Diability And Identity

Question 1

Media Representations (Barnes)

Answer 1

-Media shows disabled people in a negative way.
-This representation helps form negative stereotypes and leads to prejudice about the capabilities of individuals living with disabilities and negatively impacts social interaction.
-Scope UK found 87% of parents of disabled children up to 5 have felt judged by members of the public.

Question 2

Learned helplessness (Zola)

Answer 2

-Disabled people are often socialised to see themselves as inferior.
-‘Learned Helplessness’- some disabled people internalise the idea that they are incapable of changing a situation,so fail to take action to help themselves.
-The discriminatory terminology acts as a Self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 3

Social attitudes (Gill)

Answer 3

-Disability or impairment leads to reactions of pity,avoidance and awkwardness.
-Reconciling your identity as a disabled person with previously held notions about what being disabled means is a common hurdle.

Question 4

Legal changes

Answer 4

-Changes in the law have had a positive impact on disability as a form of identity.
-The Equality Act (2010) has made clear that disability is a protected characteristics,and any discrimination because of an individual’s disability is illegal.

Question 5

Positive Self-Identity-Media Representations (Murugami)

Answer 5

-Murugami-Argues that a disabled person can construct a positive Self-Identity that accepts their impairment.
-Disabled characters are much more common in television soaps and films.
-Improved media coverage of events such as the Paralympics and Invictus games have raised the profile of disability.

Question 6

Raising Awareness (Scope UK)

Answer 6

-Committed to achieving a society where all disabled people enjoy equality and fairness.
-Have attempted to Raise Awareness through TV adverts and how to effectively communicate with disabled individuals.

Question 7

Medical Model (Shakespeare) & Victim blaming mentality

Answer 7

-Focuses on what disabled people cannot do rather than what they can do.
-‘Victim Blaming Mentality’-

Question 8

Social model (Shakespeare)

Answer 8

-Seeks to remove unnecessary barriers which prevent disabled people from participating in society,accessing work and living independently.
-For example hearing loops.

Question 9

Master Status (Goffman)

Answer 9

-Overrides all other statuses and is the one by which we are first known to others.
-Disability is the first form of identity people acknowledge,not gender or any other.