Katie Mey

Western Illinois University

ABILITY AND IDENTITY

DEVELOPMENT

ParticipantsOverall ThemesApplication To TheoryPoints to ConsiderLimitationsClosing Thoughts

OVERVIEW

Interviewee 1 White, female, traditional age college student, full time status at a 4 year

institution, mid to low mid SES, small town/rural context Physical impairment- utilizes a manual wheel chair for mobility

Interviewee 2 White, female, just above traditional college age, non-student, mid to low

SES, small town/rural context Intellectual impairment- sub average intellectual ability/intelligence level for

same age peers without disabilities Interviewee 3

White, female, traditional age college student, part time status at a 2 year/technical institution, small town/rural context

Physical impairment- utilizes a manual wheel chair for mobility Interviewee 4*

White, male, traditional age college student, full time status at a 4 year institution, mid to high mid SES?, small town context?

Traumatic brain injury- diffi culty learning mathematics, sub average executive functioning skills & sub average executive functioning level for same age peers

PARTICIPANTS

Abelism- “pervasive system of discrimination and exclusion that oppresses people [with]…disabilities on…individual, institutional, and societal/cultural levels”

(Evans, N. J . , Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A., 2010, p. 198)

Keen awareness of themselves as diff erent, to come extent Social acceptability of attribution of “less than” Acceptable rationale for discrimination still, broadly speaking

“I was told that the only way to go into forensics was to go into law enforcement and be a detective, and I can’t do the physical requirements of that because…’what if somebody gets killed on a mountain?’” (Interviewee 1)

“The advisor was pretty straight with me…she pretty much told me she didn’t think the state would let me take my certification exam…The only place that will hire me is camp. I tell people that I am in a wheelchair because it is very important to me…Its like oh, we can’t help you, click.” (interviewee 3)

Limited experience with others who share their social identity at even the broadest level “For the longest time I thought I was the only person out there with

a disability. Camp changed that…it was confusing for me” (Interviewee 3)

I was the only person in my environment like me

OVERALL THEMES

Treatment as undesirable, inconvenience, child-like, or inspiration frequently interchangeably

[When I first started using the chair]”…people used to ask me if they could help me…push me over there or do things for me…it was like an every day thing” (Interviewee 1)

“People see me do things and they tell me I’m an inspiration… I don’t even have time to shave my legs in the winter, I don’t have time to be an inspiration.” (Interviewee 1)

“My upper body is more adult…my legs are smaller…I am short, but I am clearly an adult…Parents often assume I am a camper, even in a staff shirt” (Interviewee 3)

I don’t like it when he tells me what to do…he’s so bossy…I am a good player (Interviewee 2)

OVERALL THEMES

The “Simultaneity” of Identities (Holvino, 2012)

Multiple, mutually influencing, simultaneously experienced identities. Interviewee 1- Multiple identities are present, none primary Interviewee 3- Some people “Let their disability run their life.

They should run their life because its their life.”

Disabled Students in Higher Education; Negotiating Identity (Riddel l , Tinkl in, and Wilson, 2005)

Stigma associated with social identity Avoidance/non-acceptance of the label despite self-

identification. Interviewee 3- does not identity with most others who have

disabilities Interviewee 2- identifies with her friends, wants to be treated as

‘normal’

APPLICATION TO THEORY:ASSIGNED READINGS

LGBT identity theories Not typically a group that is born into a family that shares

identity D’Augelli’s Model of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual

Development (1994) Exiting heterosexual identity Developing a personal lesbian/gay/bisexual identity Developing a lesbian/gay/bisexual social identity Becoming a lesbian/gay/bisexual offspring? Developing a lesbian/gay/bisexual intimacy status Developing a lesbian/gay/bisexual community?

APPLICATION TO THEORY:OTHER MODELS

Latino/a identity theory View relationship to identity group as non-hierarchical and

related to individual needs/survival Latina and Latino Ethnoracial Identity Orientation (Ferdman

and Gallegos, 2012) Latino-integrated Latino-identified Sub-group-identified Latino as other Undifferentiated/denial White-identified

APPLICATION TO THEORY:OTHER MODELS

Broad umbrella social identity Vast, vast different in the characteristics that ‘place you’ in

this group

Unique status of social identity My own realization of the indoctrination I still harbor

POINTS TO CONSIDER

Small, unrepresentative data set

Length of interviews

End-point oriented or typicality based premise of theory

LIMITATIONS

What does the pervasiveness of negative representations of this identity and the level of acceptability of discrimination mean for the identity development of individuals who might identify with this group? About the development of theories related to this social identity?

What does it mean for institutions that this group of individuals to be gaining increasing access to higher education?

What kind of things might the recognition of this presence of this social identity group change about how you practice? What might it change about our campus(es)?

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Evans, N. J . , Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice . Sanfrancisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Ferdman & Gallegos. (2012). Latina and Latino Ethnoracial Identity Orientation. Wijey & Jackson. New perspectives on racial identity development . 2n d ed. New York: NYU Press.

Holvino. (2012). The “Simultaneity” of Identities . Wijey & Jackson. New perspectives on racial identity development . 2n d ed. New York: NYU Press.

Johnson, H. M. (2006). Too late to die young: Nearly true tales from a l i fe . Macmil lan.

Riddell , S., Tinklin, T., & Wilson, A. (2005). Disabled students in higher education: perspectives on widening access and changing policy . Routledge.

REFERENCES