A PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE TO CONFRONT DISABILITY STIGMATIZATION AND PROMOTE ADAPTATION TO DISABILITY
Author: MARTZ E.1
Source: Journal of Loss and Trauma, Volume 9, Number 2, April-June 2004 , pp. 139-158(20)
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Abstract:
Individuals with disabilities may experience an existential crisis that may be triggered by the stigma related to having a disability, as well as by conditions created by disability itself. The premise of this article is that an existential, tripartite philosophy can facilitate a confrontation of the stigma of disability simultaneously with the promotion of a greater adaptation to disability. The combination of the existence of a physical or mental disability with an implied moral causation of the disability may contribute to a devaluating, stigmatizing perspective on disability and a decreased adaptation to disability. The proposed philosophical perspective may help individuals with disabilities to resolve a disability-triggered existential crisis that may arise from a characterological devaluation due to disability-related stigmatization or from an increased awareness of death due to multiple life issues. Other reasons are examined briefly to illustrate why an existential, tripartite perspective may help promote adaptation to disability while challenging the stigmatization of disabilities. Although this article focuses on individuals who have experienced disabilities, the tripartite philosophical model may be applicable to individuals who have experienced trauma and have been subjected to stigmatization related to the traumatic experience.Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1080/15325020490423343
Affiliations: 1: Rehabilitation Counseling Program, Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
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