Date of Award
2008
Document Type
Honors Thesis (Open Access)
Department
Colby College. Latin American Studies Program
Advisor(s)
Ben W. Fallaw
Second Advisor
Patrice Franko
Abstract
Through an interdisciplinary analysis of children’s homes in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, this project reflects on how conceptions of family affect the prioritization of the needs of the homes’ beneficiaries. One consequence of the impoverished nature of Honduras are orphaned, abandoned, mistreated, malnourished, abused, neglected and disowned children who have come to live in group children’s homes that, for the most part, meet their short-term physical needs. But what about children’s developmental, social and educational needs? In this study, we analyze what needs homes meet according to the kind of familial substitute they provide as either a group home or a proxy family home. Conscious of the limited financial resources these small NGOs have available, each home has chosen a particular structure that meets some children’s needs, while ignoring others. How well do these homes provide for the spectrum of short and long-term needs of Honduran children? How does their conception of family and organization affect their efficacy? What conclusions can be drawn about the most effective allocation of all available resources?
Keywords
substitute family, Honduras, perception, needs, at-risk youth, Child welfare, Child development
Recommended Citation
Bowman, Stephanie, "In the Absence of Family: How Ideas of the Substitute Family in Honduran Children's Homes Shape Perception of the Needs of at-risk youth" (2008). Honors Theses. Paper 290.https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/honorstheses/290
Copyright
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