May 10, 2013
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Ableism in the Anti-Vaccination Movement
I’ve posted my paper on ableism in the anti-vaccination movement under Academic Work on my sidebar. You can find the link here. Following is the introduction to the paper:
"In U.S. culture, visual and textual representations perpetuate the ideology of ableism, a set of perspectives and practices that make the able body the epitome of human worth. Like other forms of prejudice, ableism permeates our culture and rests on a number of distortions and largely uncritiqued assumptions. For this paper, I will look at the ways in which ableism is embedded in the anti-vaccination movement. I will do so by carrying out a qualitative content analysis of an anti-vaccination Facebook page called Great Mothers (and Others) Questioning Vaccines. In the course of the paper, I will show that the following ableist assumptions emerge from the Great Mothers page:disability is simply a medical issue; disability is a human tragedy; disabled people are passive victims; the able body is perfect; one should both ignore and stare at disabled people; disability is a story about individuals, but never about the society that creates disabling barriers; disabled bodies are economic and social burdens; and someone or something must be to blame for disability.
In this paper, I will begin by describing the methodology I will use for the content analysis. Then, in order to make clear the theoretical framework for my analysis, I will outline my core assumptions. From that point forward, I will devote a separate section to each of the themes about disability and the body that emerge from the Great Mothers page."
© 2013 by Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg
Comments (2)
Rachel maybe you would like to describe the differences between ableism and a set of parameters that characterize typical non-disabled people. I have never quite understood what the issue is quite frankly and I am certain that most people do not understand the differences either. There has to be a baseline of appropriate norms for everything. If one is not considered disabled then society has no responsibility to provide accommodations etc.
Your hypothesis about vaccine issues being part of ableism, seems rather extreme to me. Now I do not believe vaccines overall cause autism or any other form of neurological issues, however, it has also been recognized since the 1970s that there are injuries associated with vaccines, hence the Vaccine Injury Board. But I do not see it as ableism to not want to give your child something that may cause extreme brain damage, seizures etc. (and yes both of my sons with aspergers were and are fully vaccinated)
If ableism entails the idea that those with disabilities are not equal to those who are non-disabled then I wouldn't call that ableism I would call that eugenics ala the Nazis.
If ableism is the idea that society doesn't have to accommodate those with disabilities then I would submit that that is prejudicial and bigoted view of those with disabilities and their capabilities. Please explain.
Thanks.
Thank you for posting your abstract. I've opened the paper, but I haven't read it yet (I'm still catching up on sleep from my last semester). It's important to expose this kind of prejudice. I do agree with the other poster, a much more accessible lay definition will ultimately be necessary (although I also find it ironic for a hypothesis to be called "extreme," and then immediately Godwinned). But it's great to see this issue getting attention.
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