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Social Construction of Disabled Adulthood

Background Method Themes Discussion

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Two questions

What do the young disabled adults, their parents, teachers and friends, believe hinders them most in pursuing their learning, work or participating in society as adults?

What are the young disabled peoples’ hopes and expectations for their future as adult members of society?

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Goales of the studyMake visible the important, but not always acknowledged, perspective of young disabled people about their own situation and future posibilities as adults

Explain how choices made by parents and children through childhood and adolescence impact their situation as young disabled adults

Explore how parents, professionals, and the young disabled persons’social relationships play an important role in framing their experiences and their expectations about adulthood

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Three “new” questionsWhat does it mean to be an adult with disabilities in Iceland?

How do young people see themselves reach that milestone when they have significant imparements, and how do they negotiate adult status?

How is the adulthood achieved by young people with disabilities related to the parenting they receive, including parents’ actions, choices, social status and approach to social service bureaucracy? Does the role of parents’ influence vary according to the young person’s age, type of disability label and need for support?

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Modes of Inquiry

Sample

Interviews

Interpretation

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Three Dimentions of Adulthood

The Personal Dimension

The Cultural Dimention

The Familial Dimention

From: Ferguson, D. L. and Ferguson P. M. 1996 “Communicating Adulthood”.In Topics of Language Disorders 16,3:52-67

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Adulthood -Social Construction

The status of adulthood is most often correctly assumed as part of a tacit exchange of complex information through the interactive elements of language, social context and cognitive interpretation of relevant information about age (e.g. the appearance, voice, size and so forth).”

Bates 1975

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FindingsTwo roads and the social construction of adulthood with a difference:

Group A in the mainstream Group C in the special world of disabled peopleThe Nomads in the wasetland, group B in a limbo

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Group AGroup B

Inclusiveschooling

Self advocates

Friends both disabled and non

disabled

Fatalistic / Accepting

Disabled friends only or paid

friends/relatives

All types of schooling

Advocate and fatalistic

Reach adulthood slowly, but surely or die

Difficult to accept adulthood as applying to self or struggle to get there by steeple-chase and sheer will

With exceptions: They think of themselves as much

younger

Group C

Special school / class

No friends or

“Hi-friends” only.

Jump between the two worlds

belonging to neither

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Discussion1. What is the difference between the social

construction of typical young adulthood and that of young disabled adulthood?

2. Is it possible to gain normative adult status if you have disabilities?3. How do parents, professionals / teachers and the youth’s wider social network help or hinder their transition towards adulthood?4. What are the roles and statuses available to disabled adults?

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Allies and Gatekeepers

Parents Teachers Other Professionals and

Staff Friends

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Peter Pan or

Adulthood with a Difference and

the Quality of Life