LOCAL CHURCH SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES: AN ARTICLE ANALYSIS
This research analyzes the article "Local Church Support to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities." The results of the analysis are presented in relation to (1) study background, (2) research foundation, and (3) value of the study.
The authors of this article never got around to stating in explicit terms the purpose of the study reported in the article. The reader, however, may infer a study purpose from the research questions stated by the authors. Within this context, the inferred study purpose was to determine the extent to which local churches are supporting people with disabilities and what potential value to society a role of providing services to people with disabilities through local churches might be. The study was performed in 1994 in Los Angeles County, California. The study was performed by Jeff McNair and Stanley Swartz, both of California State University, San Bernardino. The article included no information as to the competency of these two individuals to perform this study, although McNair was listed in the reference section of the article as the author of two related studies and as a co-author of another related study.
The literature reported in the article reviews studies covering the requirements for a successful adult life, with a special emphasis on the role of support and networks. This literature also identifies local churches as an agent of natural support. This literature focus led directly to the research questions formulated by the authors for investigation through the conduct of the study reported in the article.
The authors formulated and investigated four research questions. These research questions were as follows:
1. Do people with developmental disabilities use local churches as a resource for support?
2. Do people with developmental disabilities attend local church services and pa...