JEONG-KI KAM, Ph.D.
Prof., Kyungnam University, South Korea
Visiting Researcher, University of Leeds
kamjk@kyungnam.ac.kr
CONTENTS
Disablism ?
Similar Concepts ?
Why Ambivalence ?
Where Was the Idea from ?
Attributes of Discrimination
Constructs of Attitude
Process to Conceptualize AD
Conceptual Structure of AD
Implications
Discussion
Disablism ?
- 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)
Why Ambivalence? : general background
- 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
Similar Concepts?
Aversive Disablism (Mark Deal, 2007)
Covert, Subtle, or Unintentional
Discrimination
Indirect Discrimination
Where Was the Idea from?
Ambivalent Sexism
"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.)
Attributes of Discrimination
Origin: prejudice, bias, misunderstanding, etc.
Features: segregation, hate, contempt, less
favorable treatment, ruling, etc.
Results: disadvantage, social exclusion,
inequality, dehumanization,
limitation of rights, etc.
Constructs of Attitude
Cognitive Aspect: belief or
perceptual reactions
Affective Aspect: feeling or
psychological reactions
Behavioral Aspect: behavioral intention or
concrete behavior
Process to Conceptualize AD - 1
Literature review
Defining key concepts at the abstract level
Gathering general statements explaining
attitudes toward the people with disabilities
305 statements
Specialists’ review of the statements
105 statements
Process to Conceptualize AD - 2
A priori categorization of disablism
Pretest 1
factor analysis and readjustment
64 statements
Pretest 2
factor analysis and readjustment
46 statements
Main test
factor analysis, reliability test,
validity test
2 realms, 3 categories,
6 sub-concepts, 35 statements
Conceptual Structure of AD
CATEGORIES
Degradation
Segregation
Dominance
REALMS
Hostile
Discrim.
Benevolent
Discrim.
exclusive necessitarian
despising
segregation dominance
pity
protective paternalistic
segregation 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
or ruling status of the people without
disabilities with the excuse that those with
disabilities, who have only limited ability,
can 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. ”
Implications
Theoretical implications
: The concept might broaden the horizon of
understanding about the substance of disablism
by providing us with more affluent insight
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
Discussion
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 sub-concept which needs to be
revised or renamed?
Is there any other point which needs to be
considered in addition?