ANÁLISIS INTEGRADO DE LA SITUACIÓN INTERNA

It was an exceptionally warm day in July, 2013 and Mark’s mum, Marcia, had invited me to their home for a coffee and to meet Mark for the first time. I sent a text message to Marcia, ‘On my way be with you in 5 mins,’ as I did not want to arrive unannounced. I set off feeling quite relaxed. I was looking forward to meeting Mark as Marcia had painted a picture of a lively, enthusiastic yet anxious young boy. I hoped that he would feel confident enough, at least over time, to share his experiences and stories with me. I arrived a few minutes later feeling a little

stressed. I had been chased by a dog that had run away from its owner as the owner had tried to put on its lead. It was not a big dog but the incident represented one of my greatest fears. I needed to calm down. I stood outside Mark’s house and took a few deep breaths before walking up the drive. As I approached the front door, I glanced through the window to my right and spotted Mark, sitting cross-legged on the floor playing with his Lego in what I was later to learn was his playroom. I

reached out to ring the doorbell but there was no need. The door was already open.

I knocked on the open door and shouted, ‘Hello!’ I was greeted by the younger of Mark’s two sisters, whom I had met in Sainsbury’s when she was shopping with her mum a few weeks earlier. ‘Mum, it’s Julie!’ she shouted as she gestured to me to come in. Marcia appeared at the kitchen door with a welcoming smile. She

beckoned me into the kitchen and invited me to sit down, asking if I would like tea or coffee. I took a seat at the kitchen table. The door to the back garden was open and it was lovely and cool. Whilst Marcia made the drinks, I recounted my incident with the dog, apologising for being a bit flustered. Marcia apologised for the disruption in the house due to ongoing building work. On the worktop I could see Mark’s school books.

122

Marcia, sister and I settled into a conversation about kitchen design, granite worktops and university open days. Mark’s sister then returned to the computer in another room. She was completing some school work that had been set for the holidays. Mark continued to play with his Lego in his playroom. Marcia suddenly asked, ‘Shall I get him (Mark)? I’ve told him that you are nice and that he’ll like you.’ I felt flattered but wondered what Mark himself would make of me, and of

becoming a participant in my research. At this stage I felt as if I was building a positive relationship with Mum and with sister as I had spent time with them, but I was still a stranger to Mark. As it transpired, the relationship with the family was going to be crucial in terms of working with Mark.

Mark hopped into the kitchen, said hello and pirouetted on the spot. He was

instructed by Marcia to sit down to have a glass of juice and to talk to me. He did as he was asked. I wanted to break the ice with Mark before seeking his formal

consent and, as I had seen him building with Lego, I thought that this might be a good topic of conversation. Mark did not need much prompting to talk about Lego. It was his favourite toy. He explained that:

Every Christmas, Father Christmas brings me some Lego. I love Lego. Dad builds things with me….

Marcia added that the whole family builds with Mark. In those few moments and those few words I learnt that Mark was very much at the centre of the family and that his world remained one of innocence in which he still believed in Father Christmas.

Gaining consent

As with all of the participants, I began the consent process by describing my study and by assuring him that he would not have to write anything specifically for me. He nodded in acknowledgement but said that he would not mind if he did have to write. Sitting at the kitchen table, I read through each statement and then explained it in child-friendly language, whilst Mark swung his legs and moved his head from

123

side to side. Marcia, who was sitting across the table, asked him to pay attention and apologised. I told Marcia he was fine. Mark was fidgeting but he was clearly listening and engaged. He made statements, for example ‘I probably won’t’ when he was informed that he could withdraw or ‘stop taking part’ whenever he wanted to. When completing the form he printed his initials in each box commenting on how ‘tricky’ it was to keep within the boxes. The handwriting style of each initialling was slightly different, some being upper case only and others combining lower and upper case. This had been a deliberate decision on Mark’s part to ensure the letters fit within the boundary of the box. However, when we reviewed it together, his confidence in this decision waned as he sought reassurance:

It doesn’t really matter that the letters aren’t the same so long as they fit. (short pause, looks directly at me) Does it?

Then I asked him to sign. He was very much aware of being able to personalise his signature and spoke out-loud as he signed:

I’m doing my initial and last name… Oooh (Short pause…puts top of pen in mouth) I know (puts head to one side and sticks out tongue and begins to write). Will this do? (Pushes form closer to me and gets up from his seat)

Mark had written his signature using lower case for each of the six letters, including his initial. He had also carefully joined each consistently sized letter. However, the script was much larger than his usual handwriting style. I wondered if this had been a conscious decision. Mark informed me that he felt it made it appear more ‘grown-

up’ associating the signature and consent process with being an adult. After

completing the last letter, Mark paused again and went back and added a long horizontal line from the final letter to the second letter of his surname. ‘That’s

better,’ he said confidently, taking a step back, looking from signature to Marcia…to

124

5.2 Relationships and Interests

Mark is the youngest of three children and is described by his Marcia as being the ‘baby’ of the family. He has two sisters, both considerably older than him. The elder sister is away at university studying English. She is the first member of the family to attend university. The younger is in the sixth form in the process of making

applications to universities. Pouting, Mark told me that he would miss her when she too left home as they ‘often work on the computer together to look things up.’ The relationship between Mark and the younger of the two sisters is clearly very strong and loving. Both sisters have a strong work ethic instilled by their parents and they are keen to succeed academically. This attitude has also begun to inform Mark’s thinking. During our meetings he would often comment on the value of education and the importance of doing well in school. In fact, Mark had strong opinions of how people should behave socially. Being seen to behave well, to be polite, to be kind and to try hard are important values for the whole family, and Mark is no exception.

Marcia and Mark’s father both work. His Father is a plumber by trade but is

employed at a local engineering factory and works a shift pattern, which allows him time at home with the family. Marcia works part-time as a term-time support worker for students in post-compulsory education. Mark’s parents have strong moral values and a positive work ethic, and are very supportive of their children and keen that they are successful in life. They are also committed to providing their children with a wealth of experiences outside school, music and dancing for the girls and football and tennis for Mark. The family sit down to meals together and the kitchen is the heart of the house. Family days out and walks at the weekend are common place and activities and locations for days out are agreed as a family group. For Mark, his Father is seen as an additional playmate, building his tree- house, playing football and tennis etc. whilst Marcia, he said ‘organises things,’ helps him with his homework and reads with him.

125

Mark also has a close extended family including aunties, uncles and cousins. His cousins are regular playmates and Mark’s family holidays are often with some of the extended group. He looks forward to those times, especially camping in Devon and Cornwall with his cousins.

Personal interests

Mark engages in a variety of activities outside school mainly revolving around sporting activities. He is a member of a local football team which involves regular weekend matches. His parents take him and spectate. Marcia said, ‘he is often the

substitute…he’s not really very good. He’s not as competitive as the other boys you see.’ Mark admitted that he was not the best but that he enjoys playing football. He

also:

‘like(s) to do other things too…tennis. I’m quite good at that. I can beat Dad…Oh and riding my bike.’

During my conversations with Mark I found out that he had just been allowed to cycle around the block, unaccompanied. I wondered how it had made him feel:

It’s only round the block. Some of my friends go to the shops on their own but I’m not allowed. When I go to high school I will go on my bike so I’ll be allowed to do things then.

I had expected some excitement but instead there was a feeling of slight frustration that others were doing things he could not yet do. Yet mixed with this frustration was resignation. He was able to see a time when, in his mind, things would be different and he was willing to wait, showing an acceptance of the family rules that were in place.

Mark had asked Father Christmas for a table tennis table, as this was a game he and his family had enjoyed playing whilst on holiday. During one of my visits the family were discussing where a table tennis table would be housed, should Father

126

Christmas oblige. There were jokes about it taking the place of a dining table, and ponderings over the potential competition for space between a table tennis table and the boxes of Lego in Mark’s playroom. After all, the room needed to

accommodate not only Mark, but family members who joined him to undertake collaborative building projects.

As I spoke with Mark I realised that this family collaboration was really important in his world and made him feel secure. One pastime that he absolutely loved was to read, and to be read to:

Me and mum read every night. I really like it. We are reading… (shouts across kitchen excitedly, ‘What is it Mum?’) The Famous Five, that’s it…It’s really exciting…Some of the words and that are a bit old-fashioned (mimics in high pitched voice, attempted received pronunciation) ‘and they all sat down to tea,’ and they ‘drink ginger beer!’ (sniggers and shakes head. Long pause) We read upstairs when I go to bed. Mum comes and sits with me and we take it in turns… It’s the best time.

Mark’s passion for books and reading together was clearly evident. His association of received pronunciation and old-fashioned text was interesting and I wondered if he would adopt other accents when discussing other books he had read. Marcia said that they ‘put voices on’ when they read to each other at bedtime, Mark’s ‘best

time.’ Marcia also looked forward to this time with Mark. She informed me that it

was a very special time when they would talk about the book they were reading. She felt that this was important as it not only helped to improve Mark’s reading but also kept him enthused about books. However, she also recognised that this time spent together was valuable in so many other ways. I learnt that it was at bedtime that Mark would share stories with his mum about his day. She would find out about his friendships, his successes and his worries. This time of closeness was important to them both, yet Marcia was beginning to worry about the

appropriateness of reading to him, questioning whether or not he was too old and whether the selection of books was ‘too young’ for him. But she did not want this routine to end… and neither did Mark.

127

Mark has a favourite author, David Walliams. During my initial visits, Mark informed me that David Walliams had written a new book that was ‘due out soon…I can’t

wait! I’m going to have to get it as soon as it comes out!’ I wondered what it was

about David Walliam’s books that he liked:

Well I like good characters and when the author builds up pressure… and he does that.

A couple of months after our initial meeting, I met Mark and his family quite by chance in town on the day that he bought the long awaited book. As soon as we stopped to say hello, he proudly whipped the book ‘Demon Dentist’ from its Waterstones’ bag exclaiming, ‘Look!’