DOCSLIB.ORG

A Critical Ethnographical Exploration of Disability Under Apartheid Conditions: the Promising Potential of Palestinian Higher Education Institutions Yasmin Snounu

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Critical Ethnographical Exploration of Disability Under Apartheid Conditions: the Promising Potential of Palestinian Higher Education Institutions Yasmin Snounu Eastern Michigan University DigitalCommons@EMU Master's Theses, and Doctoral Dissertations, and Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations Graduate Capstone Projects 2019 A critical ethnographical exploration of disability under apartheid conditions: The promising potential of Palestinian higher education institutions Yasmin Snounu Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.emich.edu/theses Part of the Disability Studies Commons, Education Commons, and the Educational Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Snounu, Yasmin, "A critical ethnographical exploration of disability under apartheid conditions: The promising potential of Palestinian higher education institutions" (2019). Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations. 959. https://commons.emich.edu/theses/959 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Master's Theses, and Doctoral Dissertations, and Graduate Capstone Projects at DigitalCommons@EMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@EMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Critical Ethnographical Exploration of Disability under Apartheid Conditions: The Promising Potential of Palestinian Higher Education Institutions by Yasmin Snounu Dissertation Submitted to the College of Education Eastern Michigan University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Educational Studies Concentration in Urban Education Dissertation Committee: Joe Bishop, Ph.D., Chair Ethan Lowenstein, Ph.D. Christopher Robbins, Ph.D. Kristine Ajrouch, Ph.D. January 2019 Ypsilanti, Michigan Running head: DISABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION ii Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my mother, Feryal Snounu, and to my child, Habiba Kenda, who both continue to give me strength throughout my life. You have been the source of inspiration. This dissertation is completed in the hopes of better understanding the Palestinian voices. DISABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION iii Acknowledgments This journey would not have been a success without the support of my family and friends. Those behind the stage inspired my Ph.D. journey. My mother, Feryal Snounu, who is my model, hero, and best friend, spent countless hours through Skype giving academic and personal pieces of advice and listening to me talk for hours. She has limitlessly supported me emotionally and financially, as well as shared her own experience as an educator with me. I have no words to thank you. You continue to be a source of my pride and my strength. I look up to you and love you with all my heart. My daughter, Habiba Kenda, was born on my first day of my Education, Communities, and Globalization course during the beginning of my doctoral program. You have been the best girl I could ever ask for, thank you for comforting me, for cheering me up, for attending all my classes and for giving me company during all stages of this journey. You have my love. My father, my sisters and my brothers, Haneen, Mahmoud, Aya, Nozha, Mohammed, Sofyan, Abdelrahman, and my brother-in-law, Mahmoud Al Fiqy, thank you for all the family time together, for all the sister talks at times when I felt down. Thank you all for cooking and babysitting Habiba while I was collecting data in Palestine and for taking me around the West Bank and driving me to the universities. My professors in the Educational Studies program, especially my dissertation committee members, Dr. Ethan Lowenstein, Dr. Christopher Robbins, and Dr. Kristine Ajrouch. I am honored to have been able to accomplish my doctoral degree under your guidance. A special thanks goes to Dr. Kristine Ajrouch, who never hesitated to make time DISABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION iv for me. Thank you for great lunches and conversations we had together. Thank you for always thinking about me. Dr. Phil Smith, the amazing professor who strongly believed in my work, inspired this journey with his unique critical perspectives on disability. Thank you for all the unlimited academic support you provided, and for keeping me in the loop through sharing several conferences opportunities. I cannot thank you enough. I also extend my appreciation to my American parents, Ruth and Andrew Zweifler, who have welcomed me as a member to their family since 2010. They gave me a home always from home. I cherish you with all my heart. And to my friend Veronica Konglim, thank you for babysitting Habiba when I would lecture on campus. Thank you for listening to me every time I needed an ear. To Esther Gunel, your unlimited support and care on many levels academically and personally facilitated my Ph.D. journey. I look up to you and appreciate you as a mentor and as an activist. Thank you, Esther, for providing me with a GA during my first two years of my doctoral program. To Laura Kovick, I owe you a lot. Thank you for all your time and efforts editing my work. I appreciate your patience and enthusiasm about my work. You are truly amazing. Your input was valuable, and our discussions were insightful. To Dr. Martha Kinney-Sedgwick, former Head of Teacher Education Department, I appreciate all the support especially granting me a doctoral fellowship. To Dean Micheal Sayler, thank you for all the support you provided, especially the small grant you provided me to help with transcriptions. In Palestine, I extend my deep gratitude to my friends Raqia Amr, Sa’ad Amr and Samia Hawamda, who all work at Birzeit University. They did not spare any effort to help DISABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION v me move my dissertation forward, especially during data collection in Palestine. I greatly value my friendship with you. Finally, my sincere appreciation goes to my dissertation chair and mentor, Dr. Joe Bishop. Thank you for everything you have done to support me. I appreciate your continuous support and guidance. You have always challenged me to think more critically. You truly empowered me during this journey. You gave me many opportunities to grow as a professional academic, especially through having me co-teach graduate and undergraduate courses with you. I am grateful to you for believing in me. Thank you for simply being you. DISABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION vi Abstract Utilizing a critical ethnographical methodology, this dissertation explores the experiences and practices of professors and administrators towards accommodating disabled students mainly in Palestine, but also taking into consideration the importance of the both political and disability contexts of the United States, primarily in light of critical disability studies, while also drawing from critical discourse analysis in regard to aspects of language, power hierarchies, and identity. Elements of teacher development theories are used in relation to transformational ways of thinking and the role of educators in combating stigma and promoting/adopting inclusive pedagogical practices towards accommodating disabled students in higher education. My understanding of experiences and practices of Palestinian and American faculty and administrators in higher education is derived from semi-structured interviews, observations, field notes, and pictures between October 2015 and December 2015, and September and December 2017. My findings show that disability in Palestine is associated with Israeli apartheid, creating what I call “a triple matrix of maiming Palestinians.” Such a matrix begins with targeting the Palestinian body, then continues to destroy the Palestinian infrastructure, and finally maintaining dominance. It creates internal divisions and scattered efforts towards disability services and also impacts the ability of the Palestinian Authority to serve the Palestinian people. Secondly, the complexity of stigma in Palestine includes heroic stigma, resulting from Israeli practices, which is positive, and stigma that is associated with disability from birth, which is perceived negatively. Most importantly, my findings show that Palestinian higher education institutions are a promising arena for providing an educationally inclusive environment under apartheid conditions. My study also shows that Palestinian DISABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION vii faculty and administrators advocate for disabled students on campus and local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) contribute to serve disabled Palestinians, but the work of the NGOs still exhibits discrepancies. In the U.S., unclear policies for professors on how to handle accommodations for students with disabilities and lack of training on inclusion create ableism. Stigma is still salient in the academic discourse and is connected to race and social status, generating “racialization of disability.” Keywords: Israeli apartheid, Palestinian higher education institutions, faculty and administrators, stigma, advocacy, community, NGOs, American higher education. DISABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION viii Table of Contents Dedication ................................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgments.................................................................................................................... iii Abstract .................................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables……..………………………………………………………………………………………xi List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………………………...xii Chapter 1: Review of Literature ..............................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Ableism [ Ey-Buh-Liz-Uhm ]
    ableism [ ey-buh-liz-uhm ] noun 1 discrimination against disabled people: laws to prevent ableism, racism, and sexism in the workplace. 2 the tendency to regard people with a disability as incomplete, diminished, or damaged, and to measure the quality of life with a disability against a non-disabled standard: Ableism reinforces the idea that disability is a personal tragedy. Think about it like this: Racism Sexism Ableism What does ableism look like? Some examples: Institutional (Noticeable Ableism) Public buildings without These are the types of things you may already be ramps or elevators aware of because this kind of ableism is often built Refusing reasonable into how our communities are structured. accommodations Institutional ableism can be found in areas such as Inaccessible playgrounds policy, education, employment, and social norms. Wage gaps Lack of representation in Social (Subtle Ableism) the media These types of behaviors may take longer to see Calling people with because people do them without thinking. This form disabilities an inspiration of ableism takes awareness and practice to change, just for being disabled but once you get it, your inclusive behaviors and Slow/baby talk actions will be second nature to you! Unsolicited touch Is ableism really an issue? What can you do? Yes, it is. Ableism is the root of disability inequality. Talk to the experts! People with disabilities It limits access to important things in people’s lives are the best resource to learn about how to like education, employment, healthcare, and voting. treat people with disabilities and what you It also causes people with disabilities to be socially can do to help advocate for change.
    [Show full text]
  • “I Can't Thank You Enough”
    “I Can’t Thank You Enough” A Contemporary Guide for Peer Mentors Hoping to Make a Difference in the Lives of Autistic College Students By Sylvia Cusack Johnson cuny.edu/projectreach @CUNYDisability Foreword It is with great pleasure that we introduce and share the ‘Contemporary Guide for Peer Mentors Hoping to Make a Difference in the Lives of Autistic College Students’. We hope that you will find it to be an informative and entertaining guide for new mentors in the field of neurodiversity. CUNY has been fortunate to be a recipient of a grant from the FAR Fund to enhance the university’s capacity to support its growing population of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to provide training and resources to faculty and staff about autism. We are eternally grateful to Dr. Shirlee Taylor, Executive Director of the FAR Fund for her endless support, confidence, and encouragement. Under the leadership of Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Inclusion Initiatives, Dr. Christopher Rosa, five pilot campuses were designated to develop best practices to share with the university and interested stakeholders. Our campus Project REACH directors, Dr. Kristen Gillespie of College of Staten Island, Valerie Stewart Lovell of Brooklyn College, Dr. Regina Varin-Mignano of LaGuardia Community College, Dr. Stella Woodroffe of Kingsborough Community College and Marcos Gonzalez of Borough of Manhattan Community College worked tirelessly to create and develop inclusive initiatives, mentor programming and universal design practices for faculty and staff. A huge thanks to Jenna Lamm, who is responsible for the development, programming, creativity, and success of our annual CUNY Neurodiversity Conference.
    [Show full text]
  • DISABLED WOMEN and REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE Issues
    Home » Get the Facts » Reproductive Justice Issues » Reproductive Justice in Our ... Reproductive Justice DISABLED WOMEN AND REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE Issues by Mia Mingus, Georgians for Choice What is Reproductive Justice? Reproductive Justice in In the United States, a culture of ableism, which maintains that able­bodied Our Communities people are superior and most valuable, prevails. In this culture, disability is Parenting and Giving feared, hated, and typically regarded as a condition that reduces the value of Birth disabled people. The reproductive justice framework helps us understand how eugenic "science" is still a vibrant part of U.S. culture that interacts with and Abortion and Birth Control shapes the reproductive lives of disabled women in many ways. Sex Education Right to Parent Access to Reproductive Health Care Women with disabilities (WWD) have a long history of forced sterilization, are often seen as "unfit" mothers and are discouraged from having children, or not Reproductive allowed to adopt children. Authorities press disabled women to feel guilty for Technologies their decisions to be parents, pointing out that their decision will take a "toll" on Spirituality and ON OUR TERMS their children, families, communities and on themselves. Reproductive Justice THE RISE INITIATIVE Sexuality Sexual Health, Anatomy, and STD's BUILDING THE Society typically defines disabled women as asexual and as dependent on able­ MOVEMENT bodied people, undermining these women's access to reproductive health. In This Section Disabled women and girls often do not receive sex and reproductive health VOLUNTEER Are We Next? Immigrant education. Health care providers may fail to ask WWD about their sexual lives, Rights and Access to AD CAMPAIGNS conduct full pelvic exams or screen WWD for STD/HIV, because it is assumed Health Care that these women do not have sex, or that they should not have sex.
    [Show full text]
  • Neurodiversity Studies
    Neurodiversity Studies Building on work in feminist studies, queer studies, and critical race theory, this vol• ume challenges the universality of propositions about human nature, by questioning the boundaries between predominant neurotypes and ‘others’, including dyslexics, autistics, and ADHDers. This is the first work of its kind to bring cutting-edge research across disciplines to the concept of neurodiversity. It offers in-depth explorations of the themes of cure/ prevention/eugenics; neurodivergent wellbeing; cross-neurotype communication; neu• rodiversity at work; and challenging brain-bound cognition. It analyses the role of neuro-normativity in theorising agency, and a proposal for a new alliance between the Hearing Voices Movement and neurodiversity. In doing so, we contribute to a cultural imperative to redefine what it means to be human. To this end, we propose a new field of enquiry that finds ways to support the inclusion of neurodivergent perspectives in knowledge production, and which questions the theoretical and mythological assump• tions that produce the idea of the neurotypical. Working at the crossroads between sociology, critical psychology, medical humani• ties, critical disability studies, and critical autism studies, and sharing theoretical ground with critical race studies and critical queer studies, the proposed new field – neurodiversity studies – will be of interest to people working in all these areas. Hanna Bertilsdotter Rosqvist is an Associate Professor in Sociology and currently a Senior Lecturer in Social work at Södertörn University. Her recent research is around autism, identity politics, and sexual, gendered, and age normativity. She is the former Chief Editor of Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research. Nick Chown is a book indexer who undertakes autism research in his spare time.
    [Show full text]
  • Print This Article
    COPAS—Current Objectives of Postgraduate American Studies 18.2 (2017) Scars for Life(s) Jessica Suzanne Stokes ABSTRACT: This essay considers the relationship between performance, disability, and the ephemera of wounding experiences by using bodily scars as method for multi-temporal and multi-spatial reflection. Thinking through the “Freak Show” season of the television series American Horror Story, this essay locates coalitional potential in scars as they offer sites from which to create new stories of the past. KEYWORDS: Disability; Scar; Performance; Culture Operation Ephemera Some people take first day of school pictures to document the passage of time. Instead, I have x-rays, photos of blue hairnets that barely cover my head, and more photos of my feet right after the cast is sawed away, right before the stitches or staples come out because the surgeries I had were my father’s surgeries, and my brother’s surgeries and… These photos don’t document time linearly. They aren’t displayed in an album in a particular order. They all sit in one shoe box. Each merges with the next: purple cast fragments, screws lodged in bone, staples in a row, beforeafter while afterbefore, white walls, blue hairnets, hospital blankets, IV drips, purple cast fragments. The scars are reopened by new operations. I’ve lost track of the number of surgeries. I certainly don’t remember the dates (see figure 1). Figure 1. Jessica Stokes’ Foot X-ray, Grand Rapids. Figure 2. Matthew Stokes’ Foot X-ray, Grand Personal x-ray of author. Date unknown. Rapids. Courtesy of owner. Date unknown.
    [Show full text]
  • Biofuturity, Disability, and Crip Communities in Anglophone Speculative Fiction
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO The Dis-Topic Future: Biofuturity, Disability, and Crip Communities in Anglophone Speculative Fiction A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Literature by Amanda Martin Sandino Committee in charge: Professor Shelley Streeby, Chair Professor Michael Davidson Professor Brian Goldfarb Professor Ari Heinrich Professor Sarah Nicolazzo 2018 Copyright Amanda Martin Sandino, 2018 All rights reserved. The Dissertation of Amanda Martin Sandino is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ (Chair) University of California, San Diego 2018 iii Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my chronic pain support network—nothing about us without us! iv Epigraph “They're looking for this fearsome wizard only to discover that he's nothing but a little tiny fellow. I mean, I don't think the point is that he's tiny. I think the point is, you know, things that we believe we lack are already inside of us just wanting to be found.” – George Crabtree, “Victoria Cross,” Murdoch Mysteries “You don't speak of dreams as unreal. They exist. They leave a mark behind them.” – Ursula K. Le Guin, The Lathe of Heaven “Art is not neutral. It either upholds or disrupts the status quo, advancing or regressing justice. We are living now inside the imagination of people who thought economic disparity and environmental destruction were acceptable costs for their power. It is our right and responsibility to write ourselves into the future. All organizing is science fiction.
    [Show full text]
  • South African CRIME QUARTERLY No
    South African CRIME QUARTERLY No. 70 | 2021 Hate crime based on disability in South Africa Lessons for law reform Willene Holness1 [email protected] https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3108/2021/vn70a5597 When contemplating whether to introduce disability hate crime as a new substantive offence or as a penalty enhancement of existing crimes, legislators should consider the peculiarities of reporting, investigating and prosecuting hate crimes perpetrated against disabled people. This article argues that existing laws on sexual offences, domestic violence, harassment, and unfair discrimination should be strengthened, and research should be conducted to identify the appropriate initiatives to prevent and attend to disability hate crime by and with persons with disabilities. Creating a substantive hate crime based on disability has symbolic value, but should only be considered if the existing challenges to full and meaningful participation by persons with disabilities in investigative and court proceedings are addressed through appropriate procedural accommodations. Introduction disability, and theft by people close to the victim Hate crimes against persons with disabilities (such as care givers or family members).3 These are victimisations aimed at someone specifically crimes also include ‘bullying, cyber-bullying, because of their disability.2 Such victimisation physical violence, sexual harassment and take various forms, including physical attacks assault, domestic violence, financial exploitation that target disability aids; cruelty, humiliation,
    [Show full text]
  • A Culture of Neglect: Climate Discourse and Disabled People
    University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Cumming School of Medicine Cumming School of Medicine Research & Publications 2009-10-21 A Culture of Neglect: Climate Discourse and Disabled People Wolbring, Gregor M/C Media and Culture http://hdl.handle.net/1880/47465 journal article http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 3.0 Unported Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca M/C Journal, Vol. 12, No. 4 (2009) - 'climate' Home > Vol. 12, No. 4 (2009) > Gregor Wolbring A Culture of Neglect: Climate Discourse and Disabled People Introduction The scientific validity of climate change claims, how to intervene (if at all) in environmental, economic, political and social consequences of climate change, and the adaptation and mitigation needed with any given climate change scenario, are contested areas of public, policy and academic discourses. For marginalised populations, the climate discourses around adaptation, mitigation, vulnerability and resilience are of particular importance. This paper considers the silence around disabled people in these discourses. Marci Roth of the Spinal Cord Injury Association testified before Congress in regards to the Katrina disaster: [On August 29] Susan Daniels called me to enlist my help because her sister in-law, a quadriplegic woman in New Orleans, had been unsuccessfully trying to evacuate to the Superdome for two days. […] It was clear that this woman, Benilda Caixetta, was not being evacuated. I stayed on the phone with Benilda, for the most part of the day. […] She kept telling me she‟d been calling for a ride to the Superdome since Saturday; but, despite promises, no one came.
    [Show full text]
  • Eugenics and the Origins of Autism
    Jeffrey P. Baker, MD, PhD,a Birgit Lang, PhDb Eugenics and the Origins of Autism Autism has become a deeply moment when the latter had contested diagnosis. Whereas become the target of a powerful family advocacy organizations “eugenics movement.” have long characterized the condition as a disorder in Eugenics is a slippery term need of effective treatments, a to define, but in the context of growing number of adults who the early 20th century, it can be think of themselves as having thought of as a social movement high-functioning autism (or dedicated to improving the quality of the human race through the Asperger syndrome) insist that – autism is an identity deserving science of heredity. From roughly “ ” the time of the Great War (1914 of acceptance. The latter use the – 1919) through the Second World term neurodiversity to contend a War (1939 1945), it attracted a Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities, and History of Medicine, that autism should be regarded School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; and as a profoundly interwoven wide following in many countries, bSchool of Languages and Linguistics, University of Melbourne, combination of intellectual gifts including the United States, Great Melbourne, Australia and social differences. Some Britain, and (most2 notoriously) Dr Baker contributed significantly to the conceptualization, even question the motivations Nazi Germany. Its appeal was background research, drafting, and revision related to this fed by widespread anxiety article, and he brings his own perspective
    [Show full text]
  • Embracing Neurodiversity
    EMBRACING NEURODIVERSITY A Compassionate Guide for Parents of children with Autism & Adhd WRITTEN BY ALICIA TRAUTWEIN COPYRIGHT @2017 THE MOM KIND Themomkind.com 1 Embracing Neurodiversity By Alicia Trautwein Table of Contents Prelude…… pg.2 Introduction……pg 6 Why would you want to “cure” autism?......pg 9 What is Neurodiversity? ......pg 10 Embracing Neurodiversity? ......pg 13 What is Autism? ......pg 21 What is ADHD? ......pg 25 What to do after a Diagnosis? ......pg 28 Explaining Autism to your child? ......pg 34 Empowering your child to share their diagnosis on their terms. ......pg 40 Is it wrong to be sad about my child’s diagnosis? ......pg 44 Conclusion......pg 48 Connect with The Mom Kind ......pg 51 2 Prelude: Embracing Neurodiversity is a book that derives from our own experiences. I first set out sharing our journey via our blog, The Mom Kind. With the realization of the lack information out there, it became clear that this concept needed to be offered as an all in one resource to families everywhere! I never thought growing up, that I would one day become an advocate for special needs. After our two youngest were diagnosed with autism just a couple months a part, my life's purpose was finally made clear to me. I found myself front and center in bringing awareness to autism and teaching neurodiversity. There are many websites and books that tell you about raising one child on the spectrum. There are a few that explain neurodiversity, all be it in an overly clinical fashion. Yet almost none exist on raising multiple children on the spectrum or teaching families to embrace neurodiversity! 3 Having a neurodiverse family comes with its own set of dynamics, routines, ups and downs to figure out.
    [Show full text]
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – Glossary of Terms Ableism
    Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – Glossary of Terms Ableism- discrimination against persons with mental and/or physical disabilities; social structures that favor able-bodied individuals. (The National Multicultural Institute) Acculturation- the process of learning and incorporating the language, values, beliefs, and behaviors that makes up a distinct culture. This concept is not to be confused with assimilation, where an individual or group may give up certain aspects of its culture in order to adapt to that of the prevailing culture. (The National Multicultural Institute) Affirmative Action- proactive policies and procedures for remedying the effect of past discrimination and ensuring the implementation of equal employment and educational opportunities, for recruiting, hiring, training and promoting women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans in compliance with the federal requirements enforced by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). (Society for Human Resources Management) Ageism- discrimination against individuals because of their age, often based on stereotypes. (The National Multicultural Institute) Ally- a person who takes action against oppression out of a belief that eliminating oppression will benefit members of targeted groups and advantage groups. Allies acknowledge disadvantage and oppression of other groups than their own, take supportive action on their behalf, commit to reducing their own complicity or collusion in oppression of these groups, and invest in strengthening their own knowledge and awareness of oppression. (Center for Assessment and Policy Development) Anti-Oppression - Recognizing and deconstructing the systemic, institutional and personal forms of disempowerment used by certain groups over others; actively challenging the different forms of oppression. (Center for Anti-Oppressive Education) Bias - a positive or negative inclination towards a person, group, or community; can lead to stereotyping.
    [Show full text]
  • Dr. Nario-Redmond's Slides
    SPSSI 2019 Congressional Seminar Ableism: The Causes and Consequences of Disability Prejudice Michelle R. Nario-Redmond, Ph.D. Ableism: The Causes and Consequences of Disability Prejudice (2019) SPSSI: Contemporary Social Issues Series ▪ What does ableism look like? Where does it come from? ▪ Who and what does ableism impact ▪ What solutions to consider The A, B, C’s of Ableism: ▪Attitudes (Emotions / Affective Reactions) ▪Cognitions (Ideologies, Stereotypical Beliefs) ▪Behaviors (Actions, Practices and Policies) Ableism Origins: Iceberg Metaphor Ableism: Evolutionary Origins Ableism: Evolved Disease Avoidance? “Students didn't want to sit by me, they asked to be moved out of my class because they thought they could catch blindness. I hated this time of my life. I cried every day” (2015). Ableism: Existential Origins Disability Threatens Significance Cultural Values Human Uniqueness Ableism: We ARE animals “No person who is Ableism: Ugly Laws diseased, maimed, mutilated or in any way deformed so as to be an unsightly or disgusting object or improper person to be allowed in or on the public ways or other places in this city, shall therein or thereon expose himself to public view” – Chicago Municipal Code, 36-34, 1966. Ableism: Dehumanization Disability hate crimes are more common when the perpetrator knows the victim. But police are most likely to drop hate crime charges when there is a preexisting relationship. Documented incidents include being: beaten with one’s crutch, dumped out of wheelchair, set on fire, made to eat feces, overmedicated, sexually assault, raped, murdered (Sherry, 2010) Ableism: Ideological Origins Social Darwinism and Eugenics Meritocratic and Just World Beliefs Biomedical Model of Disability Memorial to the Victims of National Socialist 'Euthanasia' Killings People laying wreaths at the 24 meter long 80 foot tall blue glass monument in Berlin commemorating the 240, 000+ victims with mental and physical disabilities and chronic illnesses killed in the Nazi Euthanasia program.
    [Show full text]