Social processes of resilience among young men leaving the care of girls and boys town, South Africa

The vulnerability of those aging out of residential and foster care has become widely recognised in recent years. Much attention has been given to the structural measures required to buffer care-leavers from this vulnerability. However, the resilience of care-leavers is less well documented. This paper draws on data from those who have left the residential care of Girls and Boys Town in South Africa. Using grounded theory research, four social processes in which young men engage emerge. These include Striving for authentic belonging, Networking people for goal attainment, Contextual responsiveness and Building hopeful and tenacious self-confidence. This paper provides a brief overview of all four processes, followed by closer attention to the ways in which the study participants interact with their social environment to increase their resilience. The importance of addressing resilience at the interface between people and their environments, thus an ecological perspective, is emphasised.