Øivin & Heiervang, Einar R. & Haavind, Hanne, 2024. "“Great day! But now what?” Adolescents’ and foster carers’ experiences of a comprehensive health assessment for children in out-of-home care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    2. McDougall, Stewart & Moore, Tim & Cox, Sarah & Arney, Fiona, 2023. "Parenting aspirations of Australian young people who have experienced adversity: “I’ll work on everything else before working on having a kid”," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    3. Côté, Carole & Clément, Marie-Ève, 2022. "Let’s talk about love: Perceptions of children in residential care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).

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