JEONG-KI KAM, Ph.D.JEONG-KI KAM, Ph.D.Prof., Kyungnam University, South KoreaProf., Kyungnam University, South KoreaVisiting Researcher, University of LeedsVisiting Researcher, University of Leeds

kamjk@kyungnam.ac.kr

Disablism ?

Similar Concepts ?

Attributes of Discrimination

Process to Conceptualize AD

Implications

CONTENTS

Why Ambivalence ?

Where Was the Idea from ?

Constructs of Attitude

Conceptual Structure of AD

Discussion

- An abbreviated expression of 'discriminatory attitude against the people with disabilities'

cf. sexism, ageism, racism, ableism, etc.

- “Discriminatory, oppressive or abusive behavior arising from the belief that disabled people are inferior to others.” (Miller et al., 2004; Mark Deal, 2007)

Disablism ?

- complexity of attitudes

- possibility of distortion of attitudes toward disability or the disabled     touchiness of disability issues      legal prohibition of overt discriminatory behaviors      improvement of general consciousness and morality

Why Ambivalence? : general background

Aversive Disablism (Mark Deal, 2007)

Covert, Subtle, or Unintentional Discrimination

Indirect Discrimination

Similar Concepts?

"Hostile sexism": involves negative feelings toward women.

"Benevolent sexism": a knight-in-shining armor ideology that offers protection and affection to women who conform to traditional gender roles. (e.g., cute girlfriend, obedient wife, etc.)

Where Was the Idea from?

Ambivalent Sexism

Origin: prejudice, bias, misunderstanding, etc.

Features: segregation, hate, contempt, less favorable treatment, ruling, etc.

Results: disadvantage, social exclusion, inequality, dehumanization, limitation of rights, etc.

Attributes of Discrimination

Cognitive Aspect: belief or perceptual reactions

Affective Aspect: feeling or psychological reactions

Behavioral Aspect: behavioral intention or concrete behavior

Constructs of Attitude

Literature review

Defining key concepts at the abstract level

Specialists’ review of the statements 105 statements

Process to Conceptualize AD - 1

Gathering general statements explaining attitudes toward the people with disabilities 305 statements

A priori categorization of disablism

Pretest 1 factor analysis and readjustment 64 statements

Main test factor analysis, reliability test, validity test   2 realms, 3 categories, 6 sub-concepts, 35 statements 

Process to Conceptualize AD - 2

Pretest 2 factor analysis and readjustment 46 statements

Conceptual Structure of AD

CATEGORIES

REALMS

Degradation Segregation Dominance

Hostile

Discrim.despising

exclusive

segregation

necessitarian

dominance

Benevolent

Discrim.pity

protective

segregation

paternalistic

dominance

Category 1 - Degradation

DEFINITION

The attitude to consider

the people with disabilities

as inferior to those without disabilities

and to devaluate them.

Category 2 - Segregation

DEFINITION

The attitude to avoid, separate or

set apart the people with disabilities

from the mainstream society

on account that they are different

from those without disabilities

Category 3 - Dominance

DEFINITION

The attitude that rationalizes the superior The attitude that rationalizes the superior

or ruling status of the people without or ruling status of the people without

disabilities with the excuse that those with disabilities with the excuse that those with

disabilities, who have only limited ability, disabilities, who have only limited ability,

can hardly live independentlycan hardly live independently

Hostile Degradation - Despising

DEFINITION

The attitude to see the disabled as

humble, valueless, and even abnormal.

EXAMPLE

“Persons with disabilities are hard to please.”

“Persons with disabilities have poor judgment.”

Benevolent Degradation - Pity

DEFINITION

The attitude to account the disabled

to be the objects of compassion or mercy

not as equal people.

EXAMPLE“I cannot help feeling sore when I come in contact with a story of a poor disabled person's life.”

“I feel sorry for the persons with disabilities when I meet them by chance.”

Hos. Segregation – Exclusive Seg.

DEFINITION

The attitude to exclude the disabled

from the mainstream society or not to accept

them to be integrated into the society

EXAMPLE“I feel uncomfortable when I come across a person with disability. ”

“I come to be nervous when I am with a person with disability for a while.”

Ben. Segregation – Protective Seg.

DEFINITION The attitude to rationalize the segregation of the disabled by reason that they need to be protected from the harsh society.

EXAMPLE“The disabled persons might not feel easy when they are with the non-disabled ones. ”

“The disabled student might be placed at a disadvantaged position when he/she gets together with the non-disabled ones.”

Hos. Dominance – Necessitarian Dom.

DEFINITION: The attitude to justify disadvantaging the disabled considering them to be burdens rather than contributors to the society. According to this attitude, it is undesirable to provide for the disabled generously, because this may aggravate their dependency.

EXAMPLE "It is inevitable for the disabled with limited economic capacity to be poor."

“It is excessive for society to care for enhancing the living conditions of the disabled to details.”

Ben. Dominance – Paternalistic Dom.

DEFINITION: The attitude to see that the disabled, as inferior to the non-disabled, need warmhearted care by society. It contains covert expectation that this kind of care, as a result, might contribute to the interests of the non-disabled.

EXAMPLE“It's natural for a healthy person to do a favor for the disabled one. ”

“The disabled people deserve societal care, because they are fragile. ”

Theoretical implications

: The concept might broaden the horizon of understanding about the substance of disablism by providing us with more affluent insight

Implications

Practical implications

: The concept might contribute to removing disabilsm that cannot be dealt with legally by giving us more ideas about what should be changed

Is the idea/concept of Ambivalent Disablism acceptable and applicable?

Is it reasonable to acknowledge the sub-concepts of Benevolent Discrimination as discrimination?

 Is there any other point which needs to be considered in addition?

Discussion

Is there any sub-concept which needs to be revised or renamed?