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Socio-developmental network analysis : Establishing a research method to examine socio-contextual dynamics of children in the Mockingbird FamilyTM
Patmisari, Emi McLaren, Helen Jones, Michelle
Patmisari, Emi
McLaren, Helen
Jones, Michelle
Abstract
In recent years, social network analysis has had its own distinctive theoretical and methodological underpinnings. This article proposes a novel method for the application of a fused mixed-methods approach and social network analyses that incorporates the critical aspects of numerous characteristics of children’s social development in a statutory care setting. We collected data from children involved in the Mockingbird Family out-of-home care model, following its implementation in Australia. Our approach involves three steps: social-developmental network indicators, relational dynamics, and social-developmental network narrative. We contend that this approach has the potential to provide powerful data representation that facilitates the understanding of the complexities of children’s social development, the links between different positions and roles of children, and their social network in the Mockingbird family. Using exemplars, we show the potential of the research method to unearth rich data for seeking to understand the system change important for strengthening children’s safe and protective environments.
Keywords
Australia, Mockingbird Family, social network analysis, children, foster care, kinship care, out-of-home care
Date
2023
Type
Journal article
Journal
Social Sciences
Book
Volume
12
Issue
3
Page Range
1-17
Article Number
Article 129
ACU Department
Faculty of Health Sciences
Collections
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
Published as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
License
CC BY 4.0
File Access
Open
Notes
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).