Women who are disabled have double the disadvantages to overcome in order to, participate and succeed in the patriarchal nature of contemporary society. Cultural assumptions determine a person’s position in the socially constructed hierarchy that has been created by the ruling class who tend to be white, heterosexual, able-bodied, wealthy males with outdated disablist and sexist attitudes (SWLF 3726, Multiple Identities; Stanford, 2015).
The literature provided by both Ghai (2009) & Dossa (2009), place an emphasis on the fact that it is not individual abilities that prevent participation in society but the cultural and political barriers put into place by the ruling class. This paper will discuss the complexity of having multiple identities in a society that has been socialized to the hegemonic masculinist assumptions, creating barriers for people with characteristics that deviate outside of the social norms to maintain the status quo and keep the dominant group in power.
The public supports and services that are believed to “provide care, sanctuary and protection” (White et al. , 2003, p. 1), for vulnerable populations will also be examined to demonstrate the structural implication of multiple identities. Additionally, how media and society promote cultural assumptions and thus, justifies and enables, the abuse and exploitation women with disabilities, will be discussed (SWLF 3736, Multiple Identities).
Everything in society including people has been categorized based on personal attributes used to determine the value and social purpose of individuals. The seven main elements that distinguish a person’s identity and social position include – “race, gender, age, class, socio-economic status and sexuality” (SWLF 3736, Perceptions of Multiple Identities, Para. 2). Many assume that people fit neatly into one of the social categories, where a social role can then be assigned based on the stereotypical abilities of the associated social group (SWLF 3736, Multiple Identities).
The social position that is assigned and determines where in the social hierarchy the individual lands, either at the top in the dominant group or at the bottom of a subordinate group (Ghai, 2009). Controlling the constructed of the social hierarchy ensure those in power remain in power and those who can be characterized as deviant remain subordinate (Stanford, 2015). Therefore, individuals with multiple subordinate identities such as female and disabled, are often placed at the bottom, in the margins of society to maintain the status quo in favor of predominantly white, ble-bodied, wealthy males (SWFL 3637, Perceptions of Multiple Identities). Disablism socially, politically and economically excludes women from the assigned social roles due to the status disabled consequently, a woman who is disabled is assigned a sick role (Fairchild, 2002) with no social purpose, Dossa (2009) supports this by stating “the role of a mother, a wife or a worker is not attributed to women with disabilities” (p. 271).
This further marginalizes women with disabilities because, productive human activity is often determined by an individual’s ability to fulfill social roles and determine a person’s socioeconomic status, class, position and ultimately value in mainstream society (Stanford, 2015; SWFL 3637, Multiple Identities). The difficulty in determining a social position in a patriarchal society is described by Ghai (2009), “my initial engagement with the issue of oppression began as I negotiated my sociocultural and political positioning as a woman in a traditionally patriarchal society” (Ghai, 2009).
Stereotypes surrounding disability have stereotyped this population to be perceived as a burden and unproductive member of society (Dossa, 2009; Ghai, 2009). Individuals with disabilities are portrayed as asexual, physically incapable of child-bearing or providing for a family and mentally incapable of navigating life and therefore, completely dependent (Ghai, 2009; Dossa, 2009). This causes unique implications for women with disabilities as it is now assumed they are unable to fulfill assigned social roles. Social roles this population is excluded from includes the role as a mother, sexual human being, and as a productive member of society.
Therefore, women with disabilities are unable to fulfill the social obligations and so are devalued, pitied and shunned in mainstream society (Chima, 2005; SWLF 3736, Multiple Identities). The assumption that individuals with disabilities are physically incompetent further oppresses women because this stereotype makes the social role of having non-platonic relationships or raising a family extremely difficult. The stereotype depicts all women with disabilities as completely dependent on others and physically incapable of child-bearing or providing for a family and another social role is removed.
The disabled status of a woman removes the chances of redeeming their worth in a patriarchal society since this population is assumed to be unable to contribute in the paid workforce as well (Stanford, 2015). Dossa (2009) demonstrates how a woman’s value could be redeemed by fulfilling the social role as a mother in India, however, once in Canada sexism and disablism automatically disregarded the woman’s obvious ability to provide for her family and socially isolated the woman, stating “the outside world does not take any notice of her” (p. 76), emphasizing the same social isolation portrayed in the literature provided by Ghai (2009).
Stereotypes socially define a person and their position, the assumption that individuals with disabilities are physically incapable creates several unique cultural and environmental barriers for women who are disabled. The notion that people with disabilities are asexual poses complex implications for women with disabilities because they belong to two social groups who have advocated fighting for goals that only adhere to one marginal status.
For women who are disabled, the gaps that are not being addressed become evident when comparing the goals that are being advocated for between both the woman’s movement and disability movement (SWFL 3736, Multiple Identities). For instance, sexuality is an aspect that determines the value of women, for women with disabilities, this creates mixed barriers and feelings about being desirable to men (SWLF 3736, Gender & Disability).
However, the disability or woman’s movement does not consider the needs of a woman with multiple identities only pertain to one social group and consequently, women who are disabled exclude individuals with multiple identities that intersect at the margins. As per Ghai (2009), “this reflects the skewed attitude of mainstream feminists, who while sensitively exploring distress as a major component of a woman’s life experience, conveniently leave disabled women out of their focus” (p. 303).
Additionally, the high-value mainstream society and the media place the physical appearance and sex appeal of women. The qualities that are desired by high-class males is the standard of beauty in contemporary society individuals who are disabled are represented as unattractive and incapable of having sexual relations both qualities that are the most desirable to men, Ghai (2009) refers to this as, “the materiality of bodies, not merely as they are formed/ represented in a culture, but how they constitute the lived reality of persons” (p. 02). Women without disabilities are at times able to use appearance and sexual abilities if, the characteristics meet masculinist expectations, however, women who are disabled and portrayed as a sexual, are not given this opportunity to use as an advantage. Since people with disabilities are assumed to be inadequate and are not considered “sufficient enough by the male gaze” (SWLF 3736, Gender & Disability, Para. 3).
Furthermore, this stereotype can have destructive effects on a woman’s self-esteem when media and society stereotype women with disabilities as, inadequate and unworthy of male attention (Fairchild, 2002; Dossa, 2009). Eventually sexism and disablism will create negative feelings towards ones-self as well, Wrinkler (2009) refers to disablism and sexism becoming a person’s self-perception as ‘the enemy within’, and both Ghai (2009) and Dossa (2009) mentioned self-esteem significantly being decreased through social rejection and isolation (Ghai, 2009; SWLF 3736, Multiple Identities).
The last and most dangerous assumption that will be discussed is that people with disabilities are feeble-minded and so mentally unable to understand the difference between what is and is not appropriate social interaction or how to behave in contemporary society. This is especially dangerous for women who have disabilities considering, women, in general, have an increased risk for abuse and exploitation and so, women who are labeled disabled then have an even higher chance of experiencing violence (Brownridge, 2006).
Mainstream society and the media supports this notion by portraying women with disabilities as feeble-minded and discredited when voicing concerns or acts of violence (White et al. , 2003; Curry et al. , 2001). Since women are already devalued in society and disabled woman cannot be trusted to comprehend their surroundings, women with disabilities become the perfect victim for predators as who will believe the victims anyway? (SWFL 3736, Perceptions of Multiple Identities; White et al. , 2003).