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The physically disabled woman's experience of self.

Helena M de Klerk1, Lucy Ampousah

  • 1Department of Consumer Science, University of Pretoria, Republic of South Africa. deklerk@scientia.up.ac.za

Disability and Rehabilitation
|August 29, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Physical disabilities can negatively impact a disabled woman's self-perception and social well-being. Societal perceptions and interactions significantly shape her experience of self, affecting her public and total self.

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Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Disability Studies
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Symbolic Interactionism theory suggests physical disabilities and appearance issues may negatively affect social-psychological well-being in women.
  • Understanding the lived experiences of disabled women is crucial for addressing psychosocial challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the lived experience of 'Self' for physically disabled women.
  • To investigate the influence of physical disability and societal perceptions on self-well-being.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted two unstructured interviews with 40 randomly selected disabled women.
  • Participants' ages ranged from 21 to 60 years.

Main Results:

  • External social comparisons and the desire for feedback are central to the disabled woman's self-experience.

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  • While accepting their disability, women perceive negative inferences from others due to their physical condition.
  • Others play a significant role in shaping the disabled woman's sense of Self.

    • Conclusions:

    • Negative societal perceptions stemming from physical disability adversely affect a woman's Public Self.
    • This impacts self-presentation and how others perceive her as a person.
    • The overall experience of the total Self is negatively influenced by these social-psychological factors.