A Social Pedagogical Perspective on Residential Child Care

Background. The discourse on residential care in Germany shows an emphasis on the individual and psychological aspects of care such as safekeeping and therapeutic issues. These issues are indeed important and should always be considered. In addition, the social pedagogy approach emphasizes the social aspects of education, like the community the individual is coming from, is situated in and oriented towards. So far, research has rather neglected to what extend residential institutions themselves provide for a community, especially for pedagogical communities of practices of excellence (Alasdair MacIntyre).

Methodology. I n a preliminary study four contrasting large-scale (>100 youths) residential institutions were examined by ethnographic observations and focused interviews with the directors: a therapeutic residential care setting, a youth welfare boarding school, a traditional boarding school with one third of the youths with a welfare background and a classical music boarding school. Data was analyzed with the interpretive method of grounded theory.

Findings. It can be shown how space and architecture of the institutions is reflected in the social pedagogical approach endorsed by the directors and the way they present the institution. The peers are sometimes constructed as a community of sufferers, community of experimenters, community of heroes and community of strivers.

Discussion. Reframing the findings in terms of neo-aristotelian virtue ethics it is argued that residential care should be organized around central activities such as sports or arts in order to create communities of practices enabling youth to aim for the good life.