Mohammed Afsar’s research while affiliated with Christ University and other places

Poverty, violence, substance abuse, family dissonance and illness represent a few potential vulnerabilities in the lives of children who are at risk of failing in their future prospects. It is thus essential to explore resilience in children, owing to the excess or deficit of exposure and access in a child’s life. This study aims at exploring the resilience of children of the age group 7–10 years, from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The socioeconomic status was determined using the Kuppuswamy socioeconomic scale and these children had parents with authoritarian and permissive parenting styles which were screened through the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire which act as risk factors for the children. Data was collected through individual semi-structured interviews with the participants and was analysed using thematic analysis. For the lower socioeconomic status group, the main themes identified were social interaction and competence, overcoming distress and future focus, and for the upper socioeconomic status group, the main themes identified were social interaction and competence and emotional management. The study paves the way for further exploration of the impact of economic status on children’s wellbeing and might inform changes at a clinical, research and policy level.

White knights are individuals who enter into romantic relationships with damaged and vulnerable partners, hoping that love will transform their partner’s behaviour or life. Existing literature on white knight is limited to a handful of studies, primarily based on Western population. The present research aimed at developing a substantive theory on white knight syndrome in an Indian setting. The study follows a qualitative paradigm and the research design is grounded theory approach to be specific. Participants for the study were screened using Lamia’s white knight checklist. Data has been collected from eighteen young adults aged 18–25 years through semi-structured interviews. The data was analyzed using Strauss and Corbin grounded theory analysis. The study identified six phases—pre-relationship phase, needs exploration phase, shining white knight phase, drained white knight phase, golden realization phase, and finally delayed breakup. Along with the phases, the study identified factors, characteristics, and types of white knight. The study has implications in the clinical and counselling field in identifying and understanding white knight tendencies. Additionally, the theory is applicable in the Indian setting highlighting the intricate interaction between culture, norms, roles, and the recent social factors.