Other lives: Relationships of young disabled men on the margins of alternative provision

Johnston, Craig; Bradford, Simon

Abstract

This article draws on a qualitative data analysis of the experiences of a small group of so-called ‘hard-to-reach’ disabled young men in Alternative Provisions (APs). Supporting young people has largely focused on the use of professional interventions. We contrast the young men’s experiences of professional service interventions with the complementary functions of social and psychological capital embedded in their own friendship networks. The young men rarely used the professional support offered, often finding professional practices and institutional systems unhelpful. This contrasted with the support gained in their own friendship networks which offered opportunities for enhancing well-being and agency. There are implications here for how young people facing risks associated with school exclusion and marginalisation can best be supported. We suggest that young people themselves are important agents in providing mutuality and solidarity, which can enhance various and varied life-course transitions.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 23, 2023
• Online Publication Date: May 8, 2023
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2024
• Deposit Date: May 10, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: May 10, 2023
• Journal: Disability and Society
• Print ISSN: 0968-7599
• Electronic ISSN: 1360-0508
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 39
• Issue: 9
• Pages: 2236-2257
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2023.2209278
• Keywords: Alternative provision; masculinity; disability; friendships; psychological capital; social capital
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10774347
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2023.2209278