European Social Work Research Association

Children's Rights in Practice Special Interest Group (SIG) online seminar
Wednesday 13th March 14:00-15:30

Lead convenors Dr Paul McCafferty (School of SSESW, QUB), Dr Esther Mercado Garcia, Dr. Inger Sofie Dahlø Husby, & Wendy Eerdekens. 

Speaker Dr. Gerry Marshall, School of SSESW, Queen’s University Belfast

This seminar is open to all and will be of interest to anyone interested in children’s rights in child welfare – academics, researchers, practitioners, policy makers and students at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level.

In this online seminar Dr Gerry Marshall from Queen’s University will consider some of the complexities and challenges involved in the application of children’s rights in a residential setting. He will also explore issues related to Identity formation, considering potential implications for young people who grow up in group care rather than a family setting. The issue of identity formation is under-researched within the social work literature and practice (McMurray, 2010) yet identity formation is enshrined as an entitlement in the UNCRC. So, with reference to Honneth’s recognition theory, part of the seminar will explore his research findings about the psycho-social processes inherent in forming a sense of self, including the critical importance of relationships to healthy identity formation in a residential childcare setting. The session will be collaborative and discursive, and Dr Marshall has an interactional style which encourages audience participation, so there will be ample opportunity for discussion and reflection. 

The purpose of the seminar aligns with aim 5 of our SIG: To bring together social work as well as other disciplinary researchers, academics, policy makers, and practitioners with different backgrounds to discuss and debate children’s rights within the research and practice environment to further expand and deepen practical and theoretical developments in the field.

This aim also aligns closely with ESWRA’s aim of taking forward the development, practice, and utilization of social work research to enhance knowledge about individual and social problems, and to promote just and equitable societies.

Outline of the seminar:

14:00  Introduction to the SIG Dr Esther Mercado Garcia 
14:15 Main speaker Dr Gerry Marshall 
14:45 Break 
15:00 Discussion 
15:25 Plenary & close

Registration here is required in order to receive the Zoom link.