12. Disability As A Social Construct Flashcards
What is the medical model of disability?
A persons inability to fully participate in various activities that the rest of the world take for granted. Emphasis on what was ‘wrong’ with the person and that they live lesser lives.
What is the social model of disability?
Society disables physically impaired people
What has society accepted and provided for?
Society has accepted and provided for most impairments such as poor sight and deafness.
what has society failed to make provisions for?
Failed to make the same provisions for wheelchair reliant individuals - handicapped by society’s failure to provide a social environment in which they can be as mobile as able bodied people.
What do Marsh and Keating point out about dependency?
No one is really independent; we are all dependant on others. There is a negative social reaction to disability based on disabled persons dependant on others.
Why do Marxists call the disabled an economic burden?
Marxists blame the emphasis on work as a source of identity, industrialisation meant production was reliant on strong, fit, healthy workforce so the disabled esteem seen as an economic burden.
Define learned helplessness
The idea that helplessness is learned and it could have been different with more positive attitudes in society.
How to disabled people respond to the stereotypical image?
They respond to the stereotypes that they are helpless and dependant on others by assuming it’s true, they then develop a low self esteem and worth - Beckers labelling, disabled individuals internalise the label becoming a self fulfilling prophecy
What is the media guilty of?
Stereotyping disabled people negatively, reinforcing cultural stereotypes and consequently prejudice and discrimination.
How has social media made it better for disabled people?
Social media means disabled individuals can have more of a voice and can from a positive collective identity.
Why do the disabled find themselves segregated from society?
Through special schools, which make it more difficult for them to be ‘normal’ and to integrate into society.
What may prejudice be translated into?
Discrimination e.g employers may be reluctant to take on a disabled person, they then may be more likely to be on welfare benefits and to experience society.
What does Brown argue about the disabled?
They may be seen as innocents or perverts and that they should be discouraged form having sexual relationships.
What is argued about women with disabilities?
They should not be having sex, and they are likely to make unsuitable mothers. There have been multiple cases where women have been sterilised or had children taken into care.
How are the disabled represented on TV?
Evil, monsters, in-human, dependant on others, objects of pity. When they are portrayed as courageous it’s often contrasted with the pity of their situation.
