Constructing 'normal childhoods': Young people talk about young carers

O'Dell, L.; Crafter, S.; De Abreu, G. and Cline, T. (2010). Constructing 'normal childhoods': Young people talk about young carers. Disability and Society, 25(6) pp. 643–655.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2010.505734

Abstract

There has been a great deal of attention paid to young carers in recent research, social policy and service provision. In this paper we report on a survey and interview study of 46 young people aged 15 to 18, nine of whom had experience as young carers, to explore the ways in which young people construct the young carer and their disabled parent. A key theme arising from the interview data analysis is the construction of a series of normative assumptions about ‘normal’ childhood through which young carers and their disabled parent are viewed as non-normative and deficient. The predominantly negative construction of both parent and child/carer is critically analyzed and alternatives suggested in the discussion of these findings.

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About

• Item ORO ID
• 28746
• Item Type
• Journal Item
• ISSN
• 1360-0508
• Project Funding Details

• Funded Project Name	Project ID	Funding Body
  Not Set	Not Set	ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council)

• Keywords
• young carers; childhood; normative childhoods
• Academic Unit or School
• Other Departments > Research, Enterprise and Scholarship
  Other Departments
  Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) > Psychology and Counselling > Psychology
  Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) > Psychology and Counselling
  Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)
• Research Group
• Innovation, Knowledge & Development research centre (IKD)
• Copyright Holders
• © 2010 Taylor & Francis
• Depositing User
• Lindsay O'Dell