Exploring adolescent resilience during COVID-19 in a township context

Abstract

COVID-19 has permeated news since December 2019 and has impacted all areas of life. Despite widespread coverage of the pandemic, there is still a need for greater research on understanding adolescent resilience in different contexts against the backdrop of COVID-19. This study made use of an exploratory qualitative design that used a secondary analysis of a pre-established qualitative data set to explore socio-ecological understandings of adolescent resilience during COVID-19 lockdown conditions in Zamdela, a South African township. Seventy-nine participants in grades eight to ten were selected and data originally generated through a draw-and-write methodology were re-examined. This study, framed by Social Ecology of Resilience Theory, aimed to explore what resources a sample of Zamdela middle adolescents identified as enabling for their resilience (or what resources have helped them do well when things get tough) within the context of COVID-19 and despite the risks of township living during a pandemic. The findings of the study shed light on and extend resilience theory in that it provides insight into the importance of personal, institutional, and relational resources when it comes to understanding adolescent resilience in Zamdela, South Africa within the context of COVID-19.