Resilience An Emic Perspective of Adolescents with Disabilities from Segregated and Integrated Schools

Abstract

Education creates opportunities for marginalized communities to win emancipation from the hardships of life. Adolescents with disabilities are at a severe disadvantage in many parts of the world, especially Pakistan. Literature provides very little information about the personal perceptions and opinions of adolescents with disabilities about their school life. The current study aimed to explore the dynamics of resilience (ability to bounce back) from the emic perspective of adolescents with disabilities in both segregated (special) and integrated (mainstream) schools. Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing resilience were explored using a qualitative research design. Three rounds of semi-structured interviews were conducted with adolescents with disabilities (N=13) from both segregated (n=9) and integrated (n=4) schools. The data obtained was analyzed through the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The results revealed that all participants of the study possessed basic characteristics of resilience including recovery, active coping, positive emotionality and social connectedness. Further in-depth analysis indicated a marked difference between the approach of segregated and integrated schools determined by supportive factors in recovery, problems faced in daily functioning due to disability, reasons for social connectedness, purpose in life and self-reliance. From the findings it is evident that the school environment, teachers’ cooperation and peer support are key distinguishing factors among the two groups under study. School support is very important for personal as well as well as psycho-social development of adolescents with disabilities.

Keywords

• adolescents
• emic perspective
• integrated schools
• resilience
• segregated schools