Identity and Disability
Definition: Disability represents a huge array of impairments relating to the body or mind. Impairments limit people's ability to do certain activities and interact with the world around them.
Social identity: Product of others opinions, socialisation and expectations associated with social rules.
Personal identity: How you see yourself.
Positive/ negative experiences impact our identity thus it changes through our life span.
Different identity types:
Given: Sex, birth place and nationality.
Chosen: Political opinions, religion and career.
Core: Skills, Beliefs and values.
Social groups: Social groups = identity (Bradley 1996)
Cooley (1969): Self is developed through interactions with others.
Stigmatisation in conversation for disabled people is common.
Mead (1934) says identity is developed in interaction with others. Different context = different self.
Biological determinism.
Cannot represent one unified group.
For some it is the most important aspect of identity.
Theorists:
Shakespeare: Disabled people are isolated from one another = lack of role models and collective identity. Lack of role models in the media, community and family.
Some disabled people reject the label of disability.
The models:
The social model: Society is the disabling factor as it isn't design for disabled people due to physical barriers e.g. lack of wheelchair ramps or social barriers e.g. discrimination and stigma. Lack of intervention.
The medical model: This is where the problem lies with the individual rather than society e.g. it is a person's fault they are in a wheelchair not the lack of a ramp. Can't lead normal life so are deserving of societies' pity and charity.
Shakespeare (1994): is critical of this model.
Shakespeare says it shows disability is socially constructed.
Most disabled people form views about disability through socialisation rather than personal experience.
Media stereotyping etc.
Frances-White (2018): 'I'm not disabled by the fact I can't breathe underwater, unless you force me to live in a fish tank!'.
Hahn and Belt (2004): Surveyed 156 disabled people using 7 point Likert scale exploring their reaction to the question 'Even if I could take a magic pill, I would not want my disability to be cured'. 47% said no cure, 8% ambivalent and 45% wanted cure.
Barnes (1982): Disabled people are seen as: having no sex life, lazy, dependant, less than human, monsters, pitied or praised, can't speak up and non contributing.
Socialised as inferior.
Goffman: Prejudice can lead to an effect on identity and self-esteem. Master status = self-fulfilling prophecy.
Dramaturgical: people are actors and play many different roles.
Zola (1982): the very language disabled people use to describe themselves is borrowed from discriminatory society. DIS-abled, Dis-eased and De-formed.
This leads to learned helplessness, disabled people think they can't solve situation.
Segregated schools.
Those that wanted to be cured were either disabled before age 18 or had positive self identity.
Media
Shakespeare (1999)
Lazy shortcut to use disability as a hook, atmosphere or character trait.
Representations are usually negative. Objects of pity.
Under representation of disabled people in media sector.
How disabled identity is changing:
Disabled people on T.V. shows, Invictus games, Travel, children's shows.
'End the awkward campaign' which aims to make people feel comfortable about disability through humour etc.
Ridley: media contributes to the awkwardness felt around disability,
Disabled people invest in their incapacity which = victim mentality.
Murugami: Disabled person forms identity on what they can do not their disability. Positive identity.
Paralympics is raising awareness of positive achievements and images in relation to disability.
A03:
Social-class:
Gender:
Bordieu
Socialisation
Messerschmidt and Mac and Ghaill: hegemonic identities.
Upper, middle and Lower class.
'Spoiled identity:
Leads to 'master status' or defining quality of disabled person.
Disability is socially constructed. Disabled people are disabled by society, The negative attitudes and stereotypes. These prejudices and social barriers stop disabled people from living a normal independent life.
Employers are less likely to employ someone with a disability so they end up on state benefits or living in a state of poverty.
The disability discrimination act 1995 and Equality act 2010.
Many disabled people are adopting a more assertive politicised identity and campaign for equal rights with no
Media representations of the disabled rarely present them as ‘people who just happen to have a disability’.
Hunt: identified ten stereotypes of disabled people in the media,
Non-sexual
Evil
A burden
Laughable
An atmosphere
Shakespeare says these stereotypes are used as a lazy short-cut.Not fair or accurate. Such stereotypes reinforce negative attitudes towards
The workplace:
Skillset reported that 2.3% of the media workforce is disabled.
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The education:
1918 school act made education complosury for all disabled children.
By 1921, there were more than 300 institutions for blind, deaf, 'crippled’, and even epileptic children. Not only did this socialise children with disabilities into an identity that they are different, but it socialised others into the notion that disability is something to hide away and treat differently.
2001 Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA) made educational discrimination unlawful.
inclusive education, is able to reduce discrimination through enabling children with and without disabilities to grow up together. Education gives children with disabilities skills to allow them to become positive role models and join the employment market, thereby helping to prevent poverty. By taking an inclusive approach to education, the identities of disabled people can be more about who they are, not what their disability is.
Disabled people are 6x more likely to be refused job interviews.
Age 16-24. OCT-DEC 2020. 8.4% of disabled people were unemployed compared to 4.6 of non-disabled.
52.3% of disabled people employed compared to 81.1% of non-disabled.
Seen as empowered + self confident.
DDA (1995) disabled activism
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