An Ecocultural Perspective on Learning Disability: Evaluation of Familial and Cultural Factors and Presentation of an Integrated Model

Ecocultural theory defines culture as a broad context that includes the tasks, goals, beliefs, values, and resources of society. According to ecocultural theory, culture shapes families’ resources, routines, goals, and parenting practices. In turn, these characteristics of family ecology and parenting determine child development. Ecocultural theory is one of the modern approaches that examine the adaptation of children with disabilities and their families. This chapter aims to outline the relationship between cultural values and families’ support resources, and their influence on adaptation of the families and their children with learning disability (LD) within the framework of ecocultural theory. Previous studies supported that cultural values determine public knowledge, awareness, beliefs, and attitudes about LD. This chapter outlines both the detrimental and positive effects of the public knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes on families’ support resources. Also, families’ diversified support resources are detailed, and their differential influences on family and child development are elaborated. In the chapter, an integrated model is presented based on findings of previous empirical studies and ecocultural perspective. The model might enhance a culturally sensitive understanding of the experience of families and children. This chapter can also guide researchers in developing more comprehensive and effective intervention programs for the target group.

Ecocultural Tourism in Tegal Regency

Ecocultural tourism is a hybrid of ecotourism and cultural tourism. This research deals with ecocultural tourism in Tegal Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. The purpose of this research is to investigate the hybridity of ecotourism and cultural tourism in the Tegal Regency. This research uses ecocultural theory and ecocultural tourism theory. The methods applied in this research are library research and fieldwork. Library research is applied to collect informative data about ecocultural tourism. The fieldwork is applied to collect data by interviewing the informants of tourism in Tegal Regency. By applying the theory and the methods, it is found that the hybridity of ecotourism and cultural tourism becomes the strategy to develop ecocultural tourism in Tegal Regency. On the one hand, ecocultural events relate to natural conservations; on the other hand, the events related to cultural conservations. The ecocultural tourism events become the prime tourist attractions that are able to attract local, domestic, and foreign tourists.