ENGELLİ BİREYLERDE BİR SOSYAL BASKI ARACI OLARAK DAMGA: GİZLİ AJAN

Abstract

The social psychology of disabled individuals is directly related with his/her position, role and behaviours in the society. The concept of disability, which can be defined as a functional deficiency, deeply affects one‟s individual, psychological, social and cultural life in a negative way. According to sociologist Erwing Goffman, disabled individual isstigmatized by the society. In his „Theory of Stigma‟ Goffman classifies the attitudes developed for the disabled individuals as invidual or medical, psychological, sociological and cultural models. Joseph Conrad‟s novel called The Secret Agent, which tells about nineteenth century England, emphasizes thet riviality of disabled individuals in the society. It is seen that mentally disabled Stevie is sacrificed for Verloc‟s bomb attack plans, easily. Infact, Stevie‟s individual tragedy is due to his passive position and innocence originated from his status and social identity as a disabled. Stevie, who is an intro vertand mentally disabled, is the victim of thes ociety. In this concept, the fact that disabled individuals in the nineteenth century are excluded from the society by stigmatizing in terms of economic, social, psychological and cultural levels is clear