Workplace Stigmatism: The voices of mothers with disabled children

Abstract

This qualitative study highlights the kinds of workplace stigma confronted by mothers of disabled children. It explores the forms of stigma that may be subtle yet could be detrimental to the mothers. This study also demonstrates how mothers are affected by and respond to workplace stigma. Five Malaysian mothers representing a variety of work structures and situations were engaged in the in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Text analysis reveals clear evidence that mothers are subjected to stigmatising treatments, consequently playing a significant role in their workplace engagement, career aspirations, and confidence. Keywords: Workplace, Stigma, Mothers, Disabled Children eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under the responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians), and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7i21.3689