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Paper

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger": the self-reliant identity as resilience and risk among young adults aging out of foster care

abstract

Introduction and methods

This Extended Case Method study is part of a larger longitudinal U.S. panel study, The Midwest Evaluation of Adult Outcomes of Former Foster Youth (Courtney et al. 2005). In-depth interviews were conducted with a sub-set of 44 youth about their experiences aging out of foster care. Youth were on average 20 years old. An analysis of the interview data followed a multi-phase interpretive approach (Morse and Richards 2002).

Key findings and recommendations

We will present findings regarding the youth and their use of what we will call survivalist self-reliance. Three interrelated mechanisms are noted as contributing to this identity: premature conferral of adult status and independence, "growing up without your parents" as a developmental task, and survivor pride in disavowing dependence.

Our findings present dimensions of this identity as both a healthy and resilient asset as well as a potential challenge for youth in building the very connections to supportive relationships that research suggests produce positive outcomes in adulthood. In light of these findings, we draw from holistic life course perspectives (Stein and Wade 2000) to propose specific approaches for child welfare policy and practice in fostering healthy development, including the notion of interdependence within and beyond the context of foster care.

Contact details

Gina M. Samuels, Ph.D., School of Social Service Administration, The University of Chicago, 969 East 60th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637
Email: gmsamuels@uchicago.edu

 

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