Negotiating Dis/Ability in Families: Constructions and Contradictions

• In Event: Negotiating Family Identity in Contexts of Adoption, Bereavement, and Disability

Abstract

This project uses a narrative view of identity to interrogate how individuals construct notions of dis/ability within their families. Participants include children with disabilities from diverse ethnic backgrounds and their family members. Data demonstrate ways that identity narratives highlight intersections of ability/disability and individuality/relationships. Results indicate that families primarily construct identities of “normal” as they negotiate contradictions inherent in their everyday lives. Theoretic and practical are offered with future directions for research and practice.

Author

• Heather E Canary, Arizona State University