SOCIAL PERCEPTION TOWARDS SOCIAL PERCEPTION TOWARDS DISABLED PEOPLE IN ROMANIAN SOCIETYDISABLED PEOPLE IN ROMANIAN SOCIETY

Vasilica Stamatin, MSC in PsychologyVasilica Stamatin, MSC in Psychology Ph.D. student in SociologyPh.D. student in Sociology

Babes-Bolyai University,Cluj, RomaniaBabes-Bolyai University,Cluj, Romania

After the Romanian revolution in 1989, people with After the Romanian revolution in 1989, people with disabilities were finally seen in the community.disabilities were finally seen in the community.

The communists induced the idea that it is The communists induced the idea that it is shameful to have a family member with a shameful to have a family member with a disability. disability.

Most of the disabled people were hidden, Most of the disabled people were hidden, abandoned in hellish institutions and treated abandoned in hellish institutions and treated worse than animals. worse than animals.

The aim of this study was to research the The aim of this study was to research the present perception of disability in Romanian present perception of disability in Romanian society.society.

There are very few studies regarding disability in There are very few studies regarding disability in RomaniaRomania

The research was focused The research was focused especially on period after especially on period after 2007, when Romania joined E.U.2007, when Romania joined E.U.

Desirability became a very dangerous estate among Desirability became a very dangerous estate among Romanian citizens that could lead to tokenism and Romanian citizens that could lead to tokenism and covered disablism.covered disablism.

The research was focused on implicit and explicit The research was focused on implicit and explicit perception towards disabled people. perception towards disabled people.

CentralCentral research question: research question:

What is the present social perception towards disabled What is the present social perception towards disabled people in Romanian society?people in Romanian society?

SecondarySecondary research questions: research questions:

Is the Romanian social perception towards disabled Is the Romanian social perception towards disabled people related to medical model or to social model of people related to medical model or to social model of disability?disability?

Is there a difference between implicit and explicit Is there a difference between implicit and explicit Romanian social perception towards disabled people?Romanian social perception towards disabled people?

Qualitative approach Qualitative approach

Exploratory research Exploratory research

Phenomenological methodologyPhenomenological methodology

• the researcher cannot be detached from his own presuppositions and should not the researcher cannot be detached from his own presuppositions and should not pretend otherwise (Hammersley, 2000).pretend otherwise (Hammersley, 2000).• the phenomenologist are concerned with understanding social and psychological the phenomenologist are concerned with understanding social and psychological phenomena from the perspectives of people involved (Welman and Kruger, 1999, p. phenomena from the perspectives of people involved (Welman and Kruger, 1999, p. 189).189).

Epistemological position:Epistemological position:

• data were contained within the perspectives of people that are involved with data were contained within the perspectives of people that are involved with disabled people in daily activities disabled people in daily activities •I define a positive attitude towards disability any perception, attitude, behavior, or I define a positive attitude towards disability any perception, attitude, behavior, or belief related to social model of disability- data were analyzed from this perspectivebelief related to social model of disability- data were analyzed from this perspective

Sampling: Sampling: • 26 disabled people, aged between 14-76 years old, different 26 disabled people, aged between 14-76 years old, different

professions and different levels of education were interviewed. professions and different levels of education were interviewed.

• ““Who are the people that you meet most often daily and that you Who are the people that you meet most often daily and that you are interested in their attitude towards you and your disability?”are interested in their attitude towards you and your disability?”

• Over 50 % answers indicated people between school-age and very Over 50 % answers indicated people between school-age and very old age, having the following professions: pupils, students, clinicians, old age, having the following professions: pupils, students, clinicians, nurses, social workers, retired people, priests, solicitors, notaries, nurses, social workers, retired people, priests, solicitors, notaries, sales people, taxi and bus drivers, policemen, waiters, teachers, sales people, taxi and bus drivers, policemen, waiters, teachers, accounters, plumbers, cleaners, other public services people. accounters, plumbers, cleaners, other public services people.

• Snowballing methodSnowballing method

• 85 participants covering all targeted professional areas, age range 85 participants covering all targeted professional areas, age range and from the most important 5 Romanian regions: Moldavia, Ardeal, and from the most important 5 Romanian regions: Moldavia, Ardeal, Banat, Regat and Dobrogea. Banat, Regat and Dobrogea.

Methods: Methods: phenomenological in-depth semi structured interviewsphenomenological in-depth semi structured interviews focus groups interviewsfocus groups interviews mind mappingmind mapping guided empathy in disability guided empathy in disability memoing or field notesmemoing or field notes

Explicitation of the dataExplicitation of the data--Hycner’s (1999) Hycner’s (1999) explicitation process:explicitation process:

Bracketing and phenomenological reduction.Bracketing and phenomenological reduction. Delineating units of meaning.Delineating units of meaning. Clustering of units of meaning to form themesClustering of units of meaning to form themes Summarizing each interview, validating it and where necessary Summarizing each interview, validating it and where necessary

modifying it.modifying it. Extracting general and unique themes from all the interviews and making Extracting general and unique themes from all the interviews and making

a composite summary.a composite summary. Cognitive dissonance theoryCognitive dissonance theory (Leon Festinger, 1957), concept of (Leon Festinger, 1957), concept of

habitus habitus (Pierre Bourdieu, 1994), (Pierre Bourdieu, 1994), hermeneuticshermeneutics (Hans-Georg Gadamer, (Hans-Georg Gadamer, 1960), 1960), sociological imaginationsociological imagination (C.Wright Milles, 1959), (C.Wright Milles, 1959), spread spread phenomenonphenomenon (Dembo et. al., 1956). (Dembo et. al., 1956).

Mind map, I.T. 66 years old, Mind map, I.T. 66 years old, teacher teacher

““If I would be Cristina (disabled person), I am not sure if I would If I would be Cristina (disabled person), I am not sure if I would like to live anymore. She’s loved by her family, but I assume they like to live anymore. She’s loved by her family, but I assume they are shame to go out with her”. (interview, C.D., 25 years old, nurse)are shame to go out with her”. (interview, C.D., 25 years old, nurse)

“ “...and that person, ALTHOUGH he was a wheel chair user, denied ...and that person, ALTHOUGH he was a wheel chair user, denied everything they [the colleagues] were supposing about him, everything they [the colleagues] were supposing about him, proving eventually that he had a strong personality and, TO proving eventually that he had a strong personality and, TO EVERYBODY’S AMAZEMENT, he was professionally even better EVERYBODY’S AMAZEMENT, he was professionally even better than many of our normal colleagues”. (Interview, I.P., 46 years old, than many of our normal colleagues”. (Interview, I.P., 46 years old, prosecutor)prosecutor)

““They (disabled people) have a hard life, because they can’t earn They (disabled people) have a hard life, because they can’t earn money by being employed, and they need care specialists to keep money by being employed, and they need care specialists to keep an eye on them all the time… Sometimes you are amazed to see an eye on them all the time… Sometimes you are amazed to see how a disabled person is coping with a difficult job. If I would be how a disabled person is coping with a difficult job. If I would be disabled I would feel the need to work ten times harder, to prove disabled I would feel the need to work ten times harder, to prove everybody that I am not under their level!...” (interview, P.G., 58, everybody that I am not under their level!...” (interview, P.G., 58, accountant)accountant)

Central themes: Central themes:

The big difference between being born disabled and getting an impairment through an The big difference between being born disabled and getting an impairment through an accident or a disease accident or a disease

Family as a vital support in living with a disabilityFamily as a vital support in living with a disability

The poverty of disabled people in Romania increased by the economic crisisThe poverty of disabled people in Romania increased by the economic crisis

The disabled beggars and their enormous influence on negative social perception.The disabled beggars and their enormous influence on negative social perception.

Bucharest underground , trains, railway stations and busses disabled beggarsBucharest underground , trains, railway stations and busses disabled beggars

disabled beggars across Europedisabled beggars across Europe

disabled beggars actors disabled beggars actors

Isolation of disabled people or institutionalization (as protective measures), abusive Isolation of disabled people or institutionalization (as protective measures), abusive behaviors, financial advantages of poor families with disabled membersbehaviors, financial advantages of poor families with disabled members

Media as an important influence factor in building social perspectives towards Media as an important influence factor in building social perspectives towards disability disability

Results: Results:

Central research question – the social perception towards disabled people Central research question – the social perception towards disabled people in Romanian society is still a negative one, based on prejudice, stigma and in Romanian society is still a negative one, based on prejudice, stigma and compassion. compassion.

First research question – 91% of participants’ perception is congruent with First research question – 91% of participants’ perception is congruent with the medical model of disability. 9%, whose perception was correspondent to the medical model of disability. 9%, whose perception was correspondent to social model of disability was almost exclusively formed by professionals social model of disability was almost exclusively formed by professionals working with disabled people. working with disabled people.

Second research question – no significant difference between explicit and Second research question – no significant difference between explicit and implicit perception towards disabled people in Romanian society (different implicit perception towards disabled people in Romanian society (different declarative and implicit perceptions were situated under 7%). declarative and implicit perceptions were situated under 7%).

The results revealed that: The results revealed that:

The social model is almost unknown among Romanians The social model is almost unknown among Romanians Spread phenomenon determine the assessment of disabled people capabilities Spread phenomenon determine the assessment of disabled people capabilities The negative attitude and behavior due to wrong approach determined by low The negative attitude and behavior due to wrong approach determined by low

level of knowledge related with disability. level of knowledge related with disability.

Conclusions:

The social perception towards disabled people in nowadays Romanian society is still a perception based on the medical model of disability.

There are no significant evidences that Romanians have different implicit and explicit perceptions about disabled people.

Even if Romanian people is a loving and compassionate nation, people still don’t have enough knowledge about disability and about social model of disability, and they fail in practicing a positive attitude towards disability.

ReferencesReferences

Bourdieu,P. (1994)( Bourdieu,P. (1994)( Practical reason: on the theory of actionPractical reason: on the theory of action, Stanford , Stanford University press, Stanford California, 1998)University press, Stanford California, 1998)

Dembo,T.(1969).Dembo,T.(1969).Rehabilitation psychology and its immediate future: A Rehabilitation psychology and its immediate future: A problem of utilization of psychological knowledgeproblem of utilization of psychological knowledge. Rehabilitation . Rehabilitation Psychology,16, 63-72.Psychology,16, 63-72.

Gadamer, Hans-Georg, Gadamer, Hans-Georg, Truth and MethodTruth and Method,1960.,1960.

Hycner, R. H. (1999). Hycner, R. H. (1999). Some guidelines for the phenomenological analysis of Some guidelines for the phenomenological analysis of interview datainterview data. In A. Bryman & R. .G. Burgess (Eds.), Qualitative research. In A. Bryman & R. .G. Burgess (Eds.), Qualitative research (Vol. 3, pp. 143-164). London: Sage.(Vol. 3, pp. 143-164). London: Sage.

Mills, C.W., (1959), Mills, C.W., (1959), The Sociological ImaginationThe Sociological Imagination, 'The Promise', Chapter 1, , 'The Promise', Chapter 1, p.5.p.5.

Welman, J. C., & Kruger, S. J. (1999). Welman, J. C., & Kruger, S. J. (1999). Research methodology for the Research methodology for the business and administrative sciencesbusiness and administrative sciences. Johannesburg, South Africa: . Johannesburg, South Africa: International Thompson.International Thompson.

Contact information:Contact information:

VASILICA STAMATINVASILICA STAMATIN

MSC in Psychology MSC in Psychology Ph.D. student in Sociology Ph.D. student in Sociology

Babes-Bolyai University,Cluj, RomaniaBabes-Bolyai University,Cluj, Romania

vasilica.stamatin@gmail.com vasilica.stamatin@gmail.com