Foundations of Disability Studies and Identity Navigation

mirrors

reflect our own identities, families, and stories back to us

important for biases and personal growth

windows

let us see into someone else’s life and experiences

important to learn new things

to understand ourselves and to understand people who are different from us

why are both mirrors and windows important for us?

seen and know you belong

when you have mirrors, you feel…

learn empathy and how to respect differences

when you have windows, you…

miss out on learning about others

with only mirrors you…

may feel invisible or excluded

with only windows you…

brofenbrenner’s ecological systems theory

a framework for understanding how multiple layers of environment influence human development

includes microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem

microsystem

immediate environments (family, school, peers, work)

mesosystem

interactions between microsystems (family-school relationships)

exosystem

indirect environments (parent’s workplace, community services)

macrosystem

cultural values, laws, social norms, economic conditions

chronosystem

time and life transitions (historical events, life course changes)

dynamic interactions

development is shaped by ______ ______ across systems, not just by individual traits

crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality

an analytical framework for understanding how aspects of a person’s social and political identities combine to create different modes of discrimination and privilege

core principles: interconnected identities, systems of power, context, and lived experience

interconnected identities

people hold multiple identities that interact

systems of power

racism, sexism, ableism, classism, and other forms of oppression work together, not separately

context matters

the same identity can carry privilege or disadvantage depending on context

like where you live

lived experience

emphasizes centering voices and experiences of those most marginalized

key idea of intersectionality

inequities can’t be understood fully by looking at one identity at a time - they are compounded and shaped by intersecting systems of power

positionality

refers to where one is located in relation to their various social identities (gender, race, class, ethnicity, ability, geographical location, etc); the combination of these identities and their intersections shape how we understand and engage with the world, including our knowledges and perspectives