This qualitative case study was carried out to understand the self-concepts of people with mild
intellectual disabilities in a sheltered workshop. Three people with mild intellectual disabilities were
participated in the study. The data were collected through in-depth interviews, participative and
non-participative observations. The participants' mothers, their colleagues, and social workers in the
workshop and the grouphomes were interviewed to get more information. The data were analyzed by using
“within-case analysis” and “cross-case analysis”.
The results are as follows: according to “within-case analysis”, case A, case B, and case C were shown
to the personal self-concept, the vocational self-concept, the social self-concept, and the general
self-concept. According to “the cross-case analysis”, the common patterns elicited from the three cases
based on the four categories of are as follows:“being interested in an attractive appearance”in the
personal self-concept,“taking the opportunity for showing off her/his ability”in the vocational
self-concept,“wishing for personal relationships with her/his people”in the social self-concept, and
“longing for her or his better future”in the general self-concept. The self-concept of adults with mild
intellectual disabilities was appreciated through the interpretation of the conceptualized patterns of the
self-concepts. And the implication of the self-concept of the adults in the context of social welfare was
suggested in the study.