Parenting a child with disability:the role of social support for African American parents - Term Paper Example

?African experience: Parenting a child with disability: The role of social support for African American parents "A reliable way to make people believe in falsehoods is frequent repetition, because familiarity is not easily distinguished from truth" Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow Introduction: The study of sociology as a means to understanding the complex nature of human behavior particularly that of the minority populations such as the African Americans, has garnered increased interest and significance over the years. Various prominent sociologists such as Sigrun Olafsdottir and Bernice Pescosolido, for instance, have attempted to understand the cultural issues which influence human behavior by modifying and restructuring the conventional theoretical and methodological approaches with regard to healthcare utilization among the said population (Olafsdottir and Pescosolido, 2010). The complex interactions between culture, race, ethnicity, and health and illness in the current era which affect the understanding of the manner in which communities behave and react provide a sound basis to analyze and confront various key issues related to such communities. This paper on African Experience, aims to assess the literature and present a brief critique about the issues faced by the black families as well as their communities while caring for a disabled child. It also discusses the interventions, policies and practical suggestions for mental health practitioners, to enable them to deal with such communities effectively. Summary of the article reviewed: This article discusses about the impact of raising a child with disability on the mental and physical health and well-being of urban African American families. It also highlights the various positive as well as negative social interactions among the family members and the extent to which such interactions influence the disability of the child. The article analyzes the manner in which parents adapt to such an environment and the level and extent of support available to them from their families. Critical application of theory: The article states that with regard to a minority population, there exist different factors which affect the mental and physical health and well-being of families belonging to racial-minority communities, raising a child with disability. The study found that African American mothers were far more likely than their White counterparts, to core side with their disabled children and were less likely to be married. Furthermore it was also observed that the African American families experienced more stress and extra challenges with regard to care giving due to limited socioeconomic and environmental resources at their disposal. Systems theory states that the manner in which individuals and families interact with one another depend highly on their environment. The family systems theory states that family is a system of inter-related parts and sub-parts which comprise of family members. These parts interact with one another in a unique manner typical to their sub-systems and such interactions motivate / influence the members to react in ways which may seem different or even abnormal to others (Comer and Gould, 2012). The study further stated that non-spousal support in African American families played a key role in influencing their health and well-being. It was also observed that African American families comprise of a core social network of extended families that often provide support and care and are known to be instrumental support systems. According to the family systems theory, the families are highly inter-dependent and there exist a symbiotic relationship between the family members. Families often interact and react to situations based on unconscious processes, and role assignments observed since generations. Such interactions and roles play a key role in influencing their behavior and affect their caring and therapeutic tendencies, feelings of attachment and behavioral patterns, and co-dependencies (Jurkovic, 1997). The role of extended family particularly within the African American communities play a significant role since it helps them cope with stressful situations, and help them overcome their socio-economic and financial setbacks. Also the higher dependence on their extended families is of crucial significance for such families as they are their only hope to overcome their inability to rely on professional caregivers. The studies have indicated that although the African American families comprised of single working mothers, it did not have any negative effect on caring for their disabled children, and that the observations were found to be similar to that of their White counterparts. This could be attributed to the fact that African American families relied heavily on their extended families for support and were found to be closely knit, thus were successful in receiving help and support from their internal groups. The family systems theory According to the synthesizing psychodynamic and family systems concepts the inner world (i.e. family ties and interactions between members) have a significant impact on the behavior of individuals on their outer world (i.e. self-neglect or the neglect of their children). Thus implying that the outer world greatly affects the inter-world i.e. highly depressive environments tend to cause violent conflicts and disagreements and hence induce negative reactions from family members (Arney and Scott, 2010). Most of the psychological research concerning raising of disabled children and the role, impact and influence of the presence of fathers have focused on the role of mothers and the implications of maternal and sibling functioning within such families. Family systems theory focusing on children with disabilities has posited that families are perceived as a “whole” by the sum of their parts and that all parts are inter-related and has a significant impact on each other (Seligman and Darling, 2007). The social interactions between all family members including the fathers affect and shape the experiences and needs of others (Friend and Cook, 2002). In a study conducted with regard to family typologies to observe the impact of family types and development of children with mental retardation it was observed children belonging to cohesive families were found to have positive self-esteem and greater social adjustment (Lerner, Easterbrooks and Mistry, 2003). The systems theory and the ecological perspective can play a key role in the field of child welfare and assist the care givers and healthcare professionals in understanding the complex and dynamic relationships and interactions between the at-risk or disabled children and the environment in which they live in, thus enabling them to offer enhanced care. References: Arney, F., Scott, D., (2010). Working with vulnerable families: A partnership approach. Cambridge University Press, pp. 13-15 Comer, R., Gould, E., (2012). Psychology around us. John Wiley & Sons Publication. pp. 579-582 Friend, M., Cook, L., (2010). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals. 6th ed. Columbus, OH: Merrill Jurkovic, G., (1997). Lost childhoods: The plight of parentified child. Psychology Press, pp. 3-5 Lerner, R. M., Easterbrooks, A., Mistry, J., (2003). Handbook of psychology, developmental psychology. John Wiley & Sons Publication, pp. 522-524 Pescosolido, B., Olafsdottir, S., (2010). The Cultural Turn in Sociology: Can it help us Resolve an Age-Old Problem in Understanding Decision-Making for Health Care? Sociological Forum 25: 655-76. Seligman, M., Darling, R. B., (2007). Ordinary families, special children: A system's approach to childhood disability, 3rd ed. The Guilford Press Read More