She's My Second Mum: Young People Building Relationships in Uncertain Circumstances

摘要

Youth mentoring has become a key element of UK youth policy in recent years and is now integrated into a range of policy initiatives aiming to tackle social exclusion. It is claimed by proponents of planned mentoring that the introduction of a mentor enhances resilience through the provision of a consistent, caring relationship that transcends professional boundaries. It has also been suggested that successful mentoring has the potential to enhance the social capital of disadvantaged young people by acting as a lever into education and training. However, despite the popularity of the concept, research findings consistently demonstrate that the theoretical base and empirical evidence of the value of the concept remain weak. This paper explores young people's perceptions of successful mentoring in relation to their social networks. It draws on findings from a recent Scottish study of planned mentoring interventions, and raises questions about the role of mentoring in assisting young people to renegotiate difficult family relationships. The paper uses the framework of social capital to explore these dimensions. It suggests that, in some circumstances, successful mentoring can assist in building up skills in dealing with relationships but that this is a fragile and uneven process.