There’s still time! DRF 2022 Event 2! Come and Join us on 1st Dec Noon-2pm with talks from Ruadhán, J Flynn and Arianna Introna titled “A concpet and theory of infantilisation, understood through disabled experience” and “Crip Enchantments: Autonomist Narratives of Disability in Scottish Writing (and beyond)”

Date: December 1st 2022

Time: Noon – 2pm

Presenter 1, Name: Ruadhán, J Flynn

Presenter 2, Name: Arianna Introna

To register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/drf-seminar-series-2022-event-2-tickets-472454352687

Talk 1, Title: A concept and theory of infantilisation, understood through disabled experience

Talk 1, Abstract:

Although sometimes used as a descriptor, the term ‘infantilisation’ has so far lacked any
real conceptual clarity. When people are infantilised, are they treated like children, or as children, thought of as being equivalent to children, or merely barred from some adult norms or formalities?
Is infantilisation just a severe form of paternalism, or is it something distinct?
Drawing on literature and empirical research from multiple disciplines and geographical regions, primarily concerning attitudes to and treatment of disabled people, I propose a concept and theory of infantilisation. I propose that infantilised adults are not merely considered childlike or less than fully adult; they are conceived of as being children in the bodies of adults. This means that infantilisation is conceptually distinct from paternalism – and it is important to understand this, if the ensuing treatments are to be properly understood. The concept ‘child’ cannot be applied to an
adult without conflict.
To provide a theory of infantilisation, I show how it is enacted. I propose that infantilisation has four distinguishing features: ‘baby talk’, infantilising activities and environments, desexualisation, and stasis. These features stem directly from the conceptual foundation of infantilisation, they are not
found even in cases of severe paternalism, and they reflect the conflict which occurs when the concept ‘child’ is applied to an adult. It is important to conceptually separate infantilisation from paternalism and to understand how it works in practice – especially in the context of people with high support needs – if its harmful effects are to be countered.
Bio:
Ruadhán J. Flynn is currently prae-doc at the Messerli Research Institute and a member of the Vienna Doctoral School of Philosophy at the University of Vienna. They completed their Master of Research thesis, Infantilisation in Care, Community and Cognitive Disability, in 2021. Their doctoral project combines research on dehumanization, (philosophy of) cognitive disability, and feminist
social epistemology. ruadhanjflynn.com

Talk 2, Title: Crip Enchantments: Autonomist Narratives of Disability in Scottish Writing (and beyond)

Talk 2, Abstract:

Disorienting effects erupt when non-normative bodies and minds clash with the structures of capitalist normalcy. Arianna Introna’s Autonomist Narratives of Disability in Modern Scottish Writing: Crip Enchantments brings into conversation Scottish studies, disability studies and autonomist Marxism to explore the ways in which these ‘crip enchantments’ are imagined in modern Scottish writing, and the ‘autonomist’ narratives of disability by which they are evoked. In this talk Arianna will discuss the encounter between crip and class imaginaries in Scottish writing that Crip Enchantments is primarily concerned with as a starting point for a wider reflection on how disability and class politics meet (or clash) in Scottish cultural imaginaries and beyond.

Biography

Arianna Introna received her MLitt and PhD in Scottish Literature from the University of Stirling and is now Associate Lecturer with the Open University. Her research interests span Scottish literature, disability studies, Marxist autonomist theory and critical theory

DRF 2022 Event 2! Come and Join us on 1st Dec Noon-2pm with talks from Ruadhán, J Flynn and Arianna Introna titled “A concpet and theory of infantilisation, understood through disabled experience” and “Crip Enchantments: Autonomist Narratives of Disability in Scottish Writing (and beyond)”

Date: December 1st 2022

Time: Noon – 2pm

Presenter 1, Name: Ruadhán, J Flynn

Presenter 2, Name: Arianna Introna

To register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/drf-seminar-series-2022-event-2-tickets-472454352687

Talk 1, Title: A concept and theory of infantilisation, understood through disabled experience

Talk 1, Abstract:

Although sometimes used as a descriptor, the term ‘infantilisation’ has so far lacked any
real conceptual clarity. When people are infantilised, are they treated like children, or as children, thought of as being equivalent to children, or merely barred from some adult norms or formalities?
Is infantilisation just a severe form of paternalism, or is it something distinct?
Drawing on literature and empirical research from multiple disciplines and geographical regions, primarily concerning attitudes to and treatment of disabled people, I propose a concept and theory of infantilisation. I propose that infantilised adults are not merely considered childlike or less than fully adult; they are conceived of as being children in the bodies of adults. This means that infantilisation is conceptually distinct from paternalism – and it is important to understand this, if the ensuing treatments are to be properly understood. The concept ‘child’ cannot be applied to an
adult without conflict.
To provide a theory of infantilisation, I show how it is enacted. I propose that infantilisation has four distinguishing features: ‘baby talk’, infantilising activities and environments, desexualisation, and stasis. These features stem directly from the conceptual foundation of infantilisation, they are not
found even in cases of severe paternalism, and they reflect the conflict which occurs when the concept ‘child’ is applied to an adult. It is important to conceptually separate infantilisation from paternalism and to understand how it works in practice – especially in the context of people with high support needs – if its harmful effects are to be countered.
Bio:
Ruadhán J. Flynn is currently prae-doc at the Messerli Research Institute and a member of the Vienna Doctoral School of Philosophy at the University of Vienna. They completed their Master of Research thesis, Infantilisation in Care, Community and Cognitive Disability, in 2021. Their doctoral project combines research on dehumanization, (philosophy of) cognitive disability, and feminist
social epistemology. ruadhanjflynn.com

Talk 2, Title: Crip Enchantments: Autonomist Narratives of Disability in Scottish Writing (and beyond)

Talk 2, Abstract:

Disorienting effects erupt when non-normative bodies and minds clash with the structures of capitalist normalcy. Arianna Introna’s Autonomist Narratives of Disability in Modern Scottish Writing: Crip Enchantments brings into conversation Scottish studies, disability studies and autonomist Marxism to explore the ways in which these ‘crip enchantments’ are imagined in modern Scottish writing, and the ‘autonomist’ narratives of disability by which they are evoked. In this talk Arianna will discuss the encounter between crip and class imaginaries in Scottish writing that Crip Enchantments is primarily concerned with as a starting point for a wider reflection on how disability and class politics meet (or clash) in Scottish cultural imaginaries and beyond.

Biography

Arianna Introna received her MLitt and PhD in Scottish Literature from the University of Stirling and is now Associate Lecturer with the Open University. Her research interests span Scottish literature, disability studies, Marxist autonomist theory and critical theory

2hours left to sign up for DRF event today!! Join Anna Ślebioda and Laura Mora in their talks “Edith Stein`s philosophy as a new framework for disability studies” and “Audiences’ affective engagement with Paralympians’ social media content”

Date: 24th October 2022

Time: Noon – 2pm

Presenter 1, Name: Anna Ślebioda

Presenter 2, Name: Laura Mora

To register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/drf-seminar-series-2022-event-1-tickets-443141065857

Talk 1, Title: Edith Stein`s philosophy as a new framework for disability studies

Talk 1, Abstract:

Edith Stein was a Jewish woman – philosopher who converted into  Catholic and became a nun. However, she died in a concentration camp along with other Jewish people. This indicates her faithfulness to primary identity. –

This as well as her academic work, for instance on woman and her place in the society provide a new framework for analysing femininity in disability.

The presentation covers biographical facts as well as summary of Edith Stein`s philosophy. These elements are next linked to analyses from disability studies area so that at the end a novel analytical framework is presented.

Talk 2, Title: Audiences’ affective engagement with Paralympians’ social media content

Talk 2, Abstract: This study explores the emancipatory potential of Paralympians’ social media presence in shaping progressive disability discourses, taking the Paralympic Games in Tokyo as its timeframe. To this end, it explores how the interaction between Paralympians and their social media followers can be understood as an “affective public” (Papacharissi 2015; Nikunen, 2018). Whereas existing studies have described the role of social media affordances in building affective publics, little is known about the role that audiences’ drive and interaction play therein. Our audience perception study aims to fill this gap by conducting focus group interviews with a diverse array of UK-based disabled people and non-disabled carers. Our findings highlight which types of Paralympic content on Instagram and Twitter is most appealing to followers, the role affect plays in engaging this audience, how their interaction with Paralympic content builds “mediated solidarity” (Couldry, 2012); and how this affective engagement is central to their demand for “cultural citizenship” (Stevenson, 1999). We also draw attention to factors that hamper solidarity, including political economy, accessibility and temporality issues. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that dis/abled audiences’ affective—and utopianist—expressions of solidarity are valuable, since this ever-growing affective public is grassroots-born and more sustainable than what existing literature suggests. As such, we argue that audience interaction on social media is an essential component of enhancing Paralympic solidarity, promoting disability inclusion and fostering social change.

There’s Still time!!! DRF 2022 Event one, October 24th- Join Anna Ślebioda and Laura Mora in their talks “Edith Stein`s philosophy as a new framework for disability studies” and “Audiences’ affective engagement with Paralympians’ social media content”

Date: 24th October 2022

Time: Noon – 2pm

Presenter 1, Name: Anna Ślebioda

Presenter 2, Name: Laura Mora

To register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/drf-seminar-series-2022-event-1-tickets-443141065857

Talk 1, Title: Edith Stein`s philosophy as a new framework for disability studies

Talk 1, Abstract:

Edith Stein was a Jewish woman – philosopher who converted into  Catholic and became a nun. However, she died in a concentration camp along with other Jewish people. This indicates her faithfulness to primary identity. –

This as well as her academic work, for instance on woman and her place in the society provide a new framework for analysing femininity in disability.

The presentation covers biographical facts as well as summary of Edith Stein`s philosophy. These elements are next linked to analyses from disability studies area so that at the end a novel analytical framework is presented.

Talk 2, Title: Audiences’ affective engagement with Paralympians’ social media content

Talk 2, Abstract: This study explores the emancipatory potential of Paralympians’ social media presence in shaping progressive disability discourses, taking the Paralympic Games in Tokyo as its timeframe. To this end, it explores how the interaction between Paralympians and their social media followers can be understood as an “affective public” (Papacharissi 2015; Nikunen, 2018). Whereas existing studies have described the role of social media affordances in building affective publics, little is known about the role that audiences’ drive and interaction play therein. Our audience perception study aims to fill this gap by conducting focus group interviews with a diverse array of UK-based disabled people and non-disabled carers. Our findings highlight which types of Paralympic content on Instagram and Twitter is most appealing to followers, the role affect plays in engaging this audience, how their interaction with Paralympic content builds “mediated solidarity” (Couldry, 2012); and how this affective engagement is central to their demand for “cultural citizenship” (Stevenson, 1999). We also draw attention to factors that hamper solidarity, including political economy, accessibility and temporality issues. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that dis/abled audiences’ affective—and utopianist—expressions of solidarity are valuable, since this ever-growing affective public is grassroots-born and more sustainable than what existing literature suggests. As such, we argue that audience interaction on social media is an essential component of enhancing Paralympic solidarity, promoting disability inclusion and fostering social change.

DRF 2022 Event one, October 24th- Join Anna Ślebioda and Laura Mora in their talks “Edith Stein`s philosophy as a new framework for disability studies” and “Audiences’ affective engagement with Paralympians’ social media content”

Date: 24th October 2022

Time: Noon – 2pm

Presenter 1, Name: Anna Ślebioda

Presenter 2, Name: Laura Mora

To register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/drf-seminar-series-2022-event-1-tickets-443141065857

Talk 1, Title: Edith Stein`s philosophy as a new framework for disability studies

Talk 1, Abstract:

Edith Stein was a Jewish woman – philosopher who converted into  Catholic and became a nun. However, she died in a concentration camp along with other Jewish people. This indicates her faithfulness to primary identity. –

This as well as her academic work, for instance on woman and her place in the society provide a new framework for analysing femininity in disability.

The presentation covers biographical facts as well as summary of Edith Stein`s philosophy. These elements are next linked to analyses from disability studies area so that at the end a novel analytical framework is presented.

Talk 2, Title: Audiences’ affective engagement with Paralympians’ social media content

Talk 2, Abstract: This study explores the emancipatory potential of Paralympians’ social media presence in shaping progressive disability discourses, taking the Paralympic Games in Tokyo as its timeframe. To this end, it explores how the interaction between Paralympians and their social media followers can be understood as an “affective public” (Papacharissi 2015; Nikunen, 2018). Whereas existing studies have described the role of social media affordances in building affective publics, little is known about the role that audiences’ drive and interaction play therein. Our audience perception study aims to fill this gap by conducting focus group interviews with a diverse array of UK-based disabled people and non-disabled carers. Our findings highlight which types of Paralympic content on Instagram and Twitter is most appealing to followers, the role affect plays in engaging this audience, how their interaction with Paralympic content builds “mediated solidarity” (Couldry, 2012); and how this affective engagement is central to their demand for “cultural citizenship” (Stevenson, 1999). We also draw attention to factors that hamper solidarity, including political economy, accessibility and temporality issues. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that dis/abled audiences’ affective—and utopianist—expressions of solidarity are valuable, since this ever-growing affective public is grassroots-born and more sustainable than what existing literature suggests. As such, we argue that audience interaction on social media is an essential component of enhancing Paralympic solidarity, promoting disability inclusion and fostering social change.

Call for speakers – updated email

Ooops! Looks like on my last post I typed my email address wrong and didn’t notice.

If you’d like to present at the DRF please email: s.r.hannam-swain@shu.ac.uk

DRF 2022-2023 Call for speakers

Welcome back to the DRF 2022-2023! We hope you have had a lovely summer in all of this sunshine, though I don’t know about you, I’m glad to see the back of the really hot weather!

As you may know for the last couple of years we have held the DRF online due to the continued threat of COVID-19. We are going to continue to do that this year as well, however due to time pressures we are going to have a shortened seminar series this year – September to December. We hope to be back in full swing next year, and perhaps even have a few sessions face to face!

This year session will be held on Zoom (but please let me know if another online area is better for you in terms of accessibility) and I have updated our website to give information about privacy, accessibility and presentation guidance. Please check these pages out to keep up to date with how we aim to keep our sessions as accessible as possible for as many people as possible. Unfortunately we are constrained in that we have no funding to help with things like sourcing BSL interpreters, but I aim to give the best experience I can under these constraints.

We are asking again that you sign up to each event using the Eventbrite site, so that the appropriate link can be sent to you on the morning of the talk. Please let me know if you have any accessibility problems using that platform.

If you would like to come and present at the DRF (virtually) please get in touch on the email address below. We are keeping things pretty flexible this year and I will try to fit in a time and date that is best for you. As a result some sessions may have two presenters, some may only have one – but with ‘zoom fatigue’ a real thing this may be a good thing!

Ever since it began, an important part of the DRF has been bringing people together.  Since 2005 it has worked to create informal networks by providing friendly and encouraging environments in which to discuss and think through all things ‘disability’.

In case you are interested in contributing to one of our future sessions, please contact Steph Hannam-Swain: s.r.hannam-swain@shu.ac.uk . Please also have a look at our guidelines about accessible presentations.

If you have any accessibility requirements please email Steph to try to facilitate.

Supporting Neurodiverse victim-survivors of sexual and/or gender based violence

Following Susy Ridouts talk at the DRF the other week, she has kindly provided some resources for both victim-survivors and practitioners who work with neurodiverse people who have experienced sexual and/or gender based violence.

The first is a larger handbook and has key points for practitioners and those supporting ND victim-survivors of sexual or gender-based violence.

Ridout, S. (2020) Neurodiversity, Autism and Recovery from Sexual Violence: a practical resource for all those working to support victim-survivors. Publisher: Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd 

The others are the main book broken into the seven themed chapters to match a better budget and areas of interest

Neurodiversity, Autism and Recovery from Sexual Violence: Memory, Concentration and Sensory Experiences Author: S Ridout, Publisher: Dr Susy Ridout 2019 1st edn.

Neurodiversity, Autism and Recovery from Sexual Violence: Friendships, Relationships and Disclosure Author: S Ridout, Publisher: Dr Susy Ridout 2019

Neurodiversity, Autism and Recovery from Sexual Violence: Managing Your Emotions Author: S Ridout, Publisher: Dr Susy Ridout 2019

Neurodiversity, Autism and Recovery from Sexual Violence: Looking After Your Physical Wellbeing Author: S Ridout, Publisher: Dr Susy Ridout 2019

Neurodiversity, Autism and Recovery from Sexual Violence: Looking After Your Mental Wellbeing Author: S Ridout, Publisher: Dr Susy Ridout 2019

Neurodiversity, Autism and Recovery from Sexual Violence: Let’s Talk About Safety Author: S Ridout, Publisher: Dr Susy Ridout 2019

Neurodiversity, Autism and Recovery from Sexual Violence: Rebuilding Your Life Author: S Ridout, Publisher: Dr Susy Ridout 2019

Just a few days left until DRF Event 9! June 15th join Jill Powell and Katharine Terrell for their talks: “The role of qualitative network analysis in identifying unmet support needs for families supporting an adult with a learning disability within family homes” and “Exploring (Dis)abled Children’s Embodied Experiences in Primary School Space” 

Time: 2.30-4.30pm

To register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/copy-of-drf-seminar-series-20212022-event-9-tickets-358374095567

Talk 1, Title: The role of qualitative network analysis in identifying unmet support needs for families supporting an adult with a learning disability within family homes

Talk 1, Abstract:

In the UK, an estimated 8.8 million people provide unpaid care to a family member, around two thirds of carers support an adult with a learning disability (LD) in their homes. This saves the economy around £132 billion per year. I have recently gained funding from the National Institute for Health Research School of Social Care to develop an idea which derived from my PhD which focused on the health and wellbeing of families supporting an adult with LDs in their home (Grey et al., 2018). In my PhD I used the Double ABC-X model (McCubbin, & Patterson, 1983) of family stress and adaptation as an analytic framework. Adaptive theories of family stress propose that carers who are exposed to long-term challenges develop strategies which, when combined with available support and resources (e.g. social support, financial and emotional support), act as buffers against the potential negative impact from challenges which arise from providing care. McCubbin and Patterson (1983) suggest that those families who face a pile-up of stressors which challenge or outstrip available resources may find their ability to manage an ongoing stressful situation reduced. An ongoing imbalance between stressors and available support poses a threat to carers’ well-being and may impede their ability to continue providing care to their relative. With over a decade of austerity in the UK and the COVID pandemic, families have seen a depletion in available support. This should raise concerns, especially for policy makers and social care providers alike. The aim of my project is to use qualitative network analysis to explore the support available to families and investigate whether unmet support needs can be identified through adopting this method before they escalate into crisis and a need for a more intrusive and expensive interventions.

References:

Grey, J. M., Totsika, V., & Hastings, R. P. (2018). Physical and psychological health of family carers co‐residing with an adult relative with an intellectual disability. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 31, 191-202

McCubbin, H. I., & Patterson, J. M. (1983). The family stress process: The double ABCX model of family adjustment and adaptation. Marriage and Family Review, 6, 7–37

Talk 2, Title: Exploring (Dis)abled Children’s Embodied Experiences in Primary School Space

Talk 2, Abstract:

This talk is based on my PhD thesis, which explores how (dis)abled children in one inner-city English primary school experience classroom space in an embodied way. It takes Disabled Children’s Childhood Students (DCCS) as a starting point and applies Deleuzoguattarian ideas such as the “assemblage” and “becoming”, to contribute new knowledge to how classroom space disables and enables. 47 children (who took part regardless of a label of special educational needs (SEN), disability or impairment) shared their experiences through photography, drawings and model rooms, alongside ethnographic observation. Firstly, I found that the classroom space was saturated by the idea of vertical development: a normative expectation that children grow physically and metaphorically upwards towards adulthood. However, I also observed resistance from children to this idea. Secondly, I found that certain forms of embodiment in the classroom are encouraged while others are discouraged. Finally, I discuss the resistance and joyful potential in “leaks” which challenge the boundaries imposed on children’s bodies. Specifically, I contribute to the small but growing field of toilet studies in discussing expected behaviour in and around toilets.

DRF Event 9! June 15th join Jill Powell and Katharine Terrell for their talks: “The role of qualitative network analysis in identifying unmet support needs for families supporting an adult with a learning disability within family homes” and “Exploring (Dis)abled Children’s Embodied Experiences in Primary School Space”

Time: 2.30-4.30pm

To register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/copy-of-drf-seminar-series-20212022-event-9-tickets-358374095567

Talk 1, Title: The role of qualitative network analysis in identifying unmet support needs for families supporting an adult with a learning disability within family homes

Talk 1, Abstract:

In the UK, an estimated 8.8 million people provide unpaid care to a family member, around two thirds of carers support an adult with a learning disability (LD) in their homes. This saves the economy around £132 billion per year. I have recently gained funding from the National Institute for Health Research School of Social Care to develop an idea which derived from my PhD which focused on the health and wellbeing of families supporting an adult with LDs in their home (Grey et al., 2018). In my PhD I used the Double ABC-X model (McCubbin, & Patterson, 1983) of family stress and adaptation as an analytic framework. Adaptive theories of family stress propose that carers who are exposed to long-term challenges develop strategies which, when combined with available support and resources (e.g. social support, financial and emotional support), act as buffers against the potential negative impact from challenges which arise from providing care. McCubbin and Patterson (1983) suggest that those families who face a pile-up of stressors which challenge or outstrip available resources may find their ability to manage an ongoing stressful situation reduced. An ongoing imbalance between stressors and available support poses a threat to carers’ well-being and may impede their ability to continue providing care to their relative. With over a decade of austerity in the UK and the COVID pandemic, families have seen a depletion in available support. This should raise concerns, especially for policy makers and social care providers alike. The aim of my project is to use qualitative network analysis to explore the support available to families and investigate whether unmet support needs can be identified through adopting this method before they escalate into crisis and a need for a more intrusive and expensive interventions.

References:

Grey, J. M., Totsika, V., & Hastings, R. P. (2018). Physical and psychological health of family carers co‐residing with an adult relative with an intellectual disability. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 31, 191-202

McCubbin, H. I., & Patterson, J. M. (1983). The family stress process: The double ABCX model of family adjustment and adaptation. Marriage and Family Review, 6, 7–37

Talk 2, Title: Exploring (Dis)abled Children’s Embodied Experiences in Primary School Space

Talk 2, Abstract:

This talk is based on my PhD thesis, which explores how (dis)abled children in one inner-city English primary school experience classroom space in an embodied way. It takes Disabled Children’s Childhood Students (DCCS) as a starting point and applies Deleuzoguattarian ideas such as the “assemblage” and “becoming”, to contribute new knowledge to how classroom space disables and enables. 47 children (who took part regardless of a label of special educational needs (SEN), disability or impairment) shared their experiences through photography, drawings and model rooms, alongside ethnographic observation. Firstly, I found that the classroom space was saturated by the idea of vertical development: a normative expectation that children grow physically and metaphorically upwards towards adulthood. However, I also observed resistance from children to this idea. Secondly, I found that certain forms of embodiment in the classroom are encouraged while others are discouraged. Finally, I discuss the resistance and joyful potential in “leaks” which challenge the boundaries imposed on children’s bodies. Specifically, I contribute to the small but growing field of toilet studies in discussing expected behaviour in and around toilets.