Disability
Sociology: AQA A Level, topic 3.3.9
Disability, Stereotyping and the Media
Most people form their views about disability through socialisation rather than personal experiences.
Views of disability
- Most people form their views about disability through socialisation rather than personal experiences.
- Often, these experiences include media stereotyping, with Barnes arguing that the media represent disabled people in a negative light and that rarely are disabled people treated like a part of ordinary daily life.
Barnes (1982)
- Barnes (1982) suggested that stereotypes of disability, particularly generated by the media, include ideas that disabled people are:
- Dependent on others.
- Unable to contribute to society.
- Non-sexual and have no sex life.
Barnes (1982) cont.
- Unable to express and speak up for themselves.
- Less than human.
- Monsters with maladjusted personalities who ‘aren’t like other people’.
- To be made fun of, pitied, or praised for their courage in coping with their disability.
Test yourself on Disability
Who argued that the media represent disabled people in a negative light?