African-American males with mental retardation: Friendship formation and maintenance in community-based employment
Research shows that people with disabilities usually have difficulty forming and maintaining friendships, especially with individuals who do not have disabilities. This study investigates that conclusion for African-American males. Using qualitative methodology, including multiple interviews, participant observation, and an ethnographic approach, this two-year study investigates the friendships originating in community-based integrated work settings of nine African-American males with mild-to-moderate mental retardation. How these relationships appear to have been formed and how they are maintained are the main topics under discussion. The literature review addresses friendship formation and maintenance in the general society, for individuals with disabilities, and among African-Americans. A case study component is included in the research. Friendship formation was aided by working on similar or same job tasks, positive attitude of employers toward social interactions among employees, opportunities provided for social interactions by employers, prior exposure to disability on the part of the co-workers, acceptance of workers with mental retardation by co-workers, similarity in age, same gender, and frequency of contact. Friendship maintenance was aided by humor, joking and teasing, length of involvement as friends, provision of practical support, provision of emotional support, recreational episodes, common interests, and social responsibility on the part of the friends. Findings for this study show that in all cases, the participants were highly successful in establishing and maintaining at least one close friendship as a result of community-based employment.
Black Studies, Psychology, Social, Social Work, Education, Special, Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign