Breaking good? Young people's mechanisms of resilience, resistance and control.

Abstract

The conventional understanding of resilience often portrays it as a positive outcome emerging from adverse situations. This perspective frequently shapes interventions aimed at bolstering resilience among individuals considered to be in need. Drawing upon data from a European study, this paper contends that young people's apparent 'latent rejection' of favourable opportunities, or their deliberate choice to remain in precarious situations despite having some agency, should be recontextualised as unconventional but valid expressions of resilience. Instead of framing resilience solely as an aspirational concept, we propose a reframing that emphasises its role in coping with and surviving challenging circumstances. Furthermore, we advocate for the adoption of Mason's 'safe-uncertainty' model to foster a more practical form of resilience. This approach towards a more sustainable resilience could be valuable in other fields dealing with those populations labelled as 'vulnerable', 'problematic' or 'disadvantaged', and it can, we argue, enhance decision-making skills, and promote the development of robust support networks.