Social Pedagogy special issue of Children Australia

'Children Australia' is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal reporting on research and practice around children, youth and families. In 2011, its editor Jennifer Lehmann invited us to guest edit a special issue on social pedagogy. This has given us the opportunity to bring together contributions from an academic, research and practice perspective exploring how social pedagogy has evolved as an ethical orientation towards working with human beings, what international comparisons can tell us about its effect, what social pedagogy has to offer to professionals, and how it can be applied in practice within a range of settings.

In accordance with Australian Academic Press's open access 'green standard' policy, several authors of our special issue have asked us to post the peer-reviewed version of their article prior to typesetting on our website, thus making their contribution accessible to our international readers. You can find links to all articles below.



Children Australia, volume 36, issue 4, published by Australian Academic Press

Foreword, by Jennifer Lehmann (editor, University of La Trobe, Australia)

Social Pedagogy — A New, Familiar Tradition? Some Thoughts on the Special Issue, by Sylvia Holthoff and Gabriel Eichsteller (guest editors, ThemPra Social Pedagogy, UK)

Social Pedagogy as an Ethical Orientation Towards Working With People — Historical Perspectives, by Gabriel Eichsteller and Sylvia Holthoff (ThemPra Social Pedagogy, UK)

Social Pedagogy: What Questions Can We Ask About Its Value and Effectiveness?, by Claire Cameron (Anglia Ruskin University, UK)

Social Pedagogy: Differences and Links to Existing Child Care Practice, by Robyn Kemp (ThemPra Social Pedagogy, UK)

Resisting Risk-Averse Practice: The Contribution of Social Pedagogy, by Ian Milligan (Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland, University of Strathclyde, UK)

Key Concepts in Social Pedagogy — or How to See Everyday Life in Children's Residential Homes From a Social Pedagogical Perspective, by Sylvia Holthoff (ThemPra Social Pedagogy, UK) and Lotte Junker Harbo (VIA University College, Denmark)

The Diverse Practice of Social Pedagogues: Case Examples From Denmark, Scotland, and Germany, by Christina Surel (ThemPra Social Pedagogy, Denmark), Sarah Douglas and Andy Finley (Sycamore Services, Scotland), and Alexandra Priver (ThemPra Social Pedagogy, Germany)

Youth Worker, Probably the Most Difficult Job in the World, by Filip Coussée (University of Ghent, Belgium) and Howard Williamson (University of Glamorgan, Wales)


Please let us know your thoughts and comments either per email or via Twitter (#ChildrenAustralia)