The concept of ableism , from the American English ableism (in the UK it is used instead disableism ), leverages the non-disabled mind-body as the norm. It has complex and variable meanings because they refer to different social contexts and individual experiential dimensions. It is difficult to give a definition without first clarifying what ableism is . It is clear that it is an oppressive system that manifests itself at multiple levels of society such as racism, sexism and many others.

What is skill?

Ability has two main, antithetical concepts. The first refers to ability as a capacity acquired through learning or practice. Therefore, an able person is someone who demonstrates skill, a quality that has a positive connotation in our society. The second refers to the word ability as the opposite of disability, and so we define an able person as someone whose physical, sensorial, and neurological characteristics fall within the "norm" : ability understood as good health or normal functioning.

In summary, we can define ability as the capacity to be able to do something, to carry out certain tasks and activities. It represents a parameter of judgment and a standard that produces a process of differentiation between individuals, and which can sometimes lead to social exclusion and marginalization (Gappmayer).

Ability is the product of the interaction between a given individual's condition and the system-environment (cultural and social) in which they are immersed. At the heart of this concept are ability expectations, a set of values ​​and beliefs regarding the idea that certain skills, such as productivity, autonomy, and the performance of certain roles, are considered and deemed indispensable for full participation in society.

Ability expectations tell us how we should be and behave to belong to the culture we belong to. When we fail to meet them, we are marginalized. These expectations operate a mechanism that differentiates able-bodied people, considered the norm, from those with disabilities, seen as different. This differentiation also has a confining effect that defines the criteria for exclusion and inclusion.

Definitions of ableism

Here are some, among the many, definitions of ableism proposed by scholars:

  1. "A pervasive system of discrimination and exclusion that oppresses people with mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. Deeply held beliefs about health, productivity, beauty, and the value of human life, perpetuated by public and private media, combine to create an often hostile environment." (Rauscher and McClintock)
  • Ableism as a social, cultural, and economic process that privileges those bodies that can survive, perform, and thrive as autonomous, capable, self-sufficient, and marketable entities […] To be a successful citizen is to be willing and able to progress. Just as the self becomes the project of our contemporaneity, so too is the body brought into this biopolitical imperative: to be fully functional, to work and shop as much and as often as one can.” (Liddiard and Goodley)
  • “Ableism describes prejudiced attitudes and discriminatory behaviors toward people with disabilities that are related to the understanding of ability, rights, and benefits/privileges by “normal” people” (Wolbring)

Standards and judgment

These definitions consider both the dimension of ability as a standard and parameter of judgment, and the concept of norm. All criticize the ideal of superiority of a self and a body that are "perfect, species-typical, and therefore essential and fully human" (Campbell), against which disability is considered an inferior state of being. Several definitions also emphasize power and privilege, central elements of ableism, which fuel social inequalities in the everyday lives of people with disabilities.

sociology of disability ableism
LEARN MORE -> Disability and its forms: S-objects of interest for social policies.

In short, ableism refers to prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behaviors towards people with disabilities, that is, those people who do not fit into the concept of "normality", as established by society through intersubjectivity, social knowledge and statistical criteria.

Thus, the person with a disability is seen as a defect rather than an aspect of human diversity, while the “abled” person is seen as the norm.

Forms of ableism

Ableism can essentially take four forms: benevolent, hostile, ambivalent, and internalized.

Benevolent Ableism: in this form we find low expectations towards people with disabilities. For example, the fact that they carry out activities generally considered to be those of “able-bodied” people, such as going shopping, going to university, etc., generates wonder and disbelief.
It can take the form of pity, paternalistic protection and condescension and/or infantilization; in some cases it can result in what Stella Young has called Inspiration Porn That is, using people with disabilities as a source of inspiration due to the difficulties they face, effectively highlighting and amplifying them for the benefit of those who don't experience them. One example is asking a person with a disability to share their life story with the aim of inspiring the lives of other people without disabilities, implying that having a disability makes people exceptional.

Hostile ableism : This type of ableism includes the inappropriate and offensive use of language such as "handicapped" or "retarded," showing disgust or avoiding the person with a disability, aggression, and hate crimes. Bullying, humiliation, punishment, and segregation are also examples.

Ambivalent ableism : This last type presents a mix of positive and negative aspects depending on the situation, goals, needs, and characteristics of the individuals involved . For example, an "able-bodied" person believes that the person with a disability should be treated with kindness and compassion but may feel anxious and uncomfortable around him/her.

Internalized negative representations

There is also a fourth form of ableism, that internalized by people with disabilities: some negative representations, once absorbed, shape an individual's sense of self, behavior, and response to oppression. Some people with disabilities internalize social norms about ability due to recurrent incidents of mistreatment, marginalization, or discrimination from all aspects of social life.
We experience internalized ableism when disability is interpreted as a problem to be ignored, hidden, or overcome, rather than considered an important aspect of one's identity. Some people with disabilities may deny their disability by trying to mask it, for example, by not disclosing their deafness, or by avoiding association with other people with disabilities to avoid being associated with them, or by emphasizing the differences between people with different disabilities, or by thinking that ableism only affects other people with disabilities and not themselves.

Simone Bellan

References

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