Paper 1 - Section A Topic 13 = Disability and Identity

What is disability?

Disability is a mental or physical impairment that limits a persons movements or feelings.

For those living with a disability they often find it the most significant aspect of their identity

The medical and social model

Medical Model - Sees disability as a psychological or biological problem, focuses on limitations caused by the impairment leading to the individual being defined by their disability. Leads to a victim blaming approach where the problem lies with the impaired individual instead of society. If the disability is cured = better quality of life and less suffering

Social Model - Disability is a societal problem, focus on social and physical barriers to inclusion that exist. Such as the design of buildings or public areas that deny access to those with mobility problems. Disability is a social construct since it assumes what is normal or abnormal. Suffering can be solved by improving society.

How are disabled identities created and reinforced? = SHAKESPEARE and SELIGMAN

SHAKESPEARE - VICTIM MENTALITIES = Argues disabled individuals are socialised into this mentality - society sends messages that they are passive suffers of their disorder and by extension that they are victims to their condition.

SELIGMAN - LEARNED HELPLESSNESS = How some disabled people internalise the idea that they are incapable of changing a situation so take no action to help themselves. Low self esteem and a structured life related by others can lead to this. Policies such as segregated schooling actually encourage learned helplessness.

How are disabled identities created and reinforced? = MASTER STATUS and ZOLA

MASTER STATUS - Their disabled identity overrides all other aspects of their identity and becomes the defining characteristic by which an individual is judged. It can negatively effect interactions whit others as it often carries a stigma. Also may be true for the individual themselves as they learn to see themselves as in terms of their impairment first.

ZOLA - LANGUAGE = The vocabulary we use to describe ourselves is borrowed from a discriminatory, able-bodied society. As a result campaigners have called for new language to be used when discussing disability. They prefer differently able to disabled.

How are disabled identities created and reinforced? - Media = BARNES

BARNES - Medias representation is generally oppressive and negative - rarely presented as people with their own identities. He came up with 8 different ways that they are presented.

1. In need of pity and charity - the undatable’s - show that pairs those with disabilities assuming they are incapable of finding partners.

2. As victims

3. As villains

4. As super- cripples

5. As a burden

6. As sexually abnormal

7. As incapable of participating fully in community life

8. As ordinary or normal - Rarely portrayed as normal people who just happen to have disability - consequently fail to reflect the real experience of disability’s.

How are disabled identities created and reinforced? - Workplace = SCOPE

SCOPE - Almost ¾ of UK employers feel uncomfortable hiring those with disabilities as they are worried they will cause offence or come of patronising.

74% of those with disabilities say they have lost out on a job interview because of the way employers perceived them.

How are Disabled Identities and Views changing? - MURUGAMI

MURUGAMI = A Person First - Argues that a person has the ability to construct an identity that accepts their impairment but its independent of it - See themselves as a person first and their disability as just one of their characteristics. They form their identity on what they are able to do rather then their disability