Coping diversity

The case study creates awareness of how diverse coping is influenced by a unique environment. If teaching professionals and educational psychologists ignore the unique knowledge systems of the learners and families they work with, support efforts might become irrelevant and ineffective. Taking time to understand the context from which children come could benefit both educational professionals and the learners. One way to include socio-cultural considerations in the classroom is through collecting detailed background information to incorporate for individualised education plans.

Coping resources, also referred to as protective resources, are resources individuals utilise when they need to mediate with adversity (Thoits, 2013). The resources a person has at their disposal plays a role in how they cope.

The study was conducted over three years, both sites were visited once a year. Two visits focused on collecting data, whereas the third visit was reserved for member checking in order to make sure that the data was correctly interpreted.

Which cultural values guided behaviour in the community?

In order to gain insight into the mentioned questions teaching professionals and educational psychologists need to hear the answers from the learners’ perspective. Naturally this will demand obtaining answers through the use of age appropriate activities in a safe space. The learners’ perspective will be embedded in knowledge systems they hold which was influenced by their environment (cultural, social and physical).

Coping in general is seen as behaviours aimed at mediating stress. However, the function of coping can be either adaptive or maladaptive. Adaptive coping is more than merely dealing with stress in that a person copes in such a way that over time adverse effects are mediated and positive development is fostered (Skinner & Zimmer-Gembeck, 2011). Adaptive coping involves the effective use of coping resources (Kuo, 2012). In the instance where coping behaviour promotes positive development, coping becomes an important variable that could promote resilience (Cicchetti & Rogosh, 2009).

The study included participants older than 18 years. In the end, the sample consisted of 72 adults which was stratified by age (youth=48, elders=24) and gender (women=41, men=31). In these indigenous communities older community members play an important role in the lives of young ones as the elders are expected to pass down the indigenous knowledge systems that inform how to manage their environment. Working with the adults provided valuable insight into why these communities coped the way they did.

This case study illustrates coping diversity in a context where community members hold indigenous knowledge systems. Indigenous knowledge systems are associated with non-western cultures (such cultures are found in Asia, Africa, India, Latin America and the Middle East). Non-western cultures are known for their collectivistic orientation (which emphasises relationships and the relational self), whereas western cultures are often associated with an individualistic orientation (which places the individual at the centre and focuses on individual behaviour).

Note: This conceptual framework is a shortened version of the original conceptual framework presented in the actual PhD thesis.

When faced with adversity individuals experience stress, which necessitates coping. Coping involves using coping resources in attempts to mediate adversity. The environment (cultural, social and physical) in which an individual is situated determines the following:

Various definitions of resilience exist, of which most reflect the notion of being able to adapt successfully to some form of disturbance (Masten, 2014). However, the complexity of resilience calls for a more detailed description as provided by the socio-ecological view of resilience: