ERIC Number: EJ754129
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Sep
Pages: 15
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1547-0350
EISSN: N/A
An Exploration of the Self-Determination Construct and Disability as It Relates to the Dine (Navajo) Culture
Frankland, H. Corine; Turnbull, Ann P.; Wehmeyer, Michael L.; Blackmountain, Lavine
Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, v39 n3 p191-205 Sep 2004
Recent literature in the field of transition studies emphasizes importance of creating self-determination supports to promote independence, autonomy, and quality of life in students with disabilities. Much of that literature, however, has not taken cultural and familial factors into consideration. A review of the Navajo family and disability literature indicates that most traditional and semi-traditional Dine (the preferred term for referring to the Navajo people, a term that translates in the Native language to "The People") indicates that the component elements of self-determined behavior are relevant to and important to Dine people, but that the ways in which these are expressed differs from an Anglo perspective. While the Dine people value self-regulation and autonomy, they are operationalized more in an emphasis on the importance of interdependence and group cohesion above independence and autonomy. This examination of application of self-determination within context of the Dine culture and traditions illustrates the universality of certain aspects of self-determination while at the same time indicating critical need for educational services that reflect cultural, racial, and familial values of the student. (Contains 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Quality of Life, Navajo (Nation), Attitudes toward Disabilities, Disabilities, American Indian Culture, Self Determination, Personal Autonomy, Cultural Influences, Tribes, Culturally Relevant Education, Socioeconomic Status, Residential Patterns, Acculturation, Family Structure
Division on Developmental Disabilities, Council for Exceptional Children. DDD, PO Box 3512, Fayetteville, AR 72702. Tel: 479-575-3326; Fax: 479-575-6676; Web site: http://www.dddcec.org
Publication Type: Information Analyses; Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A