Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
people themselves, ifthey tryhardenoughinpursuit ofnormality,can attain acceptance
through alteration of their physical form (Philips 1999). Hannah recalled that: “I can re-
memberher[PEteacher]shoutingatme“youknowyouarejustnottryinghardenough,
how do you ever expect to get better if you just don't try hard?” (Hannah 41-46 years).
Normalization would appear to be the overarching imperative promoting and naturaliz-
ing the absence of disability.
Gender and Sexuality Enforcing the Normative
As children we learn of our expected (hetero)sexuality and gendered roles; girls are of-
ten encouraged to play house and play with dolls in a caring mothering way. Nondis-
abledgirlsaresubtlyencouragedtoaspiretomarriagethroughstoriessuchasCinderella
and her marriage to the handsome prince. For disabled women, some of this early so-
cialization is present, but, crucially, not all of it. Indeed, although almost every woman
mentioned playing withdolls,noneremembered beingencouraged toaspire tomarriage
or indeed to think of themselves as potential partners. These women also recalled that
as children there were very few, if any, positive images of disabled children or adults in
story books. Hence, the “natural” absence of disability is again equated with normalcy.
Rather, they grew up with stories that portrayed physical difference as negative and
a reason for social ostracism or segregation, such as “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
and“SnowWhiteandtheSevenDwarfs”(SPOD1990a).Thereforeaschildrentheyhad
few points of reference in terms of a positive body image or meaningful disabled adult
role models. Disability is usually linked with something not right or unnatural.
The unnaturalness carries through disability and sexuality, therefore, and disabled
girls learn and are reminded of their asexual status in various contexts and social inter-
actions of everyday life from professionals, families, relatives, friends, and strangers. A
number of women hence had strong memories of others' responses to their physicality,
particularly when approaching adolescence and becoming self-aware of their physical
difference.
The body acts as a site of capture between others' responses to our bodies and intern-
alized interpretations of these responses (Hall 1999, 143). These accumulated experi-
ences may influence an individual's present or future self-image and sexual identity, an
aspect of how personal pasts weigh upon individual futures.
Normalizing Absences
Manyofthewomeninterviewedrecalledthatsexoranytopicsrelatedtosexwerenever
discussed within their family. This led them to understand that sex was not for them;
although this was not directly communicated to them, the nonmention of sex evidently
