Förändringsprocessen i en obegriplig situation : En kvalitativ intervjustudie om föräldrars erfarenheter kring den förändringsprocess som föregått återförening med barn som varit familjehemsplacerade

Sammanfattning: The aim of this study is to examine how parents, who had children in foster care due to their social environment, describes the process of change and what factors enabled the process. The study is based on interviews with six parents, four female and two males, who have reunited with their children. A phenomenological interview method has been used to catch the parents’ views and perspectives on the process. Aaron Antonovsky’s (1987/2005) salutogenic theory of sense of coherence (SOC) is used as a theoretical frame, where the three factors: comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness have been analysed to put focus on which factors enable change. To also examine how the process is affected by its social context Erving Goffman’s (1959/2014) dramaturgical role theory has been used. The results indicate that a successful changing process requires understanding of the situation and how to handle it. In the crises following the placement parents tend to feel strong emotions that may affect the sense of understanding and seeing change as a possibility. The parents need to understand how to enable change and need to believe that change is possible.