Abstract
Community psychologists have called for research on human diversity and interactions between individuals and society with a focus on oppression. This study examines learning disabilities as they co-occur with other sociopolitical minority statuses. We examined dominant cultural narratives of and individual responses to learning disability, race/ethnicity and gender identified by low-income men and women of color with learning disabilities. Our qualitative analysis identified cultural narratives that suggest that: (1a) individuals with learning disabilities are perceived as having an illegitimate impairment and being of lower intellectual ability and unworthy; (1b) having an invisible disability facilitates passing as nondisabled, thereby lessening disability discrimination from within racial/ethnic groups; (1c) having a learning disability detracts from positive gender expectations and exacerbates negative ones; and (1d) gender and racial/ethnic narratives are relevant for individuals with learning disabilities. Our analysis also identified two overarching individual acts of resistance used to thwart internalization of oppressive cultural narratives: (2a) removing self from oppressive environments and (2b) reframing dominant cultural narratives (including discounting the validity of negative messages, using negative narratives for motivation, and engaging in positive self-talk). We discuss findings in relation to extant research and theory and consider implications for research, theory, and practice.
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Notes
Noteworthy challenges to identifying eligible participants resulted from the invisibility of the group we sought to engage in the research. Individuals choosing to downplay their disability status are less connected to disability support services and not identified as disabled by college instructors and support staff, thereby rendering them difficult to locate and recruit to participate in research. This choice seemed to be employed by many of the younger students. These challenges highlight the need to conduct further research to assess the focal issues across a broader range of individuals. The recruitment success of the current research reflects the efforts of the research and intervention team that provided the organizational basis for this study. Team members spent over two years planning and initiating the implementation of an intervention that enabled us to develop good working relationships with community college staff and faculty who provided direct and indirect support for the very challenging task of recruiting participants for the present study.
The small number of participating Latinos and African-American females further limits the potential of our findings to fully elucidate the societal narratives and acts of resistance relevant for low-income people of color with learning disabilities.
Pseudonyms are used to protect participant’s identity.
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Acknowledgments
This research is based on the master’s thesis of the first author as supervised and supported by the second and third authors. We extend their sincere gratitude to the many individuals who contributed to this research including Cory Cook, Susan Ryerson Espino, Mark Engstrom, Teresa Garate, Curtis Jones, Michele Murvay, George Ortiz, Tina Taylor Ritzler, and Edison Trickett. We are also indebted to the generosity of our participants and those who helped us identify them. Lastly, we thank the three anonymous reviewers whose insightful commentaries strengthened our presentation of this research. This research was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration Grant #H235H000103. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Rehabilitation Services Administration or the US Department of Education.
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McDonald, K.E., Keys, C.B. & Balcazar, F.E. Disability, race/ethnicity and gender: themes of cultural oppression, acts of individual resistance. Am J Community Psychol 39, 145–161 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-007-9094-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-007-9094-3