Disabiltiy Represnation

Question 1

Tom Shakespeare

Answer 1

Found that the media representations of disabled people still relied on old stereotypes

• twisted villains, plucky heroes and weak victims
• argued that the mass media encourages the able bodied population to view people with disabilities as ‘other’ - an abnormal group that is not part of mainstream society

Question 2

The media contributes to

Answer 2

Disablism - social barriers that arise when an able bodied person views someone with an impairment such as they might be hindered in performing some ordinary tasks with prejudice and treats them in a discriminatory way

Question 3

Barnes ways that disabled as represented

Answer 3

• pitiable and pathetic
• an object of violence
• sinister and evil
• super cripple
• object of ridicule
• own worse enemy
• a burden

Question 4

Agyeman

Answer 4

42% of disabled poeple in media are portrayed in relation to ideas of prejudice, discrimination and stereotyping, however it is still rare for disability to be ‘portrayed’ as an everyday incidental phenomenon

Question 5

Pluralism

Answer 5

Representations reflect the dominant view that disability is dysfunctional for the individual and society
- representations mirror social anxieties about impairment

Question 6

Social constructionalism

Answer 6

Impaired individuals are disabled by society and the mass media

• media professionals have a view of disability (unfortunate, dependant)
• disabled rarely consulted but journalists - representations reflect their low status and exclusion in society

Question 7

Post modernism

Answer 7

The medical viewpoint is in decline and our understanding of health and the able bodied is changing

• shown in more positive representations (such as sport)
• young can’t make generalisations, different TB stations may represent disability in different ways

Question 8

Roper

Answer 8

Mass media representations of the disabled on telethons can create problems for the disabled

• rely on ‘cute’ children which are not representative of the population
• imply the charities not governments should be responsible for providing for the disabled, doesn’t ask why these people are disadvantaged

Question 9

Evaluation

Answer 9

Changes in representations: undateables/ Paralympics