This master thesis is based on the experiences of, and the author’s work with, socially vulnerable and multi-challenged families, in Slovenia.
The thesis is composed of two parts. The theoretical part deals with the different conceptions of families facing multiple challenges, all of which share the common factors of social exclusion, poverty, and a range of other risk factors. It presents existing practices of work with families with multiple challenges in Slovenia, as well as past initiatives that have contributed to the development of work with families.
The causes of social exclusion and marginalization, which has been shown to be an important factor in the social situation of families, are discussed. This thesis highlights the importance of home-based family work, the benefits of this approach, the process of supporting families with multiple challenges, and the role of the professional in the complete support process. It places social pedagogical approaches within the context of working with families with multiple challenges.
The empirical part of the research uses a multiple case study to explore work with multi-challenged families. The analysis uses records from the researcher's own research diary, which contained detailed records of fieldwork carried out with six families. The research questions raised relate to working with families with multiple challenges, risk and protective factors in the family and the surrounding environment, and to working with institutions that support families with multiple challenges. The results show that this type of work covers a very wide range of supports, which are flexible and adapted to meet the needs of families or individual family members. Furthermore, the research results also show that families face a number of risk factors, often reflecting the social environment in which they live, while at the same time the number of protective factors is disproportionate to the risk factors. The study also highlights the importance of cooperation with institutions and assesses the power dynamics in the relationship between these institutions and families facing multiple challenges.
The findings of the research can serve as an important starting point in understanding, and working with, families who need support in navigating the hardships and risk situations in their everyday lives.
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