Alcohol prevention, parents cooperation and teacher positions. Analysis of teacher positions as leader of parent meetings within alcohol prevention programs in school. Presentation at Nordic Alcohol-and Drug Assembly. Presentation at Nordic Alcohol-and Drug Assembly. Reykjavik 25th. august Øystein Henriksen. Bodø University College.

Preventive interaction; qualitative study of parent meetings in alcohol prevention programs in school. One program: Young & Alcohol; an universal program for 8th grade level. One program: Young & Alcohol; an universal program for 8th grade level. Four schools - seven meetings. Four schools - seven meetings. Audio recording of conversations, participant observation and interviews. Audio recording of conversations, participant observation and interviews. Main research questions: Main research questions: –How are the meetings organized and carried out? –How are central themes, norms and values discussed? –How are responsibility and social identities discussed? My presentation here about teacher positions, is a concrete form of question 3. My presentation here about teacher positions, is a concrete form of question 3.

Teacher positions in parent meetings within alcohol prevention program. Questions: 1. How do the teachers express themselves as representative of the school and / or prevention program? 2. What caracterised the communication patterns between teachers and parents in this meetings? 3. How is the responsibility of the subject youth and alcohol addressed between the school and the family?

4 schools and 4 different ways of organizing teachers responsibilities. School A: Oslo-east, 8-10 grade, 5 parallels. School A: Oslo-east, 8-10 grade, 5 parallels. –Teacher team of 8th grade have shared responsibility. Class teacher leads the discussion in the classroom. School B: Oslo-west, 1-10 grade, 4 parallels. School B: Oslo-west, 1-10 grade, 4 parallels. –Two teachers have special responsibility for the program. Selected parents leads the discussion in the classroom. School C: Midnorwegian rural community, 1-10 grade, 1 parallel. School C: Midnorwegian rural community, 1-10 grade, 1 parallel. –The Rector is responsible for the program and leads the discussion in the classroom. School D: Northnorwegian community center, 5-10 grade, 2 parallels. School D: Northnorwegian community center, 5-10 grade, 2 parallels. –A social worker in the municipality is responsible, together with the school counselor. They also lead the diccussion in the classroom.

Teacher's institutional voice. Institutional voices: Institutional voices: –In the data there are many utterances from teachers who represent something, that welcome the partisipants, define the agenda, organize the discussion, sums up and concludes. –The institutional voices express an uncertain and ambiguous representation of the school and program. The prevention program is an external ”reality” that is localized and implemented in the school. The prevention program is an external ”reality” that is localized and implemented in the school. Parent cooperation within alcohol prevention programs is outside the school's institutional commission. Parent cooperation within alcohol prevention programs is outside the school's institutional commission.

Communication Patterns. Teachers and parents construct each other's mutual positions at meetings of the school. Teachers and parents construct each other's mutual positions at meetings of the school. –In a traditional parent meetings the teacher is an expert who inform the parents. The pattern of communication is; the teacher give information and the parents ask questions. –The teacher is not an expert on alcohol prevention. The pattern of communication is; the parents speaks and the teacher becomes facilitator, secretary and sometimes mediator. There is a mismatch between a traditional teacher position and the position that teachers get in these meetings. There is a mismatch between a traditional teacher position and the position that teachers get in these meetings. There is a mismatch between teacher expectations of parents positions (few come / low involvement) and parent's position in this meetings. There is a mismatch between teacher expectations of parents positions (few come / low involvement) and parent's position in this meetings.

Between school and family. ”As a teachers I do not need to know what opinion they have of their own children and what limits they have at home to prevent.. kids to drink.. or adolescent to drink.. I feel like that.. it is their business.. ” ”As a teachers I do not need to know what opinion they have of their own children and what limits they have at home to prevent.. kids to drink.. or adolescent to drink.. I feel like that.. it is their business.. ” Is a alcohol prevention parentmeetings a meeting between parents at school, or schools meeting with parents? Is a alcohol prevention parentmeetings a meeting between parents at school, or schools meeting with parents? Many utterances from teachers express that this is a business of the family, while parents expressed that the school is a necessary resource for this being an issue before it becomes a problem in the family. Many utterances from teachers express that this is a business of the family, while parents expressed that the school is a necessary resource for this being an issue before it becomes a problem in the family.

Conclusion. Teacher position as leader of the parentmeetings within a alcohol prevention program is characterized by: Teacher position as leader of the parentmeetings within a alcohol prevention program is characterized by: –Ambiguous institutional framework. –A communication pattern that differs from traditional meetings between school and home. –The ambivalence on the topic as a matter for the school. But this does not necessarily have to give teachers a negative experience: But this does not necessarily have to give teachers a negative experience: –”I can just say so spontaneously that I feel, this has been very good experience for me as a teacher.... really… And now I’m just happy... very happy.. and I'm also a little happy that we managed to conclude here.” (Teacher at the end of the meeting).