Nurturing Resilience Across Cultures and

Contexts: A discussion of how research informs

practice

University of Wales, Swansea, July 11-13, 2007Michael Ungar, Ph.D.School of Social Work, Dalhousie University6414 Coburg Rd., Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 2A7 Michael.Ungar@dal.ca www.resilienceproject.org

Patterns of Positive Development

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Chronic Stressors

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Acute Stressor/trauma

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Patterns of Positive Development

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‘Hidden Resilience’

Patterns of Positive Development

ProblemThe study of resilience has inadvertently contributed to blaming the victims of social problems for failing to succeedA more culturally and contextually relevant understanding of resilience is needed

Resilience is:First, the capacity of individuals to navigate to resources that sustain well-beingSecond, the capacity of individuals’ physical and social ecologies to provide those resourcesand

Third, the capacity of individuals, their families and communities to negotiate culturally meaningful ways for resources to be shared.

The International Resilience Project

Southern Canada (3 sites)

Sheshatshiu, Labrador

United States

Colombia

Gambia

South Africa

Russia

IsraelPalestine India

China

Tanzania

An “Iterative” DesignTeam met in Halifax (March 2003 and June 2005) to develop a mixed methods studyWe developed:

Analysis of findings from administration of the CYRM to 1451 “resilient” and “at-risk” children globally (as determined by community)(694 males = 47.9%; 757 females = 52.1%) adolescents (mean age = 16 years, S.D.= 2.653)Collection of 89 individual interviews and/or life historiesObservations of youth and focus groups with adults

LESSON ONE:

There are both global and culturally and contextually specific aspects to young people’s lives that contribute to their resilience.

Nested Ecological Model

Minority World(Western)MODEL 1

Majority World(Non-Western)

GirlsMODEL 2

Boys

High Social CohesionMODEL 3

Low Social CohesionMODEL 4

 

Progression of the Factor Analysis

Seven-Factor Solution Majority World Girls

Ecologically Nested Model

Culture

Community

Relationships

Individual

Seven-Factor Solution Majority World Girls

Factor One:

‘I experience self-efficacy’

LESSON TWO:

Aspects of children’s lives that contribute to resilience are related to one another in patterns that reflect a child’s culture and context.

Individuals, Families and Communities

Navigation and Negotiation

© Michael Ungar, Ph.D.

Capacities

Relationships

Identity

Power and Control

Social Justice

Access to Material Resources

Cohesion

Cultural Adherence

Individuals, Families and Communities

Navigation and Negotiation

© Michael Ungar, Ph.D.

Capacities

Resources

Meaning

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Implication #1

‘Don’t believe everything you read’

Local knowledge may be the same or different from global concepts about resilience‘Ask more, tell less’

Implication #2

‘All aspects of resilience are not created equal’

Context determines influenceInterventions need to be sensitive to which aspect of resilience, in a specific context, will have the greatest impact on a particular group of children or familiesThe $1,000,000 question

Implication #3

‘Pathways to resilience are many and splendoured things’

Interventions must be sensitive to (in one way or another) all seven tensions