Claiming normal: Disability, stigma, and relationality in Amman

Area of Science:

• Sociology of disability
• Family studies
• Cultural anthropology

Background:

• Disability stigma is often linked to social relations and community perceptions.
• Existing narratives may frame embodied differences as risks requiring containment.
• The concept of 'normal' can be both oppressive and empowering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how mothers in Amman, Jordan, navigate disability stigma associated with raising children with Down syndrome.
• To examine the role of kinship and community relations in challenging negative perceptions of Down syndrome.
• To analyze how the concept of 'normal' is utilized by families to reframe disability.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study drawing on the experiences of mothers raising children with Down syndrome.
• Analysis of social dynamics within families and communities.
• Examination of narrative construction around disability and normalcy.

Main Results:

• Kinship and community relations were central to mothers' experiences with Down syndrome.
• Families actively "reclaimed" Down syndrome as normal, challenging societal stigma.
• The concept of "normal" was strategically employed to resist narratives of disability as a relational risk.
• Challenging stigma led to Down syndrome being viewed as an unexceptional aspect of life and relationships.

Conclusions:

• Disability stigma is deeply embedded in social and familial relationships.
• Families can subvert stigma by redefining Down syndrome as normal within their social contexts.
• The strategic use of "normalcy" can empower families and foster inclusion.
• This approach highlights the potential for relational dynamics to reshape understandings of disability.