Abstract
How do rural settings shape identity and a sense of belonging in persons with disabilities? How does the experience of rural living influence self-determination of women and men with disabilities? What do intersectional categories such as gender, class, ethnicity, and disability mean in a rural context? The book Disability and Rurality: Identity, Gender, and Belonging is a synthesis of different methodological and theoretical perspectives bringing a new understanding of rurality in the context of (dis)ability. The work includes empirical and theoretical research conducted by authors from Australia, Sri Lanka, Iceland, China, Cambodia, New Zealand, and Ireland to explore how local communities and socioeconomic changes shape the meaning of rural areas for persons with various types of impairment.
The first chapter of this anthology discusses the formatting or rethinking of the identity of persons with disabilities in the rural context. Through the reconstruction of the narrative identity of persons with disabilities, authors analyze different factors that affect their self-determination of taking into account social status, cultural background, and the nature of the disability. The contributors problematize the conventional perception of rurality as a peaceful place where persons with disabilities are condemned to a protected but lonely life. Narratives of persons with disabilities undermine this notion and show that the life trajectory of an individual in rural settings depends on the life positions of the persons themselves, their inspiration and interests, as well as family support and community-based services. The social services play a significant role in shaping the identity of persons with disabilities. In this context, the authors reveal the challenges of deinstitutionalization, including the discreteness of social assistance during the transition to adulthood, budget cuts for welfare, and the exercise of expert power on the part of the specialists. The social workers contribute to the (dis)abled identity, supporting clients in their professional and personal plans and desires or applying a subject-object approach, focusing on health limitations and official instructions. The discrepancies between community-based services and needs of rural locals with disabilities also reflect adversely on their transition to adult life. The life stories of Chinese foster children vividly illustrate how narrow educational opportunities in a rural area significantly reduce their chances for employment in cities, leaving them on the periphery of social relationships. However, local communities in rural spaces often compensate for the shortcomings of social services and support disabled members in their self-fulfillment.
The second part focuses on the gender identity of persons with disabilities in rural settings. The recognition of adult competency of persons with disabilities in rural locations depends on their capacity to perform gender roles that correspond to social and cultural norms. The contributors argue that men with disabilities have more opportunities to transform the conventional perception of masculinity in order to set up their male identity and be accepted by other males. At the same time, women with disabilities are exposed to double standards regardless of their ethnicity and cultural background. The women’s autonomy is determined by their abilities to perform domestic chores and child care. Simultaneously, women’s value increases if they have paid work and contribute to the family income. In that regard, rural disabled women’s groups and NGOs help add value to the collective identity of women with disabilities, allowing them to renegotiate the prevailing gendered norms.
The final chapter explores a sophisticated concept of sense of belonging using a variety of methods, including case study, photovoice, and in-depth interviews. In this context, the experience of persons with disabilities are not homogeneous and depends on their social and cultural backgrounds and the severity of the disabilities. Some persons have a strong sense of belonging associated with particular places and their experiences of engagement in local communities, while others express desires of moving to an urban area in order to improve their quality of life. A definite advantage of the book is the analysis of how the experiences of living in residential care institutions affect one’s abilities to establish strong networks within local communities. The findings demonstrate that the sense of belonging may take different forms: from intensive engagement in community activities to the “sense of ‘self in other’ through recognition of physical sensory experiences which have meaning” (p. 242) for persons, in particular, with severe disabilities.
The book brings a new vision on how persons with disabilities create their meaning of rurality given their genders, ethnicities, and sociocultural backgrounds. In most cases, a participatory approach turned persons with disabilities into co-researchers and gave a “voice” to the most excluded and marginalized groups, such as persons with mental and cognitive disabilities. However, the narrative of persons with severe disabilities continues to be constructed by relatives and specialists. This fact exposes the potential for applying alternative methods for involving these people in cross-disciplinary studies about disability and rurality. This anthology will be useful for all scholars who are interested in disability in the context of a life course approach.