Approaches in considering cultural issues in South Asian people with learning disabilities and their families : the experiences of Pakistani Muslim maternal carers of adults with learning disabilities

This thesis is divided into three sections: Section 1- Literature Review: Approaches in Considering Cultural Issues in South Asian People with Learning Disabilities and their Families This review focuses on two areas of the literature, highlighting service issues surrounding South Asian people with learning disabilities and their families, and considering the perceptions and experiences of people with learning disabilities and their carers. It concludes by reflecting on the cross-cultural implications of the research and identifying deficits within service provision for this population. Section 2- Research Report: The Experiences of Pakistani Muslim Maternal Carers of Adults with Learning Disabilities This study aimed to detail the experience of maternal carers of South Asian descent living in Britain who care for an adult with a learning disability. Eight Pakistani Punjabi or Mirpuri speaking mothers or maternal carers of adults with learning disability were interviewed. Interviews were translated into English and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employed to explore experiences and examine beliefs surrounding learning disabilities within this population in order form interpretations of the participants' experiences. Three super-ordinate or master themes emerged from the data. These are `Faith, Destiny and Understandings', `Maternal Obligation' and ‘Stereotypes and Assumptions'. These themes and corresponding subordinate themes are explored with detailed extracts from participant interviews. Insight into the multi- dimensional experiences of the participants has been gained in order to increase the knowledge base in this under-researched area. Clinical and further research implications are discussed. Section 3- Critical Appraisal The critical appraisal includes commentary and reflection on the process of conducting this research taken from a research diary written during the course of this study. It includes initial ideas, planning and negotiating issues, difficulties and overall learning from the research process.