Disability, Complexity and Intersectionality, Reflection and Personal Identity Paper Example

What is a disability?

Disability refers to any physical, cognitive, psychiatric, neurological, or sensory impairment that limits a person's ability to perform their normal daily activities. Some disabilities are visible while others such as neurological and psychiatric can only be detected through medical diagnosis (Asch 161).

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What is the difference be"tween individual and social model approaches?

The individual or medical model views the disabled person as the problem that needs to be solved (Falvo and Beverley, 2017). For instance, they need assistance to carry out simple duties and are supposed to be confined to their wheelchairs and given medication. Only until the problem has been solved can they be referred to as normal and healthy.

On the other hand, the social model approaches disability at a different angle. This model argues that the surrounding of the disabled person, that in one way or another impedes their normal lives, is the problem. It advocates for assistance in areas where the person is unable to live normally (Falvo and Beverley, 2017). For example, if a student has a visual impairment, the social model suggests ways in which they can be helped to learn like any other student. This is in sharp contrast to the medical model which in a way tells the disabled person, "You are on your own!"

What model discussed in the course presentation(s) is most relevant to you?

The social model is the most relevant because it gives room for acts of humanity. It recognizes the fact that disability is not inability, and the disabled people, given an opportunity can always perform some tasks even better than their healthy counterparts (Asch 163). Given that disability is not a condition that one would wish for themselves, it is only human to support those who have found themselves in such helpless situations.

Identity Complexity and Intersectionality

How do the body, identity, culture, and social structure interact in shaping the experience of individuals?

The body, identity, culture, and social structure play a critical role in what an individual becomes right from their childhood to adulthood. As people continue to live their lives and go through different experiences, the body and identity are developed (Falvo and Beverley, 2017). The culture comes in at the interactive level. It depicts how the individual communicates with their environment - the people and circumstances around them. For example, if a person interacts with a society that tolerates racial prejudice or discrimination against with disability, he/she may get accustomed to that culture and act in a similar manner (Falvo and Beverley, 2017). The theme of social structure is closely related to that of culture because both shape the experiences of an individual on the basis of their interaction with the society around them. Research has shown that persons with a disability often find it hard to cope in environments where they are stigmatized and segmented on the basis of their disabilities (Falvo and Beverley, 2017).

Is there such a thing as "normal"?

There is no such thing as "normal life" - it all depends on how a person perceives it. For example, most people think of a normal life as the state of being born healthy, living a healthy life, attaining education, getting married and having children, and then dying a 'natural' death. However, some scholars in sociology argue that this is not always the case (Falvo and Beverley, 2017). The definition of normal life is so vague that it is left for every person to identify what they perceive to be "normal" to them. This may be influenced by social structure and culture which vary from one society to the other and hence from one person to the next.

How can/does stigma affect the lives of individuals?

Stigma is one of the major setbacks for the social well-being and economic progress of persons with disability. Studies show that people living with a disability of any kind have had to deal with the effects of prejudice or discrimination at one point in their lives. The social impact of this is that it deprives the victims of happiness in their day-to-day lives (Asch 168). Most of them develop low self-esteem to a point of not wanting to appear in public. In psychiatric disability cases, for example, reports have shown that the stigma is aggravated by the family members of the victims who hide them to avoid embarrassment from the public (Asch 170). The effect of this is that the victims are not able to get medical assistance in good time, and when they do, the cost of treatment is often higher than if they had sought treatment on time.

Reflection and Personal Identity

What are your beliefs about the course concepts?

I believe that the concepts in the course are relevant to the modern-day world where the number of persons with disability is rising due to varied reasons. By having an in-depth understanding of disability, the learners are able to appreciate that disability is not a sickness as it is perceived by most people. Although disabled people may need medical attention, the problems faced by people with disability are more social than medical.

What do you hope to gain/learn through the course?

During this course, I expect to gain more insights on how stigmatization of persons with disability can be controlled, and how this is able to boost their social and economic lives.

What lenses (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, familial connection, religion, etc.) do you primarily use to view the world?

The world is already full of negative energy caused by discrimination in many aspects. I choose to deviate from this norm and view the world through the lens of humanity. The idea that all people are equal irrespective of their challenges, how they look like or where they come from. This implies that all people, whether disabled or not, are gifted in some way, and can do whatever they want with their lives.

Works Cited

Asch, Adrienne. "Critical race theory, feminism, and disability: Reflections on social justice and personal identity." Disability and Equality Law. Routledge, 2017. 143-176.

Falvo, Donna, and Beverley E. Holland. Medical and psychosocial aspects of chronic illness and disability. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2017.