1. Nurturing Resilience Across Cultures and Contexts: A discussion of how research informs practice University of Wales, Swansea, July 11-13, 2007 Michael Ungar, Ph.D. School of Social Work, Dalhousie University 6414 Coburg Rd., Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 2A7 Michael.Ungar@dal.ca www.resilienceproject.org

2. Patterns of Positive Development Level of Functioning Time Chronic Stressors Expected Acute Stressor/trauma Actual

3. Level of Functioning Time Chronic Stressors Expected Acute Stressor/trauma Actual Patterns of Positive Development

4. Level of Functioning Time Chronic Stressors Expected Acute Stressor/trauma Actual ‘Hidden Resilience’ Patterns of Positive Development

5. Problem The study of resilience has inadvertently contributed to blaming the victims of social problems for failing to succeed A more culturally and contextually relevant understanding of resilience is needed

6. Resilience is: First, the capacity of individuals to navigate to resources that sustain well-being Second, the capacity of individuals’ physical and social ecologies to provide those resources and Third, the capacity of individuals, their families and communities to negotiate culturally meaningful ways for resources to be shared.

7. The International Resilience Project Southern Canada (3 sites) Sheshatshiu, Labrador United States Colombia Gambia South Africa Russia Israel Palestine India China Tanzania

8. An “Iterative” Design Team met in Halifax (March 2003 and June 2005) to develop a mixed methods study We developed: Analysis of findings from administration of the CYRM to 1451 “resilient” and “at-risk” children globally (as determined by community)(694 males = 47.9%; 757 females = 52.1%) adolescents (mean age = 16 years, S.D.= 2.653) Collection of 89 individual interviews and/or life histories Observations of youth and focus groups with adults

9. LESSON ONE: There are both global and culturally and contextually specific aspects to young people’s lives that contribute to their resilience.

10. Nested Ecological Model Minority World (Western) MODEL 1 Majority World (Non-Western) Girls MODEL 2 Boys High Social Cohesion MODEL 3 Low Social Cohesion MODEL 4 Progression of the Factor Analysis

11. Seven-Factor Solution Majority World Girls Ecologically Nested Model Culture Community Relationships Individual

12. Seven-Factor Solution Majority World Girls Factor One: ‘I experience self-efficacy’

13. LESSON TWO: Aspects of children’s lives that contribute to resilience are related to one another in patterns that reflect a child’s culture and context.

14. Individuals, Families and Communities Navigation and Negotiation © Michael Ungar, Ph.D. Capacities Relationships Identity Power and Control Social Justice Access to Material Resources Cohesion Cultural Adherence

15. Individuals, Families and Communities Navigation and Negotiation © Michael Ungar, Ph.D. Capacities Resources Meaning CultureContext Navigation Negotiation

16. Implication #1 ‘Don’t believe everything you read’ Local knowledge may be the same or different from global concepts about resilience ‘Ask more, tell less’

17. Implication #2 ‘All aspects of resilience are not created equal’ Context determines influence Interventions need to be sensitive to which aspect of resilience, in a specific context, will have the greatest impact on a particular group of children or families The $1,000,000 question

18. Implication #3 ‘Pathways to resilience are many and splendoured things’ Interventions must be sensitive to (in one way or another) all seven tensions