Dear Gordon.
I've had a chuckle at your questions (and the posting itself). I
can't hazard a guess as to how many 'experts' out there in the field
of disability research there actually is, but there again, does
studying Disability Studies to either MA or PhD level leave some
people thinking that having a title, and a few letters after their
name gives them a sense of entitlement?, , granted, they've put the
hard work in, so be rights they should be considered 'experts'. If I
may, I would like to put my own question, and argument forward, which
may well, assist in answering your questions. I want to state from
the outset that I'm not remotely suggesting or implying that this
should be the case, but has anyone here come across the assumption
that if you have the outward appearance of being disabled that it
should therefore automatically assumed that you are studying
disability studies. It's happened to me. I don't normally appear to
have a seen disability, but there was this one time when I using my
wheelchair, someone came up to me, I think it was a visitor to the
University. Instead of asking me what I was studying she asked me if
I was studying Disability Studies. This, to me, feels almost like the
"does s/he take sugar in that?", although I realise I can actually
speak, thank you very much. Having a disability should not be a
predetermining factor on the degree programme you can study.
I think if I were being interviewed for research purposes,
specifically on my identity as a disabled person, if the person who
was in charge of conducting the research was not themselves disabled,
I would hope that they would bring someone who actually disabled to
assist. There is nothing I hate more than someone who is not disabled
dictating to me about how I should feel.
I'm sorry for the lack of paragraphs. I'm not very good at that.
Becky.
----- Message from [log in to unmask] ---------
Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2012 16:49:01 +0200
From: "Gordon C. Cardona" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: "Gordon C. Cardona" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: The role of disabled people within disability research: a
few QUESTIONS
To: [log in to unmask]
> Dear all,
> When I became involved in disability research, I wasn’t unsure of
> what I was getting involved in. I have met a lot of people from
> various fields of life, some of which were academics or
> professionals. While I don’t claim to be an “experienced academic”
> in the field of disability studies, I felt a certain unease to
> realise that the vast majority, with few notable exceptions, were
> non-disabled.
>
> While, there’s no denying that there has been a lot of valuable and
> useful research conducted by non-disabled people researchers who
> practice the objectives of conducting emancipatory disability that
> yields practical improvements in our life as disabled people, the
> lack of disabled researchers is, indeed, anomalous. Granted, this
> may be simply my perception but, unfortunately, those people who
> should “own” this research and, ideally, conduct it themselves
> remain absent from much of the research process.
>
> This prompts me to ask why disabled people as researchers is fairly
> limited and, unlike other disciplines such as feminist studies, the
> group of interest is in the minority and has, in effect, little or
> no clear control. Here, I am not denying that efforts are being made
> to increase the number of disabled academics engaging in
> emancipatory and related disability research. I know, because I have
> benefited from such an opportunity with the University of Leeds.
>
> Yet, I beg the questions:
>
> To what extent does disability research which purports to be
> “emancipatory” can end up being a source of further oppression and
> alienation of disabled people?
>
> To what extent dubious research can enforce negative attitudes or
> stereotypes?
>
> To what extent does disability research conducted by non-disabled
> people actually representing the views of disabled participants who
> are took part in the research?
>
> How far can disability research go until it becomes exploitative
> rather than empowering?
>
> Why are disabled people largely absent (it seems) from actual
> involvement in disability research and emancipatory disability
> research in particular?
>
> And, perhaps the most controversial question:
>
> Can we have disability research without the active involvement of
> disabled people throughout the research process (not just in the
> data collection phase)?
>
> I am putting these questions out there because as I’m currently
> going through compiling a report we conducted locally, I find myself
> asking whether I may be, indeed ‘hijacking’ the voices of
> participants in the process of interpreting the data. And, even if
> I’m a disabled person myself, whether I risk imposing my own values
> about disability and my identity as a disabled person within the
> interpretation of results.
>
> Hope to read your comments/opinions.
>
> Best,
> Gordon
> Gordon C. Cardona
> BA Hon. (Malta), MA (Leeds)
> ---------------------------
> Contact Info
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> Web: http://www.gordongd.com/
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>
> “If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
> If you want others to be happy, practice compassion”
> HH The 14th Dalai Lama (6 July 1935 - present)
>
>
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