Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Abstract: People with learning disabilities experience limited self-determination and \nhave very little opportunity to take control and make choices affecting their \nown lives (Stancliffe and Wehmeyer, 1998). In recognition of this, \ngovernment policy emphasises the importance of empowering people with \nlearning disabilities to take more control and make choices that influence \ntheir own lives (DoH 2001, 2009). In order to meet the values set out in \npolicy, the interactions between people with learning disabilities and the staff \nwho support them is of particular importance. This study focuses on the \ninterpersonal construction of self-determination between service users with \nlearning disabilities and front line staff. \nDiscourse analysis, informed by principles of discursive psychology, was \nused to examine naturalistic data from video recorded interactions. \nSecondary data was generated through the use of a recall session where staff \nand service users met separately with the researcher to watch the recording \nand comment on parts of the video they felt were important. \nThe analysis revealed a number of actions present within the talk that served \nto facilitate or limit self-determination. Staff frequently occupied a position of \npower in influencing the available opportunities for self-determination. \nActions used within the talk included but were not limited to: recruitment of \nparental view, colluding to enable choice, coaching, using constructions of \ncompetence and incompetence. Repertories of incompetence and \ncompetence, protection and independence were identified. Ideological \ndilemmas around protecting service users vs encouraging self-determination \nand autonomy were also found. \nThe research is discussed in relation to the wider literature concerning \nempowerment and self-determination. The findings suggest that the policy \ngoals of facilitating choice, control and enhancing service user’s self-determination are complex in practice and difficult for frontline staff to \nachieve. A number of clinical implications are identified including the use of \nvideo material as an effective training tool for interventions aimed at \ndeveloping staff confidence and competence in empowering practices.
Author: Philippa Hannah Brown
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1589442751