| Summary: | In this qualitative study, I explored male residents' views of the power
dynamics in a community living home for people with disabilities. The purpose of
the study was to develop an understanding of how the men experienced power in
the setting of their home. In particular, I explored whether they experienced
power as oppression or a variable, productive force. I also endeavoured to
understand how the participants responded to the power of others such as the
staff in the home or the agency management and what role the staff and agency
played in empowering the residents.
Four men participated in the study which took place over a 6 week period.
They lived in a home managed by a non-profit agency. I used a methodology
which combined group interviews with observations. The data from the
interviews and observations were analyzed using the techniques of grounded
theory.
My analysis produced four main findings. The first was that power was
dispersed among the residents, the residential staff and the agency board and
management. The second finding was that empowerment occurred as both an
internal and external process. The third finding was that the outcomes of an
empowering interaction included power sharing, collaboration, negotiation, and
improved quality of life for the residents. The final finding was that relationships
with roommates were of greater significance to the participants than relationships
with staff or with the agency.
I propose an empowerment model which describes the process of
empowerment as requiring three elements: the opportunity to exercise power,
motivation to exercise power, and ability. The model depicts potential outcomes
of an interaction when only two of these three elements are present. I also
discuss environmental and psycho-social factors which impact on each of the
elements.
This study has implications for social work policy and practice in terms of
steps that organizations and individuals can take to empower clients. It also has
implications for social work theory in that it demonstrates that a synthesis of
empowerment theory and post-structuralism is possible and instructive. Areas
for further research are also described. === Arts, Faculty of === Social Work, School of === Graduate
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