disability media representation

Question 1

problem with disability representations

Answer 1

25% of adults covered under Disability Discrimination Act 2011 but seriously under portrayed and usually negative

Question 2

Barnes - stereotypes

Answer 2

• pitiable and pathetic (children in need)
• object of violence (3x more likely to be killed off)
• object of ridicule (Little Britain’s Lou & Andy)
• burden
• sexually abnormal

Question 3

Ross - disabled viewers objections

Answer 3

• infantilisation of characters
• persistent use of wheelchairs, white sticks & guide dogs to signify disability
• often associated with anger/bitterness
• restriction of character types
• failure to represent as capable of running homes, bringing up families etc

Question 4

Roper - effects of telethons

Answer 4

over-rely on ‘cute’ children = not representative
primarily aimed at encouraging public to alleviate guilt and relief they aren’t disabled, by giving money rather than informing on facts

Question 5

Karpf - effects of telethons

Answer 5

entertain rather than understand reality = confirm social prejudices (dependent on able bodied)

Question 6

Williams-Findlay - newspaper representations

Answer 6

examined The Times and Guardian between 1989-2009 - found decline in stereotypical words but negative and stereotypical representations still present as journalists assume disability is ‘tragic’

Question 7

GUMG- mental disability representation

Answer 7

focus on violent incidents despite only being a tiny minority of mental health impairments
high proportion of able bodied fear people with mental health problems due to media coverage belief that they are violent

Question 8

criticisms

Answer 8

• Matt Lucas spoke about inappropriateness of Little Britain in today’s society
• campaigns such as ‘Here I Am’ use ads to portray people as needing to be treated in the same way as everyone else

Question 9

pluralist view on disabled representation

Answer 9

reflects dominant medical view that disability is dysfunctional for both individual and society but also reflect society’s admiration of the ‘courage’ = portray reality

Question 10

marxist view

Answer 10

Finkelstein - negative attitudes are a product of capitalisms emphasis on work as a source of identity, status & power = disabled are an economic burden on society seen as a social problem that media helps to promote

Question 11

Pomo view

Answer 11

metanarrative in decline and more positive representations found (sports coverage)