SOWK 503 – Fall 2012
Assignment #1: Article Critique

9/26/12
Julie Emmer LCSW CAP

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to critically critique and evaluate the study: Parenting a Child With a Disibility: The Role of Social Support for African American Parents, written by Jung – Hwa Ha, Jan S. Greenburg, & Marsha Mallick Seltzer. This paper will critically apply the Ecological Perspective and Systems Theory, to the social concern as it addressed in this study. This paper will accomplish this critique by assessing the hypothesis, evaluating the method of study, and critically discussing the results of the study in question by using the key concepts of the fore mentioned theories. Upon the completion of this paper, the reader …show more content…

The coercive power that is being afflicted is quantified in the study, with the fact, that the subjects do not reside in close proximity to any social services. This study was conducted to measure the affect of raising a child with a disability this environment. Further focus was placed on the effects of synergy from a supra system (family) on the focal system (parents), and the possible negative health effects derived from the lack of synergy. The results of this study were divided into two sections. The first section was to assess the effects having a child with a disability (sub system) has on the focal system. The negative energy from a sub system with a disability did have a negative effect on the focal system’s physical health, and homeostasis. The negative impact on the homeostasis of the focal system was attributed to physical impairments of the subjects. However, this was seen only in the older population that was studied and may have been caused by the rise in physical activities that is needed to care for a child with special needs and aging. This aspect supports the concept of adaptation of the focal system to achieve the goodness of fit in their habitat. The lack of mental health disorders in the focal system, may also indicate that entropy from resources in the environment or supra system, may cause the same amount of mental distress in the focal group as a whole. The second