Papers by Tessa Verhallen
The doctoral thesis sheds light on the interactional and institutional processes through which ch... more The doctoral thesis sheds light on the interactional and institutional processes through which child welfare and child protection practices are delivered to fifteen Dutch and fifteen Dutch-Curacaoan single-mother families with multiple problems in the Netherlands in order to reveal structures of power, dominance and oppression. Because state intervention practices remain largely ‘invisible’ from the public gaze it is important to ‘Disentangle an invisible trade’ (the title of the doctoral thesis). Tessa Verhallen draws on a thirty-month ethnographic study undertaken with thirty single-mother families between 2009 and 2012 in order to demonstrate how state interventions are carried out in these families. Verhallen uses the empirically grounded theory of Agar (1985) on institutional discourse to address the research question of how state interventions are shaped by institutional discourse and power asymmetries in encounters between single-mother families with multiple problems and sta...
Meetings between social workers and clients in child protection are highly sensitive and frequent... more Meetings between social workers and clients in child protection are highly sensitive and frequently contested. Much is at stake in terms of protecting identities and ultimately possibly child removal. It is not surprising then that disagreements occur and strong positions are defended in encounters between social workers and clients. In this paper, the authors use a combination of a case study approach and micro sequential analysis. The case study approach captures how arguments are produced and managed across successive social work encounters over a longer period of time. Additionally, the sequential analysis of one encounter demonstrates the relevance of discourse and conversation analytic concepts such as categorization, entitlement and accountability for a more detailed understanding of how argument and disagreement manifest themselves interactionally. The interactional sequence involves a family supervisor and a mother in the Netherlands. The paper examines key features of an argument in the context of child protection and engages with the interactional consequences for both worker and client. By providing insight into how arguments unfold over successive social work encounters, the paper contributes to an understanding of how stalemate positions come about and are resolved (or not). Adding to the picture, a detailed understanding of the real-time management of disagreement in interaction is useful in fostering social work practitioners’ awareness of how argumentative “logics” may be taking over.
Qualitative Social Work, 2017
This paper examines the impact of two prevailing and seemingly opposed ideologies in child welfar... more This paper examines the impact of two prevailing and seemingly opposed ideologies in child welfare in Western societies over the last century (‘family support’ and ‘child protection’) on social work practice. It scrutinises social work practice in two cases of Dutch-Curaçaoan single-mother families experiencing multiple problems. An ethnographic approach was chosen to study the two families in depth. It shows that, although the cases share many characteristics and circumstances, the social work outcomes diverge. This suggests there is a thin dividing line between support and protection. We argue that the interrelationships between the two base categories and social work practice can be better understood through a historicizing conceptualization of discourses. We suggest that an ethnographic enquiry is suitable for grasping the processual dimensions of social work practice with families as it leads to a more in-depth understanding of, paraphrasing Foucault: the historical interweavin...
Utrecht Law Review, 2016
This article is published in a peer-reviewed section of the Utrecht Law Review 'E kuchú ta korta ... more This article is published in a peer-reviewed section of the Utrecht Law Review 'E kuchú ta korta mi' versus 'I cut myself with a knife'
Current Anthropology, 2016
This article responds to the recently reemerged discussion of ethical ethnographic research by ex... more This article responds to the recently reemerged discussion of ethical ethnographic research by exposing and analyzing interrelated ethical, epistemological, and methodological dilemmas encountered in my ethnographic study of single-mother child protection families in the Netherlands. Systematically applying the current American Anthropological Association’s ethical principles to my research and using one particular day of fieldwork as an example, I illustrate that these anticipatory principles inadequately address emergent ethical dilemmas, as six core dimensions of ethnographic research ethics and integrity often still conflict with one another. Hence, I argue that the current AAA’s principles do not take into account that ethnographic research is simultaneously immersed in a dynamic context of relations and power hierarchies, embedded in theoretical reflexivity, and instrumentalized through the embodied subjectivity of the ethnographer. I draw lessons for a constructive discussion on how to deal with ethical concerns in ethnographic research by starting from ethnographic practice to expose, discuss, and critically engage with ethical issues.
This paper examines the impact of two prevailing and seemingly opposed ideologies in child welfar... more This paper examines the impact of two prevailing and seemingly opposed ideologies in child welfare in Western societies over the last century ('family support' and 'child protection') on social work practice. It scrutinises social work practice in two cases of Dutch-Curaçaoan single-mother families experiencing multiple problems. An ethno-graphic approach was chosen to study the two families in depth. It shows that, although the cases share many characteristics and circumstances, the social work outcomes diverge. This suggests there is a thin dividing line between support and protection. We argue that the interrelationships between the two base categories and social work practice can be better understood through a historicizing conceptualization of discourses. We suggest that an ethnographic enquiry is suitable for grasping the pro-cessual dimensions of social work practice with families as it leads to a more in-depth understanding of, paraphrasing Foucault: the historical interweaving of relations of discourse , of power, of everyday life and of truth.
'Multi-problem families are hard to define, but easy to recognise.'
Meetings between social workers and clients in child protection are highly sensitive
and frequent... more Meetings between social workers and clients in child protection are highly sensitive
and frequently contested. Much is at stake in terms of protecting identities
and ultimately possibly child removal. It is not surprising then that disagreements
occur and strong positions are defended in encounters between social
workers and clients. In this paper, the authors use a combination of a case study
approach and micro sequential analysis. The case study approach captures how
arguments are produced and managed across successive social work encounters
over a longer period of time. Additionally, the sequential analysis of one
encounter demonstrates the relevance of discourse and conversation analytic
concepts such as categorization, entitlement and accountability for a more detailed
understanding of how argument and disagreement manifest themselves
interactionally. The interactional sequence involves a family supervisor and a
mother in the Netherlands. The paper examines key features of an argument in
the context of child protection and engages with the interactional consequences
for both worker and client. By providing insight into how arguments unfold over
successive social work encounters, the paper contributes to an understanding
of how stalemate positions come about and are resolved (or not). Adding to the
picture, a detailed understanding of the real-time management of disagreement
in interaction is useful in fostering social work practitioners’ awareness of how
argumentative “logics” may be taking over.
Cultural Assumptions in Child Protection
Intervention Processes
This article responds to the recently reemerged discussion of ethical ethnographic research by ex... more This article responds to the recently reemerged discussion of ethical ethnographic research by exposing and analyzing interrelated ethical, epistemological, and methodological dilemmas encountered in my ethnographic study of single-mother child protection families in the Netherlands. Systematically applying the current American Anthro-pological Association's ethical principles to my research and using one particular day of fieldwork as an example, I illustrate that these anticipatory principles inadequately address emergent ethical dilemmas, as six core dimensions of ethnographic research ethics and integrity often still conflict with one another. Hence, I argue that the current AAA's principles do not take into account that ethnographic research is simultaneously immersed in a dynamic context of relations and power hierarchies, embedded in theoretical reflexivity, and instrumentalized through the embodied sub-jectivity of the ethnographer. I draw lessons for a constructive discussion on how to deal with ethical concerns in eth-nographic research by starting from ethnographic practice to expose, discuss, and critically engage with ethical issues.
Children and Youth Services Review, 2014
This article examines the interaction between a single-mother and a family supervisor as part of ... more This article examines the interaction between a single-mother and a family supervisor as part of a child protection intervention in The Netherlands. The case is based on a longitudinal multi-sited ethnographic study of a Dutch-Curaçaoan single-mother family who faces a child protection order. A contextual analysis of the encounter between the mother and the family supervisor shows how child protection interventions occur in practice. It illuminates important power and knowledge asymmetries and reveals communication practices to safeguard interests. The analysis demonstrates the tension of conflicting interests in which the intervention takes place and which emerge from the encounter. Methodologically, the article aims to contribute to a contextual analysis of child protection practices by providing a contextual discourse-analytical framework. It reveals how institutional interests influence child protection interaction and the mother-family supervisor relationship.
This article examines the interaction between a single-mother and a family supervisor as part of ... more This article examines the interaction between a single-mother and a family supervisor as part of a child protection intervention in The Netherlands. The case is based on a longitudinal multi-sited ethnographic study of a Dutch-Curaçaoan single-mother family who faces a child protection order. A contextual analysis of the encounter between the mother and the family supervisor shows how child protection interventions occur in practice. It illuminates important power and knowledge asymmetries and reveals communication practices to safeguard interests. The analysis demonstrates the tension of conflicting interests in which the intervention takes place and which emerge from the encounter. Methodologically, the article aims to contribute to a contextual analysis of child protection practices by providing a contextual discourse-analytical framework. It reveals how institutional interests influence child protection interaction and the mother-family supervisor relationship.
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Papers by Tessa Verhallen
and frequently contested. Much is at stake in terms of protecting identities
and ultimately possibly child removal. It is not surprising then that disagreements
occur and strong positions are defended in encounters between social
workers and clients. In this paper, the authors use a combination of a case study
approach and micro sequential analysis. The case study approach captures how
arguments are produced and managed across successive social work encounters
over a longer period of time. Additionally, the sequential analysis of one
encounter demonstrates the relevance of discourse and conversation analytic
concepts such as categorization, entitlement and accountability for a more detailed
understanding of how argument and disagreement manifest themselves
interactionally. The interactional sequence involves a family supervisor and a
mother in the Netherlands. The paper examines key features of an argument in
the context of child protection and engages with the interactional consequences
for both worker and client. By providing insight into how arguments unfold over
successive social work encounters, the paper contributes to an understanding
of how stalemate positions come about and are resolved (or not). Adding to the
picture, a detailed understanding of the real-time management of disagreement
in interaction is useful in fostering social work practitioners’ awareness of how
argumentative “logics” may be taking over.
and frequently contested. Much is at stake in terms of protecting identities
and ultimately possibly child removal. It is not surprising then that disagreements
occur and strong positions are defended in encounters between social
workers and clients. In this paper, the authors use a combination of a case study
approach and micro sequential analysis. The case study approach captures how
arguments are produced and managed across successive social work encounters
over a longer period of time. Additionally, the sequential analysis of one
encounter demonstrates the relevance of discourse and conversation analytic
concepts such as categorization, entitlement and accountability for a more detailed
understanding of how argument and disagreement manifest themselves
interactionally. The interactional sequence involves a family supervisor and a
mother in the Netherlands. The paper examines key features of an argument in
the context of child protection and engages with the interactional consequences
for both worker and client. By providing insight into how arguments unfold over
successive social work encounters, the paper contributes to an understanding
of how stalemate positions come about and are resolved (or not). Adding to the
picture, a detailed understanding of the real-time management of disagreement
in interaction is useful in fostering social work practitioners’ awareness of how
argumentative “logics” may be taking over.