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More than ‘Just Coping’: The Antecedents and Dynamics of Resilience in a Qualitative Longitudinal Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2009

Rosemary Davidson
Rosemary Davidson*
Affiliation:
Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, London School of Economics E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

This paper attempts to contribute to understandings of the role of resilience as a process enabling individuals to steer a positive course in their lives by drawing on longitudinal qualitative data collected from six case study individuals, drawn from a wider study of one hundred families over a seven-year period. It is shown how respondents construct their own life trajectories, specifically reflecting on the changes and challenges they face. Additionally, this work offers a policy perspective to the debate on resilience, examining the interplay between recent government initiatives and their potential role in fostering resilience.

Type
Themed Section on Resilience and Social Exclusion
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , January 2009 , pp. 115 - 125
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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