Collective Efficacy in the Empowerment of the Wheelchair Tennis Sports Group for Persons with Disabilities at the National Paralympic Committee of Indonesia of Bogor District

Dita Esa Putri Damanik and Dr. Sari Viciawati Machdum, M.Si.

Department of Social Welfare, University of Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia; Department of Social Welfare, University of Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia

ditadamanik@gmail.com, viciawati@gmail.com

Collective Efficacy in the Empowerment of the Wheelchair Tennis Sports Group for Persons with Disabilities at the National Paralympic Committee of Indonesia of Bogor District

Background

Persons with disabilities who to face social discrimination will hinder them to participate in many activities as same as non-disability people do (Oliver, 1990). Persons with disabilities who face social obstacles, negativity, and social discrimination cause them and their family to encounter stigma, unempowerment, and social and economy marginalization so that, they lose opportunity to develop their potential and contribution to their circumstances. One of lost opportunity to develop potentials of persons with disabilities is in sport activities. Sports for persons with disabilities are strong potential to encourage and realize inclusivity to persons with disabilities (WHO, 2008). However, according to Mockeviciene dan Savenkoviene (2012), persons with disabilities are able to do same activities as non-disability people, including sports. Persons with disabilities who participate in sports more rarely rely on to other people and also rarely affected by pressure or depression and getting ill. Moreover, sports could be tools to empower persons with disabilities as it’s related to definition of empowerment from Gutierrez (1990) which is a process to increase personal, interpersonal, or institutional strength so they can take action to elevate their life condition is more precise because it explains how individual in a disadvantaged social group may develop skills and abilities to control his life and take action to change their own life condition. According to Pensgaard and Sorensen (2002), empowerment of persons with disabilities in sports divided into three levels which is individual, group or organization, and societal level. In level group, it is also divided in three factors, they are collective efficacy, motivational climate, and group identity. The purpose of this paper is to examine further about collective efficacy that supports empowerment of wheelchair tennis group on NPCI Bogor District.

Methods

This paper uses qualitative approach. Data are collected from informants by in-depth interviews as they participate and experience group empowerment in wheelchair tennis sports of NPCI Bogor District. This paper is descriptive because it is intended to describe group empowerment of persons with disabilities on NPCI Bogor District through collective efficacy factor.

Results

Collective efficacy of wheelchair tennis group is supported by group cohesion, coordination and cooperation among ten members, and leadership of head of wheelchair tennis group of NPCI Bogor District. First, not only on group focus in gaining best achievement, but group cohesion also reflected on group’s problem solving and fulfill their responsibilities on attending routine practices. Second, a factor affecting collective efficacy is group size. Group of wheelchair tennis of NPCI Bogor District has ten members. This amount could affect coordination and cooperation among group members. Regarding this matter, informant AA stated that technology helps them to coordinate and routine practices support them to cooperate one others. Third, to gather all cohesion, coordination, and cooperation among group members, it needs a leader who embrace and guide his group members’ belief so they would love to participate and be empowered in group to reach achievement as their targets.

Conclusions

Collective efficacy is one of three factors supporting group empowerment of persons with disabilities, especially for wheelchair tennis group of NPCI Bogor District. This factor consisted of group cohesion, coordination and cooperation among group members, and leadership of group head. Adherence of group members on group cohesion becomes source of effort that depended and related each other then it firms a belief in collective efficacy. To have coordination and cooperation among ten group members, good coordination and cooperation encourage group belief. Then, either group cohesion and coordination and cooperation among group members, it is needed a leader who always communicates and embraces members whom he leads so all cohesion, coordination, and cooperation can merge well to create collective efficacy in effort of empowering all group members. Therefore, collective efficacy as a supporting factor of empowerment because there is a power distribution through collective efficacy which is reflected on emerging group belief on their capabilities.

Added-Values

This research is expected to fill in the study gap among sports, persons with disabilities, and psychological-social aspect.

Contribution to the Society

Reflecting to empowerment of persons with disabilities at NPCI of Bogor District, this study expects to enhance persons with disabilities’ participation in sports activities as well as to support mainstreaming inclusive sports to society.

Key words: group empowerment, persons with disabilities, sports.

Word count: 697 words.