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Attachment provision in the Saudi orphanages: exploring the narratives of residential staff

  • Antigonos Sochos
    ,
  • Najla Al-Jasas
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the accounts of 50 residential childcare staff in Saudi Arabia, aiming to identify ways in which staff and residential institutions may function as attachment objects for the children in their care. Rather than conducting a formal attachment assessment, a semi‐structured interview schedule was utilised, intending to generate novel insights into the child–carer relationship. Informed by attachment theory, thematic analysis suggested that keyworkers' narratives were organised around three conceptual dichotomies – social rejection versus social acceptance , distress versus containmen t and development of the self versus bonding . The accounts also indicated that staff and institutions might encounter significant challenges in providing emotional security to the orphans, challenges touching upon all three levels – individual, dyadic and collective.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 244-254

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

International Journal of Social Welfare (Volume 29, Issue 3)

Publication milestones

  • Published - 27/01/2020

Publication status

Published - 27/01/2020

ISSN

1369-6866

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/624078
  • Scopus: 85078792783

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