Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of ethnic minority men who are living with a spinal cord injury. Through the examination of how various identity components such as ethnicity and masculinity coexist following an acquired injury, this study contributed to the scarcity of research on disability topics by addresses the unique mental health challenges this specific population faces. This present qualitative study, which is a semi-replication of Ostrander's (2008) study, served as an investigative tool in which to explore the experiences of ethnic minority men who are living with a disability and how men make sense of the changes in their lives in relation to their self-perceptions following a SCI. It was predicted that participant who are unable to reform their identity following injury and acquire a cohesive identity will be more susceptible to psychological distress, thus, experiencing greater challenges in the recovery process. Participants included a sample of four African American males, four Latino males, and three Asian American males who ranged in age from 23 to 35 years of age. Each participant was recruited through their use of various rehabilitation facilities throughout Los Angeles County, as well as through social networking sites that provide support to those living with a spinal cord injury. The stories that were shared within this study provided rich insight to the meaning of disability and the adjustment process for those who sustained an acquired injury. The four themes—"Sense of Self and Changes that Occurred Following Injury," "Disability Identity and Sense of Belongingness to Disability Culture," "Negative Assumptions and Profiling Due to Disability," "Adjusting to a Spinal Cord Injury" and their sub categories captured the richness of the participants' experiences. Results revealed that the men of this study had difficulty positively integrating their injury into their sense of self because the most salient changes that occurred following their injury threatened their ability successfully ascribe to traditional masculine norms. In addition to the significant contributions of this study, limitations, clinical implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed.