Dynamics of Shame in Residential Care

Sara Blumenthal is an assistant professor at the Research Unit for Social Pedagogy and Inclusion Research, Department of Educational Science, University of Klagenfurt, Austria.

• Introduction1 State of research on residential care for young people1.1 An insight into the historical genesis of today’s child and youth services in Austria1.2 Perspectives on the history of violence in child and youth services in Austria1.3 An insight into the historical genesis of care for children and young people funded by disability services2 References to affect and shame theory2.1 The concept of affect in this study2.2 Social functions of shame: relationship regulation2.3 Social functions of shame: incorporation of social orders2.4 Social functions of shame: negotiating social conformity by confronting emotional norms2.5 Hatred, anger, contempt, and aggression2.6 Affects in the context of aggression and violence3 Methods: Ethnographic research into shame and other affects in residential care3.1 Participant observation3.2 Semi-structured interviews3.3 Data analysis and interpretation3.4 Ethical issues4 Shame dynamics in residential care of young people4.1 Shame dynamics inbetween the emotional stress of care workers and their pedagogical scope of action4.2 Shame dynamics in the context of the pedagogical handling of violence from the perspective of young males4.3 Education-related shaming as a pedagogical sanction of girls by care workers4.4 Suicidal behaviour as a cause of shame and guilt among care workers and young people in residential care5 The social functions of shame with a focus on the pedagogical behaviour of care workers in residential care5.1 Stigmatisation of young people in institutions by care workers as epistemic violence5.2 Education-related shaming as an educational sanction for young people in the context of social orders5.3 Conclusions on professionalisation processes in residential careOutlook − quo vadis residential care?LiteratureIndex