“Then They Will Move on in Life”: How Governance and Institutional Logic Shapes Norwegian Aftercare—An Interview Study
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: In Norway, aftercare for young people aged 18–25 can be provided by the Child Welfare Service, Social Services, or both. We ask how services are regulated, implemented at the municipal level, and whether young people co-produce the services they receive. The approaches of co-production, governance, institutional logic, and coordination lay the foundation for the analyses of data from a document study and interviews carried out with professionals and leaders in one municipality. The findings show that governance mechanisms and institutional logic are parallel and competing. Sectorization is prominent, and overlapping jurisdictions are not avoided in the dominant regime combining public administration and market logic. The market logic is strong, favouring cost-benefit considerations, making the responsibility for young people volatile. The family logic is present at the professional level in both services; nevertheless, it must be worked with to be fully aligned with the professional and the community logic, and it is not dominant. The conclusions are that it is an open question as to whether young people co-produce the services they receive, and that the revised Child Welfare Act can strengthen the alignment of family, professional, and community logic.
Source: Societies
DOI: 10.3390/soc14120253
Authors: Ole Herman Øiseth, Marit Kristine Helgesen
Language: English
Topic: Child Welfare and Adoption
Subfield: Safety Research
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,591
OpenAlex ID: W4404824144