Home Institution
Wellesley College
Publication Date
Fall 2019
Abstract
Disability is a topic that is often overlooked and not seen in day to day life. Disability may be visible or invisible to others, and individuals may have varying attitudes and opinions towards people with disabilities. Disability can also be conceptualized in different ways depending on if one takes on a bio-medical model or a social model of disability. In this study, I explored how disability is seen, both literally and metaphorically in urban townships in the eThekwini Municipality in South Africa. I conducted semi-structured interviews with individuals with disabilities and community members at large to understand people’s perspectives on disability. I synthesized my findings in my interviews through a reflexive autoethnographic approach that allowed my own perspectives and stories to live in relation to the perspectives and stories of my participants. The result of this study is a deeper understanding of myself and my own perspective on disability as a sibling of someone with a disability as it relates to the viewpoints and realities of other people.
Disciplines
African Languages and Societies | African Studies | Disability and Equity in Education | Disability Studies | Social and Cultural Anthropology
Recommended Citation
Chao, Connie, "How is Disability Seen? An Auto-Ethnographic Exploration of Disability in Urban Townships in Ethekwini, South Africa" (2019). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 3134.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/3134
Included in
African Languages and Societies Commons, African Studies Commons, Disability and Equity in Education Commons, Disability Studies Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons
Program Name
South Africa: Community Health and Social Policy