Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to identify and enhance specific resilience qualities within families having
a child with a learning disability. The study was devided into two phases, namely the descriptive
phase, which aimed to identify resilience qualities that enhance family adaptation in these families
and an the intervention phase, which aimed to develop, implement and evaluate an intervention
programme that enhances the utilization of family time and family routine, important qualities
identified in the descriptive phase of this study.
The study was essentially exploratory and descriptive in nature and directed to develop scientific
knowledge and theory in the field of family resilience. The family system theory (Minuchin, 1974),
serves as the theoretical departure point to determine the processes, factors and dynamics underlying
the impact of learning disability on the family, while the Resiliency Model of Family Stress,
Adjustment and Adaptation (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1996, 2001) was operationalised to measure
resilience qualities in terms of stressors, risk, protective factors and familiy adaptation.
The 110 participants in the descriptive phase were identified according to the nature of the crisis
(learning disability). The study focused mainly on families residing in the Western Cape, South
Africa. Quantitative and qualitative measures of investigation were used for data collection. The
quantitative results were predomently analysed according to correlation and regression analyses
techniques, while the qualitative data was categorized according to themes and frequencies using
content analysis. Twenty one of the 24 measured independent variables positively related to the
dependent variable (family adjustment). The independent variables which related positively to the
dependent variable included: family time and family routine, child routines, couple togetherness,
sharing meals together, parent-child togetherness, relative connection, family chores, family
management , family hardiness, family commitment, family challenges, locus of control, availability
and mobilizing of community sources, faith, problemsolving skills and family communication.
A randomized pretest-post test control group design was applied during the intervention phase of the
study. The 47 participants were identified in the initial phase of the study. Data was again collected
using quantitative and qualitative measures and was analysed using repeated measures of variance
analysis, post-hoc Fisher Least Significant Differece analysis and content theory analysis. The
results of the intervention phase indicated statistically significant change in family adaptation following the implementation of the workshop. The results implicated that the Resiliency Model of
Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1996; 2001) may be used to
map (outline) variables that are associated with family adjustment within families with a child with
learning disabilites.
The study opens new opportunities and possibilties for further research. Resilience factors are
identified which promote family adaptation and an intervention programme was developed which
can be adapted by other professionals wishing to initiate similar services. The value of such a proactive,
well being orientated perpective is important within the South African context where sources
and studies regarding family resilience factors and suitable intervention programmes, which
involves families at risk, are limited. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om veerkragtigheidskwaliteite in gesinne met ʼn kind met ʼn
leergestremdheid te identifiseer en te bevorder. Die studie bestaan uit ʼn beskrywende fase, waar
veerkragtigheidsfaktore geïdentifiseer is, en ʼn intervensiefase. Die doel met die intervensiefase was
om ʼn program te ontwikkel en te evalueer waartydens een van die geïdentifiseerde
veerkragtigheidsfaktore verder ontwikkel is ten einde gesinsaanpassing binne dié gesinne te
verbeter. Gesinstyd en gesinsroetine is in die huidige studie as die veerkragtigheidsfaktor
geïdentifiseer om gesinne met ʼn kind met ʼn leergestremdheid by te staan met die aanpassingsproses.
Hierdie studie was verkennend en beskrywend van aard en daarop gerig om by te dra tot
wetenskaplike kennis oor gesinsveerkragtigheid. Gesinsisteemteorie (Minuchin,1974) dien as
teoretiese vertrekpunt om die prosesse, faktore en dinamika wat verband hou met ʼn kind met ʼn
leergestremdheid in ʼn gesin te verstaan, terwyl die Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment
and Adaptation (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1996, 2001) geoperasionaliseer is om
veerkragtigheidskenmerke te identifiseer in terme van stressors, risiko’s, beskermende faktore en
gesinsaanpassing.
Die 110 gesinne wat aan die beskrywende fase deelgeneem het, is op grond van die aard van die
krisis (leergestremdheid) geïdentifiseer. In die studie is gesinne met ʼn kind met ʼn leergestremdheid
betrek wat woonagtig is in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika. Kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe datainsamelingsmetodes
is gebruik. Die kwantitatiewe data is ontleed met korrelasie- en regressietegnieke,
terwyl die kwalitatiewe data met behulp van inhoudsontleding in temas en frekwensies
gekategoriseer is. Van die 24 gemete onafhanklike veranderlikes het 21 statisties beduidend positief
gekorreleer met die afhanklike veranderlike (gesinsaanpassing). Dit sluit gesinstyd en gesinsroetine,
kind-roetines, egpaar-saamwees, gesamentlike etes, ouer-kind-saamwees, kontak met familie,
gesinstake, gesinsbestuur, gesinsgehardheid, gesinstoewyding, gesinsuitdaging, lokus van kontrole,
beskikbaarheid en mobilisering van gemeenskapsbronne, geloof, probleemoplossingsvaardighede en
gesinskommunikasiepatrone in.
ʼn Ewekansige voor- en nameting kontrolegroep navorsingsontwerp is tydens die intervensiefase van
die studie gebruik. Tydens die beskrywende fase van die studie is 47 persone geïdentifiseer wat aangedui het dat hulle graag aan die intervensiefase van die studie wou deelneem. Beide
kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data is ingesamel en ontleed met behulp van herhaalde-metingsvariansieontleding,
Fisher post-hoc kleinste betekenisvolle verskil-ontledings en inhoudsontleding.
Die resultate dui daarop dat gesinsaanpassing statisties beduidend oor tyd verander het. Dit is ʼn
betekenisvolle bevinding en impliseer onder andere dat die Resiliency Model of Family Stress,
Adjustment and Adaptation (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1996; 2001) gebruik kan word om
veranderlikes te omlyn wat geassosieer kan word met gesinsaanpassing in gesinne met ʼn kind met ʼn
leergestremdheid.
Die bevindinge skep nuwe geleenthede en moontlikhede vir verdere navorsing. Verskeie
veerkragtigheidsfaktore wat in toekomstige navorsing verder beskryf of as intervensieprogramme
ontwikkel en geëvalueer kan word, is geïdentifiseer. Die intervensieprogram wat in hierdie studie
ontwikkel is, kan as vertrekpunt dien vir die ontwikkeling van soortgelyke intervensies. Die waarde
van ʼn pro-aktiewe welwees-geörienteerde perspektief is belangrik binne die Suid-Afrikaanse
konteks waar bronne en navorsing oor gesinsveerkragtigheidsfaktore en gepaste inteintervensieprogramme
en gepaste intervensie-programme beperk is.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/71929 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Van Vuuren, Lidia |
| Contributors | Greeff, A. P., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 362 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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