Abstract
This paper investigates the narrative circulation of ableism. By drawing on anti-oppressive perspectives and narrative inquiry, this article argues that narrative circulation is crucial for understanding the performance and practice of ableism. The research question was as follows: How is ableism concerned in life stories by people with disabilities? Life story data (Life of Disabled Persons in Finland 2013–2014) was analysed using the model of narrative circulation (MNC). The analysis used the concept of conditions, which refers to both sociomaterial and discursive conditions. Two main ways were found: ableism as Othering condition and narrative resistance against ableism. Ableism can rule out narrative inclusion but that can be resisted. More inclusive narrative practices can be developed as people with disabilities are involved in wider narrative circulation.
Highlights
Ableism is a set of beliefs that produces disability as a counter-image to able-bodiedness and, as deviance or unwanted difference (Campbell 2009: 3–30, 197)
This paper investigates the narrative circulation of ableism
The research question is as follows: how is ableism approached in the life stories by people with disabilities? The data consist of the life stories of people who participated in the ‘Life of Disabled Persons in Finland 2013–2014’ project
Summary
Ableism is a set of beliefs that produces disability as a counter-image to able-bodiedness and, as deviance or unwanted difference (Campbell 2009: 3–30, 197). By using anti-oppressive perspectives (e.g., Campbell 2009) and narrative inquiry (e.g., Hänninen 2004; Polkinghorne 1995), this article argues narrative circulation is crucial for understanding the performance and practice of ableism. This study investigates the ‘performance’ and ‘practice’ of ableism (Campbell 2009: 3) through using the model of narrative circulation (MNC) (Hänninen 2004) to explore ableism and life stories by people with disabilities. A key concept of the MNC is conditions, which refer to both material and discursive ones concerning living and narrating (Hänninen 2004.) In this study, the performance and practice of ableism are approached with the concept of conditions concerning living and narrating. The research question is as follows: how is ableism approached in the life stories by people with disabilities? The research question is as follows: how is ableism approached in the life stories by people with disabilities? The data consist of the life stories of people who participated in the ‘Life of Disabled Persons in Finland 2013–2014’ project
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