Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

12-2020

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph. D.

Department

Social Work

Degree Program

Social Work, PhD

Committee Chair

Sar, Bibhuti

Committee Member

Collins-Camargo, Crystal

Committee Member

Sterrett-Hong, Emma

Committee Member

Lawson, Thomas

Author's Keywords

intellectual disabilities; friendships; social inclusion; quality of life; community friendships

Abstract

Practitioners and researchers are concerned about the limited social inclusion and social networks of individuals with an Intellectual Disability (ID) (Amado, 2014; Bigby & Craig, 2017; Hall, 2010; Hardman & Clark, 2006; Knox & Hickson, 2001; McConkey & Collins, 2010; Tipton, 2011). Friendships between those with and without an ID are viewed as opportunities for greater inclusiveness with and connection to the mainstream society (Amado, 2014; Bigby & Craig, 2017; McConkey & Collins, 2010). However, little is known about the development of friendships between those with and without an ID. The purpose of this study was to fully explore the process that results in formation, maintenance of as well as satisfaction with friendships between those with and without an ID. This study is a basic interpretive qualitative study. The researcher used a combination of pair and individual interviews with eight friendship pairs (friendships between those with and without an ID) to gather information on the formation, maintenance, and satisfaction related to these friendships. The researcher chose a dyadic analysis approach utilizing coding to reduce and make meaning of the data. The analysis revealed two themes describing friendship formation: Being available to new possibilities and Having help getting to know each other; Four themes describing friendship maintenance: Keeping things light, Having each other’s back, Balancing independence, protection, and advocacy, and Regulating personal disclosure; and three themes describing friendship satisfaction: I want more availability, I coping with idiosyncracies , and We love big and unconditionally. Taken together, these themes provide a deeper understanding of the formation, maintenance, and satisfaction related to the friendship. Comparison of these findings with past literature and implications for practice and future research are discussed.

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