Week 6: The Concept of Coping
When you cannot avoid stress and trauma, alleviating the physical or emotional discomfort that is likely to result is an inherent characteristic of survival. Life presents a variety of challenging scenarios. Coping with debilitating illnesses, life-changing injuries, or the loss of loved ones can exceed an individual’s personal coping abilities. Drawing strength from those who care about you can make these difficult situations seem more tolerable. Just being able to share your fears and feelings, discuss possible solutions, or be reassured that the situation will improve contributes a great deal to the process of coping. Believing that the struggle is temporary and better times are ahead can reduce the stress and emotional discomfort life’s obstacles can cause. However, not everyone copes with the assistance of others. Consider how your social environment might influence your coping style and your ability to manage stress.
This week you analyze what it means to cope, the cultural and social influences of coping, and how its mechanisms manage stress.
Objectives
Analyze influences of social context on the development of coping mechanisms to manage stress
Analyze theoretical frameworks of coping in a social context
Analyze influences of social context on coping mechanisms within specific populations
Evaluate coping mechanisms
Analyze approaches to address ineffective coping mechanisms
Learning Resources
Required Readings
Carver, C. S. (2011). Coping. In R. J. Contrada
