A Theory of Evolving Contexts Applied to Care Leavers

Much of the literature on care leavers is based on psychological developmental theories of emerging adulthood. Many insights have been gained using this framework. Among other advantages it helped scholars, practitioners, and policy makers from multiple places around the world share similar perspectives and observations. It is possible, however, that a psychological perspective may have limited our ability to identify systematic sources of differences between places and over time.

In this presentation I would like to explore the potential of a theory of evolving contexts to contribute to our understanding of variations in the experiences of care leavers in different places and times. This theory envisions the care leaver embedded in multiple nested contexts. These contexts include the particular care system, the legal, policy, and service systems, the economy, and the cultural context in which the care leaver is embedded. By mapping the impact of each of these systems we can better understand variability between and within countries and over time. I will discuss some of the implications of this theoretical perspective on our ability to learn from each other and from past experiences.