An exploration of disability experiences and responses of disabled persons and their families within Muslim culture of the community of Strand, South Africa

Date
2023-12
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY: Introduction: At the core of the study is the researcher’s perception that Muslim persons with disabilities and their families in the community of Strand are not participating in disability rights discourse and developments and activities of daily living within Muslim life. The perception is that they do not have the necessary knowledge and information, resulting in the practice of stifling care/or negatively impacting opportunities to engender participation. This perception required further investigation and validation, which is why this study was conducted. Study aim: This qualitative study aims to explore, understand and describe the disability experience and responses of Muslim persons with disability and their families within the religious socio-cultural constructs of the Muslim community of Strand. Study purpose: The purpose is to lift Muslim persons with disabilities out of uninformed-ness and invisibility into visibility and awareness, to bring their voices out of silence through descriptions of their specific experiences of disability into arenas of disability rights discourse and developments, and to encourage the development of enabling environments for participation and self-actualization. Methodology: The ethnography research method used describes the disability experiences of Muslim persons with disabilities and their families. Twenty-five participants selected through a blend of purposive and convenience sampling informed the study data. Data was collected using open-ended questions with participants in in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and observations. The inductive/deductive analysis and descriptive interpretative narration informed the presentation of the findings. Presentation of findings: The study findings were as follows: • In the absence of disability information and rights-based approaches, the disability context is marred by struggles for participation opportunities to achieve self-actualization, experiences of negative attitudes, discrimination, exclusion and enforced isolation. • Disability ignorance within the community suggests that persons with disabilities and their families experience exclusion from participation in cultural programmes aimed at Muslim persons within the broader community. • The various negative factors that inform the disability context shows that within lived realities, being Muslim, disabled, and that of gender within Muslim religiosity and socio-cultural contexts places Muslim persons with disabilities outside the frame of belonging and of living life on the margins of their own religious, cultural and traditional daily life activities. Conclusion: Further disability research is required to improve the overall situation of Muslim persons with disabilities’ experiences to encourage their participation and self-actualization.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Bekendstelling: Die kern van die studie gegewens is die narvorser persepsie dat die verteenwoordiging van Moslem persone met gestremdhede en hul familie lede binne die spesifieke geloofs en kulturele groep as deel van die oorhoofse populasie van Strand, binne die ontwikkelings raamwerk van gestremdheids regte word grotendeels oorgesien of is afwesig. Dit is ook die persepsie van die narvorser dat die manier waarop sorg verskaf en ontvang word binne die Moslem kultuur, of dat hul onkennig is, of geen informasie beskik rondom bemagtiging en menseregte binne die raamwerk van gestremdheid. Mikpunt en Doelstelling: Die studie mikpunt is die ondersoeking van verskeie ervarings, begrippe en reaksies van persone met gestremdhede asook die van hul gesinne as deel van ‘n Moslem sosio-kulturele konteks binne die geografiese Moslem gemeenskap van Strand te ondersoek. Die spesifieke doel is om Moslem persone met gestremdhede vanuit onkunde te lig en in die voorgrond te plaas, en hul stilswye horend te maak deur beskrywings van hul spesifieke getremdheids ondervindings bekend te maak in spasies van gestremdheids bemagtiging gesprekke. Die aanvulling van die gapings in letterkunde op ondervindings van Moslems met gestremdhede wat tot riglyne kan lei vir verdere ontwikkelings van soort gelyke studies en wysiging van letterkunde van minderheids groepe word aangemoedig. Metode: Die kwalitatiewe etniese benadering as metode op die navorsings was toegepas om beskrywings van gestremdheids ondervingings van Moslem persone en hul families. Deur middel van ‘n doelgerigte en geriefs kombinasie- steek proefmetode is ‘n totaal van vyf-en-twintig persone gekies tot die studie deelname. Indringende onderhoude met die deelnemers, fokus group gesprekke en observasies is uitgevoer tot die insameling van die studie data. ‘n Kombinasie van induktiewe en deduktiewe prosesse is gebruik om data en informasie te intrepreteer en analiseer, wat die opheffende narratiewe beskrywings van die studie bevindgings na vore bring. Bevindings: Die studie bevindings ilumineer en bring na vore die volgende: ● Omvattende faktore wat daartoe lei dat Moslem persone met gestremdhede en die van hul gesinne weens onkunde en oningeligtheid oor bestaande gestremdheids regte en bemagtigings programme uitgesluit word van deelname aan hierdie spesifieke progamme wat gerig is op Moslem persone in die breer gemeenskap, diskriminasie en isolasie ondervind. ● Dat persone met gestremdhede en hul gesinne en versorgers, sowel as lede van die Moslem-gemeenskap en geloofs leiers van Strand onkundig is oor gestremdheidsregte kwesies, en oor baie min inligting beskik. ● Verskillende negatiewe faktore binne die konteks van Moslem-geloofs en sosiale kulturele kontekste binne die raamwerk van Moslem identiteit, gestremdheidheid, geslag en ras lei tot ervarings van diskriminasie en isolasie. Gevolgtrekkinge: Verdere ontwikkeling van kennis binne areas van minderheids-groepe ervarings van gestremdhede is benodig wat die al omvattende omstandighede van Moslem persone met gestremdhede verbeter en die aanmoediging tot deelname wat selfvoldoening bemagtig.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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