Edukacyjne konteksty bezradności społecznej osób z lekkim upośledzeniem umysłowym

Abstract

The book consists of seven parts. The first one comprises basic assumptions of the research, hypotheses, purpose of the study, and structure of the research process. The main aims involve, among other things, diagnosis and discussion of life fates of the mentally retarded. What is crucial to the research process is looking for the relationships between declared educational facts, such as class repetition, school finished, participation in additional training courses, and the economic and social status achieved by the subjects. In the second chapter, an overview of conceptions on disability and mental handicap follows. On the basis of the above-mentioned, the author makes an attempt to re-define mild mental handicap in the context of gaining social experience, and taking on the role of a retarded person. Next, a general developmental characteristic of the group examined is presented. Chapter III constitutes an overview of definitions and approaches explaining the phenomenon of helplessness, on the basis of which the author proposes conceptions of social helplessness among those mentally retarded. In the fourth chapter, a description of the system and process of education of the group in question, as well as the author’s conception of resourceful education. Chapter V presents data obtained from the analysis of 169 CVs showing the subjects’ position in the society, as well as its analysis in terms of social helplessness. The results show low professional qualifications of the group under investigation, a high rate of chronic unemployemnt among the sample, a low economic status and life activity. Chapter VI describes the social reality from the perspective of the subjects. It gives an explanation to narrations and group discussions of 5 graduates from special needs schools. In the final chapter, the outcomes of the research on the process of education among slighly retarded students in the context of gaining social helplessness are discussed. The work closes with conclusions based on the analysis of declarations made by teachers commenting on the actual system concentrated on educating slightly retarded students with respect to creating life resourcefulness.