Research site

The evidence for diversity in adaptive coping as a pathway to resilience was obtained in two South African rural communities. The research sites had to fulfil two criteria. Firstly, there had to be chronic adversity and high need which will demand continuous coping. Both research sites faced chronic adversity such as poverty, unemployment, chronic illness such as HIV/AIDS, illiteracy, limited access to education and health services. Natural resources such as water were also a problem. Secondly, it was important that these communities were indigenous in order to allow access to indigenous knowledge systems. Both these communities had indigenous community members.