day-carecentresandsocialreproduction（一天carecentresandsocialreproduction）.docVIP

Does day-care centres contribute positively to childrens development compared to the social status of the parent? A study of interventions and day care centres influences on children from socially deprived backgrounds seen in a critical participative approach. Bente Jensen The Centre for Research of Social Work Practice, Department of Educational Sociology, The Danish University of Education, Copenhagen Social Work Research Centres Network Meeting, New York, October 2002 Abstract This preliminary study forms part of the research programme ’Social Reproduction’, funded by the Danish Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education for the period 2001-2003. The aim of the programme is to gather insights and develop interventional procedures to counter the effects of social deprivation (social reproduction). The programme seeks to shed light on the effects of day-care centres on children from high-risk families suffering from poverty and other negative consequences of low social status. The underlying question is whether the systematic intervention by day-care centres may provide long-term support with a view to these children’s personal, social and academic development. The study seeks to determine the defining characteristics of a successful intervention as well as to explore possible obstacles to this process. In terms of methodology, the study is based on a survey of international literature on the subject and an empirical case study. Previous studies in the field have typically been based on cross-sectional surveys, thus offering a snapshot of the interplay between individual and structural factors. We further cite a number of interventional studies that have either revealed a positive long-term effect of early intervention or the contrary. This disagreement on the part of researchers may be due to the fact that the indicators applied to measure effect as well as the backgrounds for individual studies vary considerably.