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Freedom and Care. Empirical and theoretical aspects of

children‘s well-being

Prof. Dr. Sabine Andresen

ISCI Conference 2011, York

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Freedom and Care: Topics

1. Introduction

2. World Vision Surveys: Methods

3. Findings from the qualitative Part of Children in Germany 2010

4. Findings from the quantitative Part of Children in Germany 2010

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Freedom and Care: Introduction

Form the children’s view their well-being is structured by a substantial balance: the balance between care and freedom.

Central concepts:

freedom and care,

autonomy and bonding,

self-determination and a structured environment

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World Vision Surveys: MethodsChildren in Germany

Children in Germany 2007

Quantitative, standardized survey of almost 1,600 children aged 8-11 years;

Qualitative interviews with selected 6- to 11-year-old children;

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World Vision Surveys: MethodsChildren in Germany

Children in Germany 2010

Quantitative, standardized survey of almost 2,500 children aged 6-11 years;

Qualitative interviews with selected 6- to 11-year-old children;

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World Vision Surveys: Methods

Personal oral interviews by trained interviewers at the children’s home

Parents questionnaire tapping the family background and socio economic status

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World Vision Surveys: Methods

Qalitative Interviews:- Time strips- Fantasy questions- Poor/rich pictures- Poor/rich continuum- Drawing on well-being

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World Vision Surveys: Methods

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Findings from the qualitative Part 2010

- Children place great value on self-determined time

- Media consumption in the available time represents a critical topic for children and their parents

- Differ greatly in the number of contact persons they report: all children report more contacts with adults

- Those who "give the orders" are almost exclusively adults

- Children define poor and rich at the extreme poles, conceiving both primarily in terms of material need

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Findings form the quantitative Part 2010

Well-being and self-efficacy: What children feel confident about

Respect for what they think

The subtle distinctions: Not all children are held in the same esteem

What all children need for a "good life"

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Well-being and self-efficacy

46. I am now going to read some more sentences, and I want you to tell me whether they apply to you. Please use the following list for your replies.

 

Not at all / Not much / Sometimes yes, sometimes no / Quite a lot / Completely

I can quickly make new friends.

I have a lot of people who give me help.

When other children are playing, they always let me join in.

I think my life is going to be really great.

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Well-being and self-efficacy

If I try hard enough, I can always solve difficult problems.

I can stand up for myself if somebody annoys me or treats me unfairly.

I think that there are a lot of things I can do well.

I have the courage to say what I think, even when everybody else thinks something different.

I can usually handle whatever comes my way.

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Well-being and self-efficacy

11% girls and 12% of boys very high self-efficacy

23% girls and 23% boys high

37% girls and 36% boys medium

17% girls and 16% boys not much

12% girls and 13% boys not at all

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Not all children are held in the same esteem

The importance of their own opinion for mothers, fathers, friends, and class teachers

34% of the children consider that comparatively little value is placed on their opinion

40% form the average with a moderate appraisal

26% of the children experience a high appraisal of their own opinion

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What all children need for a "good life"

Self-efficacy, that is the development of self-esteem, self-confidence, and both personal and social competence, is a key factor that opens up the way for children to develop a "good life.“

The best predictor of the development of self-efficacy in children aged 6–11 years is their perceived appraisal of their own opinion.

Further factors that promote self-efficacy are a large circle of friends and varied leisure-time activities.

In contrast, our analysis shows that precarious life situations in the form of poverty or a lack of parental care are the main framing conditions that hinder the development of self-efficacy. Poverty does not just exclude. It also prevents children from developing self-esteem and competence.

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Thank you for your attention

Prof. Dr. Sabine Andresen

Goethe University Frankfurt

S.Andresen@em.uni-frankfurt.de