Exploring intersections between disability and sex : social representations of disabled women in Malta

Abstract

The representations that society has of disabled women have implications and consequences that can be pervasive and can greatly impact their lives in a number of tangible ways. Through this study I explore the social representations of disabled women in Malta held by non-disabled people and disabled women themselves. This study is underpinned by three theoretical frameworks, which are social representations theory, intersectionality theory and the social model of disability. The study consists of two phases. In the first phase I adopt ‘a concurrent embedded strategy’, which consists of a survey (N = 526) and four focus groups, with participants who do not identify themselves as disabled people. The second phase consists of fourteen repertory grid technique interviews carried out with disabled women. The data from the survey is subjected to inferential statistical analysis and multi-correspondence analysis, whilst the data from the focus groups is analysed using thematic analysis. The data from the repertory grid interviews is analysed using an adaptation of the core-categorization method of analysis. The triangulation of data from both phases of the research yields ten social representations of disabled women, which are: (i) the eternal child, (ii) angels in our midst, (iii) fragile, (iv) ‘imsieken’, (v) ‘immankati’, (vi) charity cases, (vii) losers in the lottery of life, (viii) participants in an obstacle course race, (ix) equal but different, and (x) resilient warriors. This study illustrates that some of the social representations which were prevalent in the 1980s are unfortunately still impeding the lives of disabled women in Malta today. However, the disabled women who participated in this study do not hold the majority of these social representations and are working towards deconstructing them and eventually creating new ones.