Lecture #2 Attitudes Flashcards
Some issues with ‘inspirational’ images/quotes about disabilities:
1- Highlight differences and encourages ‘well it could be worse’ thinking
2- Support superiority attitudes
3- Minimalize the real challenges that people with impairments and their families experience daily.
4- Inspiration without activism is exclusion
5- People are told they are inspirational for living an average life
however, disabled people can view these differently
What is an Attitude?
- Learned tendency to approach or avoid
- About self, others, issues or objects
- Can be positive or negative
- Affects behaviour
The Social Construction of Disability in a Society of Normalization: A social constructionist’s account of disability:
“The emergence of a notion of normalcy is what creates the “problem” of the disabled person.”
How did the notion of Normal come about?
Adolphe Quetelet: statistician; applied “law of error” or the “bell curve phenomenon”, used to determine the “average” in humans, like height, weight, strength… and moral and social behaviours.
Quetelet’s ideologies of Normal (1796-1847):
- Uses central tendencies on a bell curve
- Considered average or normal
human characteristics to be how
things ought to be
Galton’s ideologies of Normal (1822-1911)
- Distributions and deviations
from the mean - Thought normal was an
indication of mediocrity requiring improvement
How are the standards of normality generated?
The point at which variation from the norm leads to disability experiences depends on the society is how standards of normality are generated.
How to change attitudes towards disability?
1- Contact theory
2- Persuasive Communication Theory
3- Social Cognitive Theories
*each theory can be used to make recommendations to improve attitudes toward persons with impairments
Contact Theory
- Relationship of equal status
- Planned and structured interaction
- Meaningful cooperative goals that promote respect
- Persists over time
- Pleasant, comfortable social climate
Explain “Relationship of equal status”
2 classmates sitting in the same area, one with disability and another without
Explain “Planned and structured interaction”
Simulation-like situation to know how to deal in certain situations dealing with disabled people.
Explain “Meaningful cooperative goals that promote respect”
Making sure everyone performs well, to have a feeling of cooperation in joining
Explain “Persists over time”
Educating people about the topic of disability over long periods of time , instead of it being a one-instructional day in a year
Explain “Pleasant, comfortable social climate”
The less pleasant and comfortable the situation is, the less change of attitudes to the better
Persuasive Communication Theory
- Uses persuasion, Direct and Indirect persuasion
Direct Persuasion of Persuasive Communication Theory
Lectures, one-to-one talks, small group discussions, films…
Indirect Persuasion of Persuasive Communication Theory
Personal contact, role playing, simulation…
5 Phrases Disabled People Are Tired Of
- “You don’t look disabled”
- “I know someone with your disability and something that helped them was…”
- “I wish there was a cure for you”
- ” I am so sorry”
Social Cognitive Theories
Influence of the social environment:
1- Group Dynamics Theory
2- Experiential and Observational Theory
Group Dynamics Theory of the Social Cognitive Theory is:
- What other people think or feel influences what you think and feel
- Can be positive or negative
- Eg. whether or not your will is strong enough to not engage in smoking with friends
Experiential and Observational Theory of the Social Cognitive Theory is:
- Opportunities to see things that changes your attitudes towards disability
- Eg. using a wheelchair to have full experience
- examining full access of infrastructure of buildings.
Why are disability Simulations controversial?
Because they have both:
- Intended outcomes
- Unintended outcomes
Intended outcomes of disability simulations:
- Heighten sensitivity and empathy
- Change attitudes and behaviours positively
- Raise awareness of marginalization and barriers
Unintended outcomes of disability simulations:
- Do not capture lived experience of disability and may trivialize (make less of) it
- Discomfort on the part of participants when they identify with negative emotions assumed (e.g. stereotyping public stares)
- May offend members of the disability community
- May reinforce negative assumptions
Why are Attitudes Important?
Because it impacts our behaviour and how we act.
