Privilege, Parenting, and Disability

• In Event: Roundtable Session 45
  In Roundtable Session: Disabling Intersections of Gender, Sex Education, and Families

Abstract

Employing data derived from an ethnographic case study of privileged parents of a child with dyslexia, this paper explores the intersection of the reproduction of class-based privilege, parenting practices, and the impact of disability. The theoretical framework that informs this research is critical by nature and based on the theories of Pierre Bourdieu. Through this theoretical lens, phenomenological evidence associated with the intersection of the research participants’ experiences of their son’s disability and their efforts to cultivate his talents and develop his ability to access cultural capital is examined. Conclusions are drawn as to the personal and societal significance of the phenomena described.

Author

• Chris Hale, College of Staten Island - CUNY